<p>Unless you plan to make multiple trips to REMOVE all of the stuff, I would urge you to NOT make multiple moves to take it.</p>
<p>FYI, when DD graduated, three of us went to her graduation with 5 empty suitcases (she had one already). We were ver clear…if it didn’t fit in the 6 suitcases, it wasnt coming back. She did ship her books and her bedding (comforter, shams, sheets, expensive mattress pad). But everything else came back in those three suitcases. DD did not fly with us (it would have given her 2 more suitcases) but instead took the cross country train. She had a backpack and small duffle with her.</p>
<p>^Suitcases were out of question, period. They ware too bulky and inflexible. Nope, gurbage bags and boxes that could be somewhat changed sizewise. Boxes were primarily for fragile things, make sure to put the soft stuff (clothes) in between, do not loose any half of inch of space. The special bag that could be sucked up the air with vacuum cleaner are great but we did not have any.
I do not know how moving out by flying could be accomplished at all. That task would be impossible. Actually, we just hired movers when D. started at Grad. School. Planning to do the same if she moves to a different place. Our backs are more precious to us than any $$$ and all of us happen to have a weak one.</p>
<p>Hey OP, lots of good suggestions here but be sure to check with your kiddo’s school policies. For example, D1’s school doesn’t allow bed risers or lofting of beds (though the beds do come with built-in lofting capability), and will only allow microwaves if you rent them through the school. </p>
<p>Which reminds me of the best rule of all: don’t unwrap anything until you are SURE it’s going to be used. There is always going to be stuff that in retrospect can be returned IF it’s still with tags or wrapped. Hold on to those receipts!</p>
<p>You also need to check schools for shipping guidelines. Some schools do NOT allow packages to be sent prior to move in day. Others have a different location for larger parcels than the dorm mail room (and YOU will have to figure out how to schlep that stuff to the dorm room).</p>
<p>MiamiDAP
“I do not know how moving out by flying could be accomplished at all”
…</p>
<p>I have done this twice with two kids. As I outlined in an earlier post, it was quite organized and easy to do. When we arrived at the college location airport, I had an SUV rented and transported the luggage/boxes to the dorm.</p>
<p>Based on the fact that your son is going to be moving dorms I would go minimalist, really. Separate the have to haves from the it would be nice to haves. Hold off on the nice to haves until the new dorm in August. My guess is there are bus routes (often free to students) that are going to hit stores like Target, Wal-mart, and BB&B where your son can get anything additional in August.</p>
<p>Don’t take all clothing that will be needed the entire year. Depending on the weather he can get by without a lot of winter clothes until Thanksgiving or Winter Break when he can swap some stuff out. No matter what go light on the t’shirts. He will accumulate these like crazy. They give them out for free for a number of things. They get them when they support philanthropy events (read pay $15 for a party that includes a tshirt), etc. Lots and lots of new t’shirts.</p>
<p>Also, get Amazon-Prime for students. With your son’s .edu email you can get a free student account, I believe the offer is for 6months (It used to be a year). After that you can renew for $39/year. It is free two day shipping on just about everything you can think of. Need it overnighted? That’s only $4. You can use the same account and have things shipped to your home, wherever.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody- SO glad we are driving and not flying-ugh and now even happier he is staying in-state! </p>
<p>We go up for preview/registration a month before school starts so I can get the prohibited items list then and maybe even look at the room(s) in person. He registers today for his fall room so we’ll know what type of space he has in that. Luckily, he is not a clothes hound and really won’t have tons to take up. I love the Amazon idea for used books too. </p>
<p>His school has the “longer” beds and they sent an information packet with bedding we could order that would fit the beds and was guaranteed to last through graduation (yeah, bet that’s a real high thread count sheet!). Did any of you have that longer bed issue and did you have to buy the sheets someplace special or did BBB work for you?</p>
<p>Do not order bedding from any advertisements sent from the schools (well, they’re from a third party but you get the idea). Extra-long bedding is now very common and you can find much better quality at Target, BBB, TJMaxx, Home Goods, etc. You can also look on the schools website under housing and I’ll bet you can find a list of what is allowed and prohibited in dorms. They may even have pictures, floor plans, and dimensions of different dorms. It’s worth looking.</p>
<p>Boys will disappoint ~warning, warning. They don’t like to shop. They don’t care which color. They tire quickly of hearing about organizing for college. Grab a Mom-Friend and enjoy the experience. It’s a wonderful & fun time.</p>
<p>My husband tells of how he packed for college: Dumped everything he wanted to take on his bed, gathered the corners of the bedding and threw it in the car, done.</p>
<p>Cardbucfan…do NOT order those linens. The quality is awful. They are overpriced as well. You can get better quality at target or online. XLong twin sheets are available in many retail places. The only students I know who got the college linens were expats who really needed something when they arrived at college. All of them replaced these substandard linens very quickly.</p>
