<p>If your kids use top sheets then sets are fine, but if they don’t, I’d look to purchase the fitted sheet alone and save some money.</p>
<p>Two sets, although both sons do not use top sheets. Older son washed his rarely but did use the extra set for when people stayed over and slept on the floor. We threw them out at the end of the year. Ugh! We go the stretchy jersey cotton type. Soft and comfy. I was at a Marshall’s store the other day and they had tons of cute sets. The selection seems to get better every year.</p>
<p>OK two sets, three if you needs flannel.</p>
<p>My daughter, who likes clean sheets at least once every couple of weeks, which is a lot for college students, found that she could get by with one set. The flannel sheets were too hot in the dorm, and she didn’t have a good place to store the extra sheets, particularly no dirty hamper room to keep them while waiting for the wash. She developed a habit of stripping the bed, washing, drying and replacing the sheets - it was just easier.</p>
<p>I’m a girl, and I had one set. My parents thought it was weird that I might need two. Anyway, I washed them and then put them back on immediately afterwards. Never had a problem. (But I still think having two sets is a good idea. My friend got two in different colors so that she could mix and match in addition to having a backup.)</p>
<p>ONE SET. Figure it this way- if they wash the sheets they will be up and not needing them on their bed while said sheets are in the washer/dryer. If they have extras they may forget the one in the wash and end up with one set, or use the second set and never wash either, or… Son had one set of navy good quality (JCPenney) XL sheets that he won’t need for his apt (will give them away when I know he won’t ever be in the dorm again- they look like new). Last year he lofted and I guess making a lofted bed is difficult and clean sheets every x weren’t a priority (I won’t do his at home this summer, they still seem clean from the doorway, of course all those long showers may make a difference…). Do spring for a decent mattress pad- the one son’s school provided was pathetic. There is little storage space to waste with a sheet set, it may get relegated to some far corner and be forgotten (also- who wants to have to fold and put away sheets?).</p>
<p>Store sheets under mattress. </p>
<p>I have top sheets just because I sometimes find deals that I cannot resist where it’s a set and I’m stuck with the top sheet. They have come in use. FIrst of all in a pinch, they certainly can be used as a bottom sheet, so you really only need to buy one set–if your student can use the flat sheet as a bottom as hospital do. That way all you have to do is buy a bed in a bag and you have the comforter, two pillow cases, and two sheets. </p>
<p>As I said earlier, the top sheet is pretty useful for other things too. But I also find that they make decent curtain or valences. You can just put a cheap rod in the top after slitting the side, and then cut and hem and then scrunch it for the look. And they will then match the bedding. </p>
<p>Son going to a football camp next week in non airconditioned dorms. Top sheet will be necessary as any covers will be too warm but he might just want something light to pull on him.</p>
<p>Above = out of sight, out of mind for people like my son… he would forget he has the second set.</p>
<p>Might not if someone threw up on his bed. That’s the problem with one sheet under the other.</p>
<p>My S only wants one set to go with him in the fall for freshman year, but I am going to get him an extra fitted sheet in case of emergency and inability to get the other one washed right away. I can use the extra flat sheet here at home, and he’ll get an extra pillowcase, too. If a kid gets sick and “stuff” happens on the sheet, he’ll be grateful to have a clean sheet to pull on until he feels well enough to wash it. My S actually was sick enough this year at home (flu, nosebleeds, food poisoning) to need a few middle-of-the-night sheet changes. </p>
<p>You CAN use XL sheets on regular twin size beds later on if they still look good. I have my Ds old (gorgeous and in great shape) XL sheets on a regular size bed in my house right now. The XLs are only about 5 inches longer or so – you just tuck them in a little more at the bottom.</p>
<p>I like cptofthehouse’s idea of storing the extra sheets under the bed. My kid won’t forget, especially if a real need comes up.</p>
