<p>We will be flying my daughter to her university.</p>
<p>The plan is for her to pack clothing etc and we’ll purchase toiletries, bedding, posters, rugs and that sort of thing on arrival.</p>
<p>I am thinking we will each check a rolling duffle, either medium or large – contents for each not to exceed 50 lbs – but maybe it would be wise to take only two?</p>
<p>Daughter is also concerned about where she will keep the duffles once she has unpacked.</p>
<p>Duffle sizes – (from the LL Bean web site) – </p>
<p>Medium 2,000 cu. in. 11"H x 23"W x 11"D. 6 lb. 7 oz. Meets airline carry-on size requirements, if not over packed. Carry-on size is 22"H x 14"W x 9"D. 2,000 cu. in.</p>
<p>Large 5,700 cu. in. 15"H x 30"W x 13"D. 8 lb. 2 oz.</p>
<p>Okay, but does the average dorm room have drawer and closet space for the contents of three medium or three large duffle bags (plus bedding, toiletries, laundry detergent, computer, etc) ?</p>
<p>It’s amazing how much you can fit into a small dorm room. Once you see the room, I recommend going to Target for storage items. They have stackable plastic drawers that fit under a raised bed, and many different sizes of small shelving units. We were able to fit one in my daughter’s closet. The container store also has a great foldable desk hutch that can hold a printer and books. I ordered it and had it shipped to the school. It doesn’t need any tools for assembly. Good luck!</p>
<p>My sister has managed to fit so much into her dorm room that we had to rent a van to drive home, which we filled in addition to the trunk of our SUV (then again, she had a single). The amount you can fit is pretty staggering.</p>
<p>We used plastic bins that fit under the raised bed for my D ($6 at Target). Extra linen, and stuff not needed on a daily basis was kept in them. </p>
<p>Fair warning…D took far too much stuff with her, she said she could’ve lived without half of it.</p>
<p>I’m a big believer in using a foot locker (or similar container) for dual purposes–as storage AND as a coffee table or end table–also offers an easy place to lock up some of her valuables. Space bags under the bed are also great space-savers that easily fit under the bed…</p>
<p>My son’s advice…put all of your daughter’s things she THINKS she needs in ONE room in your house (e.g. the living room). Then have her only choose half of that to take with her. Even with that, she won’t have enough room AND she won’t use much of what she takes.</p>
<p>It’s hard to fly with a foot locker!!</p>
<p>We flew a kid across country. One parent and the kid went. We flew Southwest so we each took two suitcases. One suitcase has linens in it, including a quilt, towels, sheets, pillowcases (we bought the mattress pad and pillows in the college town). One suitcase had clothing only (DD could take whatever she could get into that suitcase). One suitcase had toiletries (not liquids), hair dryer, and all the school supply “stuff” we had hanging around here. The fourth suitcase had MY things for four days there and any overflow clothing DD had. We bought the computer printer, small TV, desklamp, etc…there. When I flew home, I brought two of the suitcases with me (one was empty). DD stowed the others under her bed and put misc. stuff in them.</p>
<p>I will say…her college dorm room was HUGE but really storage in most dorm rooms is very limited. Pack light. And remember, there are stores in virtually every locale in the country AND the ability to buy online if needed.</p>
<p>Can you see a floorplan of her room online?</p>
<p>Some rooms DO NOT HAVE underbed storage. She could have the upper bunk or a lofted bed with the dresser and/or desk under the bed. She could potentially store flattened duffels between the bed and wall.</p>
<p>I have a tendency to overpack the big duffels until they are too heavy for the airlines. Think about how much she will need to bring and fly home for visits. With the extra baggage charges, it is really handy it she can get down to carryon size. Will she have a carryon suitcase with her?</p>
<p>P.S. an addition to my post above (too late to edit). In addition to the two (free on Southwest) checked bags, we each had carryon “stuff” too. Each of us had a backpack, and I had a double instrument case and DD had her laptop.</p>
<p>Convince her to live like a minimalist. Remember when next summer rolls in, you have to do something with the stuff. Also, she would have a roommate too.</p>
<p>the post office at USC is your friend! they will accept packages ahead of time (date is in the move in guide) We sent 3 large boxes ahead, carried duffles on the plane…but there were three of us,placed the pick up order at Bed Bath,bought other stuff there.Go for the checked in luggage size dont worry about carrying it on.
In the older dorms,S had a closet with excellent storage even though the room was tiny.Think vertical!Microwave sat on top of fridge,bought what was supposed to be shoe stackers from somewhere and used them on the top shelf in the closet to build upwards.The duffles went inside each other under the bed…they squish down really well! along with those Rubbermaid rolling bins with wheels…fit two of those along with the duffles and the shelf brackety thing that usually goes on the desk…he didnt want to use that so under the bed it went.
Don’t forget your D won’t need her heavier clothing for quite awhile ,she can bring that stuff back after the Winter break.(if at all!) S never wears anything warmer than a fleece down in SC…
Don’t forget to get her a smaller sized bag to come home for visits with…no use carrying those big duffles again!</p>
<p>Currently I am think we will buy one “carry on” size duffle (they are actually not that small) so that D will have something to use when she flies home for holidays.</p>
<p>We already have a large duffle she has used for summer programs, and a medium sized one.</p>
<p>I will propose that she may only take what will fit into these three and I will mail her anything else she learns she cannot live without.</p>
<p>What with the charge for checked baggage, I really do not want to find that there is not enough room for everything and we have to repack some stuff and bring it back home. :eek:</p>
<p>Child #1 chose the minimalist approach - yes, this is a son. It worked very well, though he did accumulate things over 4 years. Still, not bad at “the end”.</p>
<p>Child #2 is a daughter. YIKES. She can fit an AMAZING amount of stuff in a dorm room. AMAZING. We used the thumper approach - only when DD went to school there were 3 family members going with her and the first checked bag was still free. We still bought the bulky things on site. She stores most of it there during summer break. Due to season changes at this school there is a call for a varied wardrobe.</p>
<p>The duffels can roll down pretty small, which is nice for storage OR bring back home. The storage drawers are a must for my D, and she capitalized on the space under her bed. In her case, she and her roommate “de-bunked”, flipped the bed frames AND put them on the risers - the mattresses were sitting high which gave just enough room to put a small plastic chest of drawers under the bed. I gave my D a Leatherman with some basic tool parts to take to school with her, which came in handy. Tons of storage underneath for each of them.</p>
<p>I visited during the first year parents weekend and ended up swapping out some stuff. Brought her stuff she wished she had and took home stuff she decided she didn’t need. I’ve learned to pack light for myself anytime I visit as something always gets sent home with me.</p>
<p>maybe compare the price of shipping ahead with the cost of an extra bag or two flying with you?
Remember the shipping costs will be first year only.The kids manage to store their stuff near campus…sharing summer storage units with two others cost S only abt 50 each summer …irts amazing what they can fit in the summer storage,fridges,bikes,TV’s,duffels,boxes,etc…
If your D makes local friends, they may offer to store her stuff at their homes for the summer,thats what happened to my D when she was an undergrad.</p>
<p>cathymee - that depends on the school. D’s school offered no on site storage except to international students. No one used the off site storage places, so no one to share with. My D had to ship it all back. She sold her mini fridge, but what a pain and extra expense.</p>
<p>My CA kid stored “stuff” with 4 friends in an off campus self storage place. They had to haul it there but is sure beat shipping it back and forth.</p>