Kristina

When I visited dorm rooms at various colleges, I noticed that some students had sleeping bags. Is that a useful thing to take to college? (If so, why?)

demeter

If you anticipate having friends from other schools visit you during the school year, then the sleeping bag is a very convenient sleeping arrangement, especially if you live in a corridor-style dorm and don't have a suite living room where the guest might stay for a night.

Even if you don't see that happening, it's still pretty useful because you never know when you might need it. My roommate had a friend over one night. The friend wasn't supposed to stay the night, but due to transportation problems, she was forced to stay over. She and my roommate ended up sleeping in the same bed, which was probably really uncomfortable, so a sleeping bag would've certainly helped.

Plus, they don't take up that much space.

Fanatic517

It's definitely handy to have around. If the weather is nice, it can be fun to camp out with friends on your quad or athletic fields too.

thecomisar

If someone is trying to cut back on the amount of stuff to bring, is a sleeping bag a good candidate for something to be left behind?

Fanatic517

It doesn't take up much space at all. It's not necessary, but it's definitely one of those things that you may end up thinking, "damn, I really wish I'd brought that"

demeter

^Yeah, that happened to me quite frequently this year. My next door neighbor was obnoxiously loud all year long, and sometimes I really wanted to sleep over in a friend's dorm, but I didn't have the sleeping bag.

Comisar, that depends on how frequently you anticipate using it. Sleeping bags are useful but not necessary items like bedding and desk lamps. From my own experience, I'd leave the sleeping bag at home the first time, unless I had room for it.

rlm919

My d's school had a sleepover at a museum during orientation week and were told to bring a sleeping bag. Our old ones were pretty nasty so she had to buy one to take to college.
Since then each spring when she packs to come home she boxes her bedding up so everything is ready to go and uses her sleeping bag her last night.

Student615

For the most part, if you have one, you'll find ways to use it. If you don't, you'll find ways around any occasions you might've used one.

I was a heavy packer, but never bothered with (or missed) a sleeping bag. I did keep a ton of extra blankets on my bed, which served a similar purpose. Used them when guest beds needed to be made on the floor, and also got my own use out of them in the room, watching TV in living room, etc. My college had an organization that would loan you camping equipment if you wanted/needed it, so that use was a non-issue during the school year.

A sleeping bag isn't a must-have item, but if you have space for it, you'll likely find occasions to use + appreciate having it. If you're scrounging for space and can't think of any obvious and inescapable need for one, then you're fine leaving it at home for the time being.

Easy

Just bring it--barely takes you any effort, and it might suddenly come up handy.

In the fall semester, a FWB would always vacate my room after we were finished for the night. For various reasons, I slowly started to suspect that she wanted (or expected) a relationship; one day, she declared that she wanted to stay over despite me hinting against it. So she remained in my bed and I left to go do something else. When I came back, she was asleep so I slept on the floor on piles of my clothing... didn't want to give her the wrong idea; too much intimacy otherwise. I thought my hoodies and sweatpants stacked on top of each other would provide a nice cushion, but I was quickly proven erroneous.

betterdays

Take it! If someone comes to visit it's nice to have, and if they don't, put it on top of your uncomfortable dorm mattress under the fitted sheet. Easy storage and makes your bed extra comfy.

leah377

inevitable with a "friends-with-benefits" hookup (unless the girl is me & thus relationship-phobic). you should have known better.

Easy

Well leah, sometimes a product remains perpetually in the maturity phase of the product life cycle and never reaches decay.

leah377

for some reason, it seems slightly unhealthy to consider business management strategies necessary to maintain relationships

Easy

If the product does not behave as desired, the trick is to find ways to reset the product life cycle or to get out of the market before the product begins generating net losses from decay.

I'm a fan of metaphors.

leah377

i'm a fan of men who refer to women as people rather than business ventures

..but that's just me