<p>Hi, just a few more thoughts…</p>
<p>Remember that your student will have a roommate, so things like a fridge, futon, vacuum, etc should be discussed with them before making any kind of purchase or rental. My son’s roommate freshman year lived fairly close by and brought a fridge, and my son had a TV.</p>
<p>Addressing some of Rwe’s questions on the previous page:</p>
<p>The vacuum issue made me smile - having a boy, it didn’t even occur to me to get him a vacuum. I don’t think he’d know what to do with it! If your daughter is a neatnik, I’d pay the $15 annual fee to the dorm association.</p>
<p>Telephones - neither of my kids had a land line, which bothered me at first, but really hasn’t been an issue. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, including severe weather (which WILL happen), Iowa has a notification system that will contact whichever phone and email you specify. [Hawk</a> Alert - Emergency Notifications System - The University of Iowa](<a href=“http://hawkalert.uiowa.edu/]Hawk”>http://hawkalert.uiowa.edu/) They actually had our home phone # set up (maybe a default?), so I got a phone call one night with a recording about a severe thunderstorm in Iowa City. Please make sure you change the # to your student’s cell phone! The last thing you need is details about oncoming storms, tornados, etc!</p>
<p>I definitely wouldn’t bother with a fax machine. These days it’s so easy to scan or print to a pdf and email. Download the Cute PDF software to convert any Word doc to a pdf.</p>
<p>Separation was so different for my 2 sons. The first one couldn’t wait for us to leave, and we didn’t hear from him for probably a week. I thought I would have a nervous breakdown! Younger son was also anxious for us to leave, but also affectionate. I called him 5 minutes after leaving, just as a joke, and he was irritated! But he stayed in regular contact with us, calling us while walking between classes. 4 years later, he still calls us quite a bit - so nice, and such a contrast from his brother. </p>
<p>Oh, I just remembered something else. When I went to college, I had a footlocker that I used for many, many years after college. I bought one for each of my sons, and they also have gotten a great deal of use out of them. Not only is it great storage, but makes a nice coffee table, if you end up getting a futon. I think this is where we got them: [College</a> Trunks. Protect your dorm valuables with a college trunk.](<a href=“http://www.cnmfg.com/college/]College”>Trunks - Trunks made in the USA. A great trunk for camp or college.) You can get them at BB&B, but I think these are quity a bit sturdier. Make sure you get the wheels for them.</p>