<p>This is for parents whose kid(s) live in a dorm now, and for current dorm residents:</p>
<p>How much clothing to send?</p>
<p>My memories of storage space in a dorm room are pretty dim…I remember “bringing everything” (clothes-wise)…I also remember one small dresser and one tiny closet…I can’t reconcile the memory of “everything” with the memory of “no” space…</p>
<p>Anyway…I presume S will do as little laundrey as possible. But if he has only 4 dresser drawers and 1/2 of a tiny closet, how many shirts, pants, dress clothes can he have? I have no memory of wearing anything but jeans & t-shirts when I was in college (back in the dark ages)…but should I send his suit and/or one dress outfit that isn’t a suit?</p>
<p>Of course, by week two (maybe sooner), I expect most of his clothes will be on the floor, under the bed, etc. As far as I can tell, he’s “allergic” to hangers and closed dresser drawers…But hopefully he’ll let me start him off w/clothes in drawers/closets (it’s futile to even think of storage boxes for under the bed!)…</p>
<p>So…what’s your advice? How many sets of clean clothes should I send? He has decided he will be in charge of selecting the gear he’s taking, other than clothes…but says he’d appreciate me choosing/packing his clothes (he could care less what he wears, altho he does put on clean clothes every day here at home…not sure he will when he’s the one in charge of transforming dirty clothes into clean clothes, but that’s part of the college experience, right?)…</p>
<p>Of course there will be little room…how far is he traveling??? How frequently will he be returning home? I’d say don’t take all that you need on your maiden voyage…but I don’t know the local. I know that I need a tuxedo and some dress clothes plus sports cloths and golf clubs etc. You will need to consider storing those items as well. I’d say…less is better.</p>
<p>Thanks, Hazmat…he will be a 6-7-hour car drive from home (of course I can and will send anything left behind that he discovers he needs/wants)…no “easy” public transport from his college town (Cornell; Ithaca is beautiful but pretty much in the middle of nowhere) to home … he says he will “never come home again” … doubtful he’ll be back and forth (other than breaks when dorms are closed) real often…a tuxedo? Wow…what for? My kid won’t willingly put on a shirt w/a collar much less a tux! I think I’ll save getting that for when/if the need arises…but he does have a suit (and several ties/shirts) he could bring…it’d probably be the only thing to hang in his share of the closet!..you’re probably right, tho, that it’ll be best to take less (or be prepared to bring “excess” back home w/me after move-in)…thanks!</p>
<p>Well that does help clarify. Firstly if I were going to be in Ithaca I would plan for ski wear first…cough. Then I would plan for when the winter weather sets in. Footwear is a primary concern which many folks coming from suburbia…land of the car…don’t consider. Dry feet are happy feet. Regarding the formal wear…I play in a musical group and also attend some social functions and I don’t like to pay the rental fees. As for dressing up…hey, girls like guys who dress up and the holiday parties are really nice and fun. Mom can always send the dress up stuff if the invites come along. As for the other…I dont’ know how kids dress at Cornell specifically but I am at on an urban campus and many guys wear dress shirts with jeans. I wear dress shirts most days and collared shirts all other times. The drycleaner stores shirts…if you plan carefully and as for footwear find out when the Fall monsoon season starts. Some folks think winter is the worst…not it is the shoulder weather…driving rain, slush and muck that can make one miserable. What winter parka have you purchased???</p>
<p>College is NOT high school. The clothing that your son thinks he needs may not end up being what he wants…you will have to wait and see. The peer group pressure in college is very different and the personal freedom is different and I would say don’t spend all of the funds before he goes and plan for the change of personal style that many folks go through when they arrive on campus.</p>
<p>What I suggested was to put clothes in piles on bed- tshirts, jeans, sweaters, whatever…take out the most important and try not to duplicate- no need for 10 blue tshirts…you can ship out later if requested…</p>
<p>I have found that storing winter garments at a close drycleaner is quite worth the minor expense. IF you need to take all items upfront…put the blankets, heavy or bulky winter coats and sweaters in storage…saves on room and postage.</p>
<p>overanxious - how I remember this, I don’t know, but in my day we had two closets in a double; one each. Tulane has photos of dorm rooms on-line for each dorm and they show individual closets for each, also; 3-dresser drawers each. I didn’t know they had this until recently; maybe your S’ school has photos also.</p>
<p>My S started doing his own laundry a few years ago, so there is hope, even for a kid who “files” his clothes on the floor, which he does. I am sending him with 4-6 cargo shorts, 2-3 cargo pants, a “bunch” (8-12?) of tee shirts. He already owns all that. Am thinking lots of boxers and socks ( 1 dozen? 2 dozen? depends on how crazy I feel on shopping day, I guess). He is not going frat and not in a formal music performance group, so no tux. I’m going to toss in the dress shirt, tie, “dress” khakis and a blazer. Do not expect they will ever move from the spot I hang them in his closet on move-in day. Maybe he’ll surprise me. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Based on all I’ve read here on cc, I gave up the notion of clever storage boxes etc long ago. He’ll never use them. I do plan on getting bed risers and leaving a couple large suitcases under the bed so he can stash little used stuff there (and use the same suitcases for summer storage as we are 1600+ miles away and he will be flying).</p>
<p>Hi there Overanxious mom! I’ve already told my DS that there is no way he’s taking his 3 dozen or more t-shirts to school with him. We have seen his room, so know what we’re dealing with, a triple, him, two others with two bureaus and two wardrobes (with drawers) to figure out how to split it three ways. Turns out one of his roommates is a very good friend of his (hadn’t asked to room together) and knowing the other boy, I pity the third, and their room, if they’re all alike. We’re at least fortunate being only an hour away so if he really, really needs something, like his suit, I can get it to him IF (big IF) he remembers to give me notice!</p>
