<p>Both my kids took sleeping bags with them, but they were backpackers. But the bags came in handy when they went to visit friends from other colleges or when friends came to visit them.</p>
<p>fogfog- great link. I had started doing this in my head but your link is much better.</p>
<p>Re: the sleeping bags, I totally made DS#1’s initial college packing list with input from a CC thread like this. (I think the “what not to bring” threads are even more valuable than the “what to bring” threads.) Several people recommended if not a sleeping bag, then maybe an old quilt/comforter/fleece blanket. Kids can use them for studying outside/overnight visiting/hanging out on the floor/wrapping up in when they’re homesick/. . . . </p>
<p>I think many believe the one sheet set vs. two sheet sets debate often comes down to gender. Most guys just will not use the second set.</p>
<p>I also really liked several parents’ suggestions to send a set of your old-but-useable towels along with your kid and get the new towels for yourself. :)</p>
<p>LOL about the towels, ingerp!</p>
<p>I laughed at my S as he was unpacking his stuff this pack week from freshman year. He was taking things like Q-tips, washcloths,etc. and putting them with the usual supply in our house. I’m like “NO!!! That all stays in the college boxes!!!” - no way do I want to re-attempt purchasing and packing all that stuff that we got together less than a year ago! ALL that stuff will just be replinished a bit and head right back in the fall!!!</p>
<p>Takeitallin - sorry for the late response, but thank you! Excellent ideas. I have already warned other D that she is traveling light when we take older D to Texas in August. Her suitcase and mine will be used for college kid’s stuff! I will not have car, so we will try to fit everything into luggage. Will also use your idea about getting cheaper luggage and then bringing back to thrift store. Thanks again.</p>
<p>We have a lot of not-very-nice towels that have been to camp for many years – S will be taking some of those to college and not our nice ones 
They are still perfectly suitable for his use. But I have to buy new sheets since we don’t own any twin XL. And he does care about the softness of sheets, so I’ll buy him decent ones, but I’d rather just buy one set and send a sleeping bag for “emergencies” and sounds like they have lots of other uses, so that feels like one decision made. :)</p>
<p>LOL abasket (re the unpacking)!</p>
<p>I think that we should start a sheet exchange on here to get those XL twin sheets to people who need them. DD will have a double bed this coming year and her brother will not want the hot pink or dragon with poppy-colored peonies sheets. lol</p>
<p>Best advice I received: send gray sheets for boys. That’s the color they will end up anyway!</p>
<p>Neither one ever used the printer. S made little use of dress shirts and ties for events he should have attended (meet the Dean, recruitment stuff, church service (ha-- I don’t think that happened either) etc.)</p>
<p>The most used or appreciated items: Lapdesk, cushy terryclothe bathrobe, mattress cover - foam extra support/softness and an emergency preloaded debit card with $100 for each semester. Both also liked having an extra computer screen on their desk in addition to the laptop - both are engineering students</p>
<p>Also, we bought too many toiltetries freshman year- lots came back unused-- back-up q-tips, tampons, shampoo, razors-- too much purchased.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes. Yes. Yes.</p>
<p>How much, if anything, are they allowed to store? How are they going to get it home or into storage? Are you going to be on the hook to ‘help’? Let them have enough freedom from stuff to be independent on this.</p>
<p>Gosh…I don’t think anything came back unused from our two princesses. Both sets of bed sheets were used along with all four bath towels, washcloths, hand towels and even beach towels from swimming! And goodness…we should buy stock in toiletries!!! Even the printers were used much to my chagrin since printing is free on campus! Our D’s are major consumers I guess. ;)</p>
<p>The top sheet, S never uses a top sheet, only comforters & those favorite sweat shirt type blankets.</p>
<p>Slumom - wow I’m surprised there are others like my kids. I stopped using top sheets on their beds years ago. They, too, prefer sleeping on their comforters and using cozy fleece blankets. I think it started because of laziness - easier to toss the blanket over the bed than fix the sheets.
I will be sending 1 fitted sheet, 1 comforter and 2 blankets.</p>
<p>Last night D was obsessing over how she will possibly remember to pack everything. She kept saying, “Nail clippers. What if I forget nail clippers?” They have stores.</p>
<p>My sons are confused by top sheets. When we go to hotels or stay with friends I have to explain the bedding and remind them to go “between” the sheets. It cracks me up! Sometimes I feel that I have failed as a parent since my kids are mystified by sheets!</p>
<p>Mine appears to be worse than that, because he will often just sleep on the mattress when his sheets are in the laundry room. I told him that is not possible in college, especially in a fraternity cold dorm, but he doesn’t seem to care. I normally just make sure that fitted sheet is same color as comforter and blankets and hope that no one notices that he is sheetless.</p>
<p>What IS it with these boys??? (Mine is the same as MizzBee’s.) They’re just so weird !! :)</p>
<p>Mine will sleep with a top sheet, but it has to be untucked so his feet stick out the end. He cannot sleep with his feet covered. I think it all starts in the crib, where there is a bottom sheet but no top sheet – some kids just never make the switch ;-)</p>
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<p>LOL!!! So is it a “guy” thing - because my two sons do the same thing! I’m with katliamom - WEIRD!!! :)</p>