This discussion was created from comments split from: Dorm Room Discussion.
ROFL.
Boys–lucky if the sheets get washed!
If it was pink and weird orange with purple spots I’m not sure they’d notice.
It’s not just boys who want nothing to do with shopping. My mom ended up buying the twin xl sheets for me because she knew if she didn’t, I would just sleep on a blanket or something 
Had to make both boys go shopping, but they didn’t make a fuss or anything. I think texted on the phone as we walked around. Oldest DH more interested when we went to an apartment but not much.
We didn’t spend a lot. Bedding (2 sets of sheets). Desk lamp… kid split cost of mini-fridge with roommate. I think that was it – all else (towels, pillow) came from home. We saved our $$ for tuition.
We got the twin extra long sheets and a mattress pad at Bed, Bath & Beyond. If you need any other bedding, they carry it. BBB is also a good source for laundry bags, trash pails and liners and similar items, and if he will be in a suite with its own bathroom, they will want a shower curtain, bath mat, and toilet cleaning brush. A broom and dustpan and/or Swiffer can be a good idea. If he is in a suite with a kitchenette, they also sell kitchen type stuff.
If you are not already on the email list for BBB, get on it to receive their frequent 20%- off coupons.
I bought a number of other things (like sets of plastic drawers,under-bed storage containers and desk supplies) at Target, Walmart, and Staples, and a few things from the dollar store.
One of the most useful things to have is 3M Command hooks and caddies. These come in many sizes to support various loads, up to 7.5 lb. You can find a large assortment at Home Depot. These attach to the wall (and the shower stall) with an adhesive strip that does not remove paint at the end of the year when it has to be removed, providing the instructions for removal are followed. You can reuse the hooks the following year; just buy replacement adhesive strips.
Check them out: http://www.command.com/3M/en_US/command/?WT.mc_id=www.command.com
I went on my own and bought stuff for my son. I’m very particular about bedding and am willing to spend extra for really soft, comfortable stuff. I found some great deals on a comforter, two sheet sets and two coordinating decorative pillows (but big enough to serve as backrests) at Macy’s. The stuff was already on sale with coupons applied on top of that and then extra 20% off for re-activating a lapsed account so it all came to less than $170. Found similar good deals on towels at Bed Bath & Beyond ($11 for bath towel and hand towel set). Son expressed mild dislike for the colors/comforter pattern (red, blue, tan plaid) but since the comforter cost $43 after the discounts and is long enough for a twin XL and everything else revolves around the comforter selection, we’re sticking with it. Also bought a regular bed pillow, pillow protector and mattress pad. A micro-fridge comes with the room so aside from a desk lamp and maybe a rug for the room (but that is something we might only buy once we get there and depends upon what his roommate brings), we are pretty much done.
Did most of our shopping at a combination of Bed, Bath and Beyond (with coupons for sure), Target, and Wal-Mart. Got comforter for my D on a big sale at Macys. Some things (dishes, plastic boxes) were hand-me-downs and that was helpful. My S came shopping for many items but definitely not everything. D wanted to shop with me for anything she possibly could – she was texting pictures of potential comforters to her roommate so they would go well together but not match etc.
I have college shopped with two daughters and one son. The girls were very interested in shopping and making choices and had loads of stuff from essentials like bedding, desk supplies, closet organizer things to things to make the room more homey - wall decorations, a rug, comfy chair, etc. I don’t know that my S took that much less stuff than them. We didn’t spend as much time at stores, but he did buy and brought plenty.
I personally think that young men and women should be involved in the buying process. It’s part of going to college - thinking through what you need, what you don’t, how many, what color - not first world decisions but small life decisions to get used to making. Also, buying your own stuff helps provide an attachment to them - which may be important when you wake up those first few days and everything else is foreign.
So I say don’t let them off the hook. Don’t do it for them. With them ok. For them, no. You may go to Target and come out with everything in one fell swoop. They may give you an hour of their time or a day - but, make it part of their responsibility. If you can’t set those parameters with them for dorm shopping (“he doesn’t have time to go shopping” or “it’s a week till we leave and we haven’t bought a thing!” ) , you probably have bigger problems on your hands.
I don’t remember what we spent , but my daughter splurged on her bedding because she didn’t want the same things everyone else had. I don’t think it was any more for what she got at Urban Outfitters than what BB&B or other places were offering. She got gift cards for graduation that she used for other dorm decor and supplies. She will be in the same dorm and floor next year too so she will be able to use the same things again , and she was the one who provided some of the extras for the bathroom.
She had more personal touches than her roommate had, like pictures of friends , family, home, etc…
Where are these parents that did/do the dorm shopping for their kids, and how do I get one of them to adopt me? 
Here is what the Thumper family did. We first went shopping in our linen closets. Regular size twin cotton jersey knit sheets fit on xlong twin mattresses very well. We had those. Kids took them to college. They both also wanted the comforters from their twin beds at home. So they took those too. Towels…we went into the lin closet and gave them the oldest towels we had…told them to use them well…and pitch them at the end of the school year. If anyone was going to get new towels, it was going to be the parents!
We also had extra throw rugs and throw pillows, which one kid took.
Then we went shopping…if needed…but not until way after graduation. Both kids got gift cards to Bed Bath and Beyond and Target. We used those to buy dorm things.
My sons had zero interest in dorm shopping. They got neutral color sheets and comforters, towels, etc., and they were fine. One got blue, one got red (which is the school color). I consulted along the way, and bought the foam pads, etc., but it’s true boys don’t change their sheets very often.
My son had no interest, so I did the shopping. The night before our flight across country, we had dinner with my B/f and her twin girls, in HS. The kids started talking about college stuff. Next thing, my g/f gave me lots of BB&B coupons, and we hit the store before it closed. My son picked out his own mattress pad, sheets, comforter, etc. we got home, I unpacked what I had bought, and we re packed.
When I returned from the X-country trip, I returned all the stuff I had bought. I’m not saying he bought better items, just that he finally faced facts that he really was going to college.
@thumper1 , we have no shortage of towels in our household but we bought some fast drying towels which were well worth the price
I bought one of my sons the fast drying towels too. They seem to be fine.
S, not interested at all. Still isn’t in anything involving decorating. D’s were interested but I was in to being cheap. So we found a way to be “shabby chic” with all of them.
Found stuff in garage sales, ( a beautiful full sized rug for my S’s frat room found at a garage sale that I washed out on our driveway.) and also dollar stores.
Actually all of their rooms were very cool, if I do say so myself, but cheap! Haha!
I think I was more into decorating the rooms than any of the three of them. If truth be told.
@lje62 the older towels were thinner too…and dried pretty quickly! And after they went to college…I never saw them again! Best part!
My daughter was very interesting in shopping for her dorm room, my boys, not at all. And when my daughter packed she acted like she was going to the middle of nowhere and brought everything she could think of. The boys acted like they were going away for the weekend.
@thumper1 , when we sent our youngest off to college, I fully expected her to be the messy roommate that didn’t bother to hang her towels, or make her bed…her roommate described herself as a neat freak, which really intimidated our daughter, so so adapted to being the neat one.
She also works in the summer with a young lady who put a little fear in her about people sitting on her bed and using her towels when they wash their hands