<p>If flying, UPS has a Hundred Weight rate and you can have the shipment held at the UPS location for pickup. Rent a vehicle when you get there and go pick up the stuff you shipped.</p>
<p>I agree that most freshmen take way more than they ever use.</p>
<p>It’s not 3000 mi but my son’s rm moved to school on a plane by himself, no parents. Two suitcases. He had stuff waiting at BB&B that we picked up for him, but if we’d been unable to the bus (free to students) is a 10min ride that he could have done himself.</p>
<p>We were instate, driving, have a mid sized SUV and I insisted if all S2s stuff didn’t fit in the back with one seat down (three passengers) and clear view out the back
(ie not stacked to the roof) there was no way it would fit in a first year dorm. As it was it was overkill. Second year he has an apartment so we were taking things for a kitchen etc., and we still got everything in one trip. They need far less stuff then you think. There’s a thread about “what did you send that your kids didn’t use”. I’ll try to find it and post the link.</p>
<p>Ditto prior posters about ZEN, less is more. It’s amazing how much smaller dorms are when crammed with “stuff.” Biggest Q is whether you’re driving or flying but you mentioned laundry basket, I’m guessing driving. Would agree with taking 1/2 of what you plan. For our S, we flew and he fit all his stuff into 4 very small wheel aboard suitcases. When we arrived, we we to Target and Costco as well as Office Depot. He had enough stuff and would come home every summer with just backpack and roll aboard suitcase. </p>
<p>We did catch online sale for flannel bedding and bought 2 sets @$10 each, washed and packed in a suitcase. Bought towels near campus–only two. S actually said only one set of linens would have been adequate. Bought pillow near campus too, as well as odds and ends. </p>
<p>Craigslist offers lots of very inexpensive “stuff” as well. Bought S multifunction printer and a lamp near campus instead of transporting.</p>
<p>I had mentioned rubbermaid totes—which we used because for this school, everyone is in a suite, every suite has a full kitchen, & the kids need pots & pans & dishes, knives, forks, can openers etc! Well, everyone needs a can opener (what, you think they will never open a can of tuna or chili?). </p>
<p>The girls got together on fb once they knew who their roommates would be & setlled who would bring what. We went to the Salvation Army store for the glasses, dishes, etc. I told her, this stuff is going to be shared, lost, broken, and I do not want you feeling bad when that happens. And we also turned to the box of things in the basement from Grand Aunt Dot’s kitchen from when she passed away. In this family we packed pretty light for this stuff, but some of the roomies brought stuff like separate appliances for baking cupcakes! </p>
<p>Buy the extra long sheets & other bedding NOT from the flyer the school will send you. If you want to help them raise money (they tell you it helps the so & so group) send that office a check for $10 and buy better bedding. Every store in the country treats summer like another Christmas season except for college shoppers—we got the extra long twin mattress pad at Macy’s. For cheap! Last place I would have looked but we were there for something else. </p>
<p>If you live near a major university, do not go to Walmart for this stuff in mid or late August. Around here Princeton brings in the new grad students from overseas and runs them to Walmart in their shuttle bus ( I have seen it parked next to the store) – and the housewares dept is overrun with nerdy looking young men (my D & SIL are nerds so I get to say it) buying everything you have to buy. Get there before they do. </p>
<p>I got my D 2 sets of sheets—one flannel & one cotton–but I know boys think one set is fine. Do not ask him how often he washes it because you will not like the answer!</p>
<p>If you are going to any school in the Boston area, do not venture into Target in Watertown on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. For d’s senior year we came up to see off-campus apartment, help her and friends get settled as we had moved younger d into college in NYS earlier in the week…I have never seen a store so picked clean. There were literally entirely empty aisles… Need a pillow??? Instead of the bins overflowing with pillows, there were 2 left!
I actually felt bad for families with young kids who had come in for back to school shopping…</p>
<p>Really, if in doubt - leave it out. The few omitted items that really get needed can be bought locally or mail ordered. Everything that goes to the dorm next fall needs to come back home or get stored for the summer (not so easy on some campuses). </p>
<p>Unless the beds have risers, suitcases might not fit. If you are driving to school, plastic trash bags work.</p>
<p>XL twin sheets are easy to find so don’t worry about that. They will be especially easy in July or so when stores start stocking their back to school items. We are planning on getting much of their dorm stuff near campus. They have early move in so I’m not worried about selection but it could be an issue if you are moving in with the rest of the campus. </p>
<p>I would caution you against the plastic garbage bags for move in. They are difficult to carry. Anything on wheels is great. If you are driving and can fit a 2 wheeled cart, bring it along. Then pack in boxes or totes so you can make fewer trips–especially if you need to use an elevator to move things in. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that if you forget something, you can always have it mailed out–Amazon Prime is wonderful to have with college students.</p>