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<p>I could not agree more…Once you determine where you student will stay (room size, single, double, etc…) you will have plenty of time to shop.
Last year I spend $370 all together.
The only adds were an electric kettle (November) and a humidifier (February), from Amazon shipped to school :)</p>
<p>Every school offers different services (laundry service, water cooler, rentals…) Check the housing links for your school of choice and many of your questions will be answered there.</p>
<p>I would add that you need to take a hard look at your kid, their room at home and their personal habits. If your son’s room still has the Elmo wallpaper and bedding because he doesn’t even notice it, there is no need to buy gorgeous bedding for his dorm room. If he can’t tell 100 thread count from 1000, don’t buy the expensive stuff. I actually bought hangers the same color as his bedspread. He didn’t even use hangers, much less care about the color.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that what’s allowed can differ from campus to campus and even dorm to dorm. My son is in earthquake country and several of the things mentioned in the last two pages aren’t allowed. Residents can’t raise or loft their bed, they can’t have desk hutches, and any shelf units have to be 48 inches or less. In my son’s dorm, microwaves aren’t allowed but in the dorm complex right next to his, they are allowed (I don’t know why). On the other hand, his landline phone and refrigerator were both provided by the university so we didn’t have to purchase those.</p>
<p>^ missypie, thats so funny! re the hangers!!</p>
<p>I bumped this because there was some good advice…</p>
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<p>I actually bought a (color coordinated) trash can. Good thing I kept the receipt. My son’s dorm room had two trash cans and two recycling bins. They certailny didn’t need another.</p>
<p>I may have given this advice before, but once your child has settled on a school and receives a dorm assignment, there is nothing to stop you from asking someone in the housing dept. what comes with the room and what is and isn’t allowed. They aren’t going to rescind your student because you called or emailed them with questions.</p>
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This was why I was so stunned when S2 asked for an iron and ironing board. All the shirts were on the floor, and the hangers were in the closet!</p>
<p>^That’s why he needs to use an iron. :P</p>
<p>Got a kick out of a post from a student at kiddo’s chosen U that told the guys to bring a jacket/tie etc…^^
Guess the kids start figuring out T shirts/jeans only fit for some occassions</p>
<p>My D only took minimal basics (clothes, laptop, bedding) plus a coffee maker (essential for my D!). The only thing she has requested for Christmas was a memory foam mattress pad. Apparently I didn’t send enough dishes but she “borrowed” some from the cafeteria, and I think she bought extra hangers. Didn’t send lots of school supplies or tool kits or iron, etc. Just told her to borrow from floormates! We live 2000 miles away from school so wasn’t worth hassle or expense to bring too much. Remember they have to store it somewhere over the summer, too.</p>
<p>For those thinking about ordering at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a local pickup, note that Walmart does the same thing, and is generally less expensive.</p>
<p>I thought I’d share my best packing hint…D1 takes her hanging clothes right out of the closet, pokes a hole n a trash bag and sticks the hangers through the hole to create a garment bag. Lots of her clothes have to be hung so this is a huge time & effort-saver since they go from closet to closet with no extra step in between.</p>
<p>^i’ve never tried that before because it seemed like it would be cumbersome to carry heavy clothes that way, but since so many people have suggested it maybe I’ll try it on the way out this time.</p>
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<p>We did that, too…with the (needlessly) color-coordinated hangers, of course.</p>
<p>^^^ Use a twist tie or cable tie to hold the bunch of hangers together when you do this. Makes it easier to handle and prevents some items from slipping out.</p>
<p>This is great…very useful info. Thanks, all~</p>
<p>I’m wondering whether the kids make use of a coffee maker, like a keurig?</p>
<p>My D just has a regular old coffeemaker that she uses every day. She can buy the ground coffee anywhere including the campus convenience store. She likes making a big pot to share with friends for late night studying, etc. A Keurig might get a little expensive.</p>
<p>My D’s only graduation present (for now) request is a Keurig. She is used to using it everyday at home and thinks she will be lost without it. I agree it will get expensive. May just have to stalk amazon and buy a case when they have a sale. </p>
<p>Whereas we bought S a cheap $15 coffee maker and it came home at winter break. </p>
<p>I also invested in some of the space-saving hangers, like that can hold 3 or 4 pants/shorts and such for my son. I just pulled those out from under his bed at home (not sure when they came home) so I guess he is not using them. D said she might - we’ll see.</p>
<p>I do agree the printer ($35 at walmart) was a good purchase.</p>
<p>The only problem with cheap printers is that sometimes the replacement cartridges cost as much as an entirely new printer. I don’t think they should be that disposable!</p>
<p>My D’s roommate bought the printer and D bought the replacement cartridge. And they are planning to room together again next year! Hope the printer lasts that long. (they do get free printing on campus, but it is inconvenient to go to downstairs to pick it up - especially if they have many drafts, etc. D mostly uses the “printer” money for copies.)</p>