<p>Adding in (to make my list more realistic): some mesh shorts (2-4), sweatpants (2?), one fleece jacket, couple sweatshirts/hoodies, shower sandals, regular sandals, pair of Nikes (hoping to convince him to spare the time to buy a second pair in case the first one gets drowned, lost, etc).</p>
<p>I use a canvas bag and don’t forget to purchase supplies when you arrive or pack them into the car for the drive…it is a pain to buy this at the last minute. Also remember that you will need more than one pillow to prop up and watch movies or read in bed…the bed is big unless you plan to buy a futon. Laundry coming home or going to the machines has to be put into something and garbage bags are always underneath everything else!!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that winter wear can easily be ordered online from sites such as LL Bean & Lands End. When my son went off to college, I did a little scouting and found that there was a Sears at a strip mall about 1/2 a mile from his campus - so I added him to my Sears card. (The running joke is that when d. goes of to college, it’s her father’s turn to share a credit card - he’s the one with the Nordstrom’s card - but he says no way). I don’t know Ithaca but from a quick Google search I’ve already discovered that it has a place called Pyramid Mall, which in turn has Target, Gap, Eddie Bauer, Nordstrom, Old Navy, & a Sears Clearance outlet – so apparently there is a way for people who live out in the middle of nowhere. A little more Googling and it seems that Ithaca also has buses that go to this obscure mall place and to the campus - so there is a high likelihood that your son will be able to find it. </p>
<p>The more upscale shops & boutiques seem to be located nearer to campus, though I may be mistaken in my assumption that “Collegetown” is near the college. </p>
<p>So basically, he should take a months’ worth of underwear and a week’s worth of everything else - travel light & shop for what he needs whenever he figures out that he needs it. If he’s not picky about clothing and easy to fit, you can have fun while he’s away doing online shopping for him.</p>
<p>I attended Cornell many (many) years ago but hopefully this info is still relevant. Collegetown is the area just across one of the bridges near the engineering quad. Many off campus students live here. </p>
<p>Collegetown is where I shopped for any necessities - it had some drug stores, food store, bookstore and then the more important places like the bagelry, pizza places and the drinking establishments. Very easy walk to get there though if living on north campus it is a bit of a walk home to carry large purchases.</p>
<p>Glad to hear Pyramid mall is still there. I do not believe I ever got there as a freshman. Never really had a need to and you do need some form of transportation to get there.</p>
<p>Clothing- Just a few pair of shorts will be sufficient. Think winter. He will need a few pair of gym shorts if he works out or plays intramurals (very popular). Don’t forget the bathing suit for the swim test requirement and the one day in the spring when it warms up enough to go to the gorges. </p>
<p>If he is thinking of rushing, the frats have two formals a year so he will need some type of suit. Also, don’t forget rain gear/umbrella. During one Fall it rained every Friday (thank goodness for happy hour). A good pair of boots is necessary and a hat and waterproof gloves are also needed.</p>
<p>The winter can sneak up on you. I remember playing in a field hockey game in October and it was snowing so hard we could not see across to the other side of the field. Try following a little white ball on a snow covered field!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! This is SOOOO helpful! Most of it is “obvious” once I read it…but “obvious” doesn’t always come to the front of what’s turning into a sieve of a brain…particularly when I’m battling the “looming empty nest” element of this project!</p>
<p>Really, really appreciate your help…I’m sure one way or another we’ll “muddle through”–but he’ll probably have more of what he needs/wants and less of what he doesn’t need/want thanks to you-all.</p>
<p>I’d give him the guidelines and the containers, ie suitcases or trunks, if the cubic area matches what he’ll have on the other end, give or take, he’ll be close, and then let him go at it. If he gets it wrong he’ll make corrections at Thanksgiving or buy what he needs. Though S is in the middle of nowhere in Iowa he manages to make it to malls or thrift stores when he needs something. and there’s always the bookstore for extra sweats, t’s etc.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this is helpful to any of you–</p>
<p>but at school, my son purchased a couple of the stackable plastic drawers–he puts them in his closet underneath the clothes that are hanging–a good spot for sock, boxers, gym shorts, etc. so as to free up the limited drawers in the dresser.</p>
<p>Under his bed, he keeps a couple of those long plastic containers for extra sets of towels and sheets and out-of-season clothes.</p>
<p>Free advice from my son (who will be a college jr…and lived in one of those dorm rooms for two years). Make your PILE of stuff in one room in your house. Then take 1/2 of it with you to college. You won’t miss the other 1/2 and you won’t need it either…AND it won’t fit in your room comfortably. He says that if you put what you THINK you want to take in one place and then take 1/2 away it’s easier. The first year he took it ALL (didn’t need most of it). The second year, he took 1/2. This year he’ll take even less. He says most kids take way too much with them.</p>
<p>For international students or those flying to college, you have no option but to pack lightly.</p>
<p>I’m flying out on the 29th July, so this weekend i’ve really been trying to sort thing I need to take and realised the small amount that will fit into my case.</p>
<p>I’m going to have to get a lot of things when I get there.</p>
<p>But after 20 hours of travelling the last thing I’ll want to do is shop!</p>
<p>Hazmat, as a boarding school kid, you know that most having been doing this themselves since they were 14. It’s really hard to believe moms are doing this for 18 year olds. Please parents, let your kids plan and pack themselves. They are supposed to be adults!!!</p>
<p>Kids should know what they will use and I think parents have to give up on how they wish their kids to be…I pack for myself whether it be trips or school, have for a long time. One last comment. Be sure to make photocopies of your passport, debit card, credit cards, bank numbers. It is helpful to have a copy at home or in your room for loss or other circumstance.</p>