<p>One of the girls in my hall (many, many years ago) had a beautiful European eiderdown comforter with a lovely duvet cover for her bed. One of the guys had a dog with him in our dorm, a nice pooch who jumped up on the bed when some of us sat on it. He was scolded and told to get off, and he did, but peed on the bed first. Unfixed male dog. End of the comforter. End of the mattress too. </p>
<p>In my house I have plastic mattress covers since my kids were bedwetters once upon a time. I cover those with a nice comfy mattress pad that stays on there unless it is truly soiled. Over that goes the fitted sheet. Then a cheap comforter. There is also the pillow and case. That way it is easy to make the bed look decent. That top sheet is more than what my kids have the patience to manage. I keep a stash of cheap comforter that can be popped in my washer and dryer and if we had middle of night accidents, all we had to do was remove all of the bedding a put down a fresh comforter on the plastic (cleanable) mattress protector and another fresh comforter as a cover. When I was pregnant, the top bunk often got made that way–kid was a sandwich between two cheap comforters, rather than fooling with any sheets.</p>
<p>Sent S off with 2 sets of sheets for his freshman year. He came home with the bottom of one set and the top to another. I did not want to know why so I never asked. I figured I wouldn’t like the answer. So now he has one mis-matched set. I may end up buying another set to send him back in the fall with. Like someone said earlier they can always be used for the toga party, or if they get sick in their own bed. Neither of which I want to know about.</p>
<p>The sheet set I got for my S is nice quality, but cheap on sale. Since he has to fly cross country, if his luggage is overstuffed for the trip home, I might just tell him to toss the sheets at the end of the year. They may be kinda ratty after 9 months of constant use anyway. He’ll be able to store some stuff at the school over the summer, but I don’t want the bedding stuck who-knows-where and pulled out for use in the fall after maybe not even having been washed before storing.</p>
<p>Could someone post a link to the “dorm supplies thread”? Perhaps one for kids moving by plane?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/82285-z-what-bring-college.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/82285-z-what-bring-college.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/53990-last-year-s-shopping-checklists-bedding-threads.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/53990-last-year-s-shopping-checklists-bedding-threads.html</a></p>
<p>As far as traveling by plane, you will have to sort that out for yourself. Maybe you can ship some stuff to yourself, and/or buy things where you live at one of the chain stores, and then pick it up at the store close to where you will be.</p>
<p>Ah, yes, we are back to discussions of Parchesi - it’s that time of year! ;)</p>
<p>Hey, mini: S2 is using his bedsheets year round. They’re three year old and I expect them to last another year. Not Parchesi, though. They were bought at Target. Two sets, one in case of spills. He washes the other set regularly and it does not look “ratty” to me.</p>
<p>One set will be okay if you send your kid with a sleeping bag or extra blanket or something. In a pinch they can just stick that on the mattress for a night. I would, however, recommend extra pillowcases. It’s better for your skin to change them weekly and a fresh case can make you feel like the whole bed is cleaner. I brought one set to school and started out changing them somewhat regularly. At Thanksgiving I brought a set of flannels from home but a some point I realized my sheets had been on my bed for several months. I also started sleeping on top of my comforter with a blanket. I hate fiddling with making the bed. If you really want to send two, get one set that matches all the bedding and is nice (so whatever your kid picks out) and find one set in your linen closet. I’ve found that with determination, a regular sheet set will fit on an XL bed.</p>
<p>I’ll second colormehappy’s suggestion for multiple pillowcases. If I’ve had a really long day and my hair’s getting a bit scuzzy, I’ll tend to just crash and deal with showering and washing my hair in the morning. I can feel the grossness left on my pillowcase every night after that, so I’d usually just swap it out with one of my other ones and be fine. Pillowcases are also great makeshift laundry bags. Whenever I wash my sheets, I just stuff them inside a pillowcase to carry them around.</p>
<p>My son sleeps on top of his comforter with a comfy blanket as his cover. So he doesn’t even use the sheet.</p>
<p>^^^^^^Thank you!</p>