<p>I’m curious to know, I’m an incoming freshman and was wondering what was the best form of shoes storage used, if any? I don’t want to buy one and not use it.</p>
<p>My S has 2 pairs of sneakers and one pair of dress shoes, so under the bed is fine. If you have a lot of shoes, you may want something more elaborate.</p>
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<p>That depends if they ever laundered them. I think some kids’ dorm sheets are best burned at the end of the year! :-O</p>
<p>acapella – For shoes worn only occasionally, D stored them in her suitcase which was kept under the bed. The suitcase also stored out-of-season clothing.</p>
<p>Just read this entire thread. So helpful! My S '14 college class fits the profile of the typical boy. I did all the shopping and he didn’t even know what he had. Never used second set of sheets of course. Now I have a D who will be heading off in August so this will be very different. Wondering how to store Uggs in a triple room. And where to fit the “essential” Kuerig mini. And looking for a Vera Bradley laundry bag. Should be an adventure.</p>
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<p>My kid is jr and he tried to talk me out of my big one in the kitchen!!! Guess I might have to send him this. Gotta love Amazon.</p>
<p>If your closet has a real door, get a shoe thing that has things that hang over the door. DD got hers at Bed Bath and Beyond. It was great!</p>
<p>I keep seeing people talking about “shower shoes” – what exactly are these things? And do people (guys) really need / use them?</p>
<p>They are regular old fashioned flip flops. Yes, if your son is going to use a common shower with other boys he needs them and will wear them. You want him protected from the annoying things like fungal infections, as well as the more serious things like MRSA. I picked up my sons at American Eagle on sale for under $5 but you can find them lots of places.</p>
<p>You’re looking for something like this (again, I didn’t pay this price!):</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?productId=7213_6075_400&catId=cat4840024&bundleCatId=cat5660006[/url]”>http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?productId=7213_6075_400&catId=cat4840024&bundleCatId=cat5660006</a></p>
<p>Thanks! I suppose that a kid who hates having that “thing” between his toes could go with a “slide”-type shoe …</p>
<p>Have a son who just finished freshman year.</p>
<p>Did not use: second set of sheets/towels (swears he washed them!), dress clothes, raincoat or shoes designed for rain/mud (and he goes to school in Portland, OR). Had too many extras of soap/toothpaste, etc.</p>
<p>Did use and appreciated: terrycloth bathrobe, flipflops for shower, dustbuster, zip-up sweatshirts, and extra t-shirts. Liked own stapler, pencil sharpener, printer. Also very sturdy backpack.</p>
<p>Needed more: socks. Think changed often b/c they got wet (see above - refused to wear waterproof shoes).</p>
<p>My son is class of 2015, so he’s just coming home from his first year. Another kid that NEVER used that second set of sheets, however he DID wash the first set on a regular basis. </p>
<p>Since this thread will get a lot of traffic from parents of the class of 2012 some things that DID get used constantly were his Gore-tex hikers. He wore these all fall, winter, and spring, They kept his feet warm and dry trudging across campus during the rain and snow. I knew he would not drag out boots so these were a great call! Also, his Gore-tex parka was invaluable! He wore it alone in the fall and spring as a rain jacket, then over a polarfleece jacket in the winter. Well worth the money. Lastly, three weeks worth of boxers. Yup. 
You can easily recycle jeans, hoodies, air out t’shirts if you have to, but recycling underwear is where I draw the line. Somewhere in three weeks they will do the laundry!!!</p>
<p>a flashlight</p>
<p>Did not use: Microwave. I guess he ate well in the dining hall. Cleaning supplies were all unopened and the in-room sink looked like it had not been cleaned in 9 months!</p>
<p>Glad he had a stapler and pencil sharpener. Lots of socks and underwear.</p>
<p>Great info in this thread… I have been able to scratch several items off of my shopping list.</p>
<p>D2 did not use iron- came home in the box. D1 could not live without her iron.</p>
<p>Yes to toolbox! DH gave him box with screwdrivers/hammers/pliers and plenty of duct tape. My kid was very popular on the hall Did not need drill - ok DH went overboard.</p>
<p>Agree with tons of underwear - basically he had enough clothes to go two weeks between laundry. Old Navy great for this purpose. Threw some away when came home and that just fine.</p>
<p>Re bed: foam pad essential, own pillow (bought new of kind he liked), and dark-colored sheets.</p>
<p>This thread shows the difference between girls and boys. I read this thread last year when we were getting D1 ready for college. We also had the master packing list that I got from another CC thread. We did all of the shopping and packing together. She also did all of the unpacking once we got to her dorm. </p>
<p>When we picked her up at the end of the year, I was curious to see what packages would be unopened. I was happy that she used everything that we sent at least once.</p>
<p>Must haves:
tool kit
Clorox wipes
First aid kit
plastic utensils</p>
<p>An extra set of sheets – I’m not sure the original set was ever washed – and that was my daughter. The males in our house are the only ones who ever make their beds. Any stereotypes about girls vs. boys will be blown apart by my family!</p>
<p>I saw a reference to duct tape. I made this mistake. What the kids need is painters tape. That is the tape that comes off the walls without damaging the paint. Duct tape may not do that.</p>