taben1112

We have one headed off to school next month. It seems that she is taking a TON of stuff, probably too much.
Still, even once we narrow things down there will be a lot. Can any of you give us tips, in general, on packing?

Did you mail them some clothes later?
Did you buy some items once you got to the school?
Did you bring things like their bike from the start or wait until they settled in?
What did you pack things in? Suitcases, rubbemaid bins, etc?

Any hints or tips would be great.

Thanks!
T

ThacherParent

I loved watching the girls move in.....ALWAYS too much stuff. Sweat pouring off the Dads as they carry yet another box half a football field away. (Yes, I'm generalizing and yes I'm being sexist and yes I cop to it!)

I vote for minimalism!!! Pack only what's needed. Send stuff later. See how the room shapes up. See what other kids wear. Go out and buy a last minute thing at a local store if you have to.

SevenDad

Thread from last year specifically about girl's wardrobe:

Wardrobe question for parents of girls...

Periwinkle

I recommend you poke around in the "Parents" section of the school website.

In the past, our kids' schools have sent a letter to students over the summer, which outlines what students should bring and leave home. As schools are trying to use less paper, this may be replaced at some schools with directions on how to log in to the parent portal.

Kids seem to accumulate t-shirts over the year. I would send a child to school with the bare minimum of t-shirts.

SevenDad

@Periwinkle: +1 on the t-shirt proliferation! I guess there are countless student groups who sell them to raise money for their own cause or outside charities.

ops

Be sure to get her name on everything, sorry that's it other than congratulations, all of the above and good luck!

ChoatieMom

Have you seen her dorm room or one like it? Is she in a single or does she have a roommate? The point is, she should carefully and realistically evaluate the amount of space she will be living in and then mentally move in to an even smaller space. (DS only had one free-standing wardrobe about 6'x4' with two lower drawers to move into.) I'm for sending the kids off just shy of naked, with one roller bag/backpack and perhaps one check-in. Pretty much anything else can be purchased locally after you arrive and using the school's list; they really don't need much. We did ship computer/monitor/instrument ahead so DS didn't have to travel with anything expensive.

Also, at the end of the year, he stored everything (clothes, shoes, desk lamp, reference books, etc.) locally so he's not taking more than his roll-on and a backpack back with him this year. Again, we will ship the electronics/instrument).

Bottom line: less is more.

SevenDad

Forgot to answer your questions:

Did you mail them some clothes later?
Yes, and also bought some items during breaks. I felt the move-out SUV was more full than the the move-in SUV.

Did you buy some items once you got to the school?
We forgot pillows, and bought some at the local Kohls. We found the last fan at Lowe's. I think the advice on stocking up on fans, hangers, storage boxes over the summer or buying them and mailing is good...the stores near school will probably have been picked over by the time you need them.

Did you bring things like their bike from the start or wait until they settled in?
We didn't send her bike down until after Spring Break (it was her first year). Her bike is pretty nice and it did get a bit banged up between my daughter's use and the times she "loaned" it to people who asked to borrow it. I think we'll let her bring it down for the whole year this time around...maybe take it home at Winter Break to save on weather-related wear and tear. If it's your DD's first year, perhaps wait...let her see if she'd actually use it.

What did you pack things in? Suitcases, rubbemaid bins, etc?
Mix of things: Trunk (everythingsummercamp.com), garment bag, bins. Plus maybe one suitcase/large duffle? You will probably see it all at move-in...from matching luggage sets to garbage bags.

GMTplus7

In the event you do have too much stuff for the room, the silver bullet: BED RISERS

Bed risers are these sturdy, molded-plastic blocks you can put under the feet of the bed, to hike the bed up another 6". Then you can buy under-bed storage bins w wheels, so you can slide out the bins easily and use them like extra drawers. We noticed some of the kids nesting the risers (they are hollow inverted cups) to gain even more height.

Bed risers were sold at son's school bookstore. You should also be able to find them at the local Bed Bath Beyond stores that cater to college & BS kids who are moving in. At Bed Bath Beyond, we found risers in different heights. You can also find the under-bed storage bins there.

Remember, what ever mountain of stuff you haul into the room this Fall, you will have to haul out again (and probably even more) in the Summer. LESS IS MORE.

GMTplus7

AFTER YOU TRANSPORT THE MOUNTAIN OF STUFF FROM CAR/AIRPORT TO DORM ROOM

If are planning to use suitcases to haul all the stuff into the dorm room, check with the school to find out whether there is space in the dorm (likely, the basement) to store the empty suitcases.

STLmom23

Space Bags -- seems like you could get a lot TO school using Space Bags. Anyone ever try them?

mountainhiker

We’ve had mixed success with space bags (I’ve used them for packing for international trips and for sending kids to camp). They seem to be good for a few uses, then have a tendency to not seal as well, and “inflate” when you don’t want them to.

Biggest issue these days seems to be the very strict limit of 50 lbs for domestic checked bags. Overweight charges are enormous, and our experience is that the airlines don’t give you much leeway. (We’ve found that if you check your bags at the curb instead of the ticket counter, the agents seem a little less militant about staying at exactly 50 lbs or under.) Having a way to cram more into the suitcase doesn’t seem to be an option, since it always seems we have more “weight” than “bulk.” (I guess one exception might be big fluffy sweaters or fleece clothing.)

GMTplus7

For the long distance U.S. kids: UPS

For the int'l kids: air freight

MrsWeasley

Each year, we load up the minivan and drive 14 hours to deliver our daughter to school. We use the space bags to pack her bedding, towels, and sweaters, and they work great for that. Once she's there, she doesn't use them for storage because the air does leak out of them. But for transporting things to and from school in a minivan crammed full of stuff, the space bags are very useful.

friendlymom

How far ahead do I need to send baggage/packages cross country via UPS?