Our lad did us proud and got himself into American college with a music scholarship. Now I need help kitting him out.
Unfortunately we will not be accompanying him at the start of his college journey and to complicate things he is flying out of Portugal rather than the UK as he is attending a longstanding summer commitment. This means he will be arriving at college with just one suitcase (23kg) full of shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, his oboe (needed within the first few days for auditions) and a smart outfit for his ‘swearing-in’ (sorry don’t remember the word for it - not one I am familiar with).
The college has suggested that we buy bedding in America and have it shipped to the college to arrive before he gets there. Here is where I could do with some advice.
Does anyone have any thoughts about the best place to buy bedding with a delivery service? Not wanting particularly high-end stuff but I would like it to last the 4 years. (Is that too much to ask?) Also how much is everyone packing? 2 sets? 3 sets? He is pretty good at sheet laundry so hopefully they will be changed pretty regularly.
Dorms are a/c - he’s in Memphis. If it were you would you be packing lightweight bedding or a more substantial tog?
Also he will be requiring a lamp. Can I get this at the same place as the bedding? Ditto a surge protector (though not sure what this is)?
Kohls.com and Target.com will have bedding, desk lamp, and other college supplies at good prices. Retailmenot.com is a good place to check for internet coupons.
amazon will meet all your needs. For bedding and household things, Macy’s is a mid-level dept store that offers things at many price levels. You can get good enough quality on sale there and shipping is free if you spend over $50 usually. Target is similar, though tends to be slightly lower quality (though fine for kids in dorms). Target is equivalent to Marks and Spencer. They offer free shipping usually too, though you have to watch for sales sometimes. In the US, we have sales all the time, so if there’s not one the day you want to purchase, just wait a week and watch. Hope this helps!
One of my kid’s 3 roommates is an international student and she’s in year 3. When she got off the plane, she had only clothes and personal items. In the first 48 hours (most kids usually arrive several days before classes), she purchased things like lamps and I believe an extra pillow. After that, her mom shipped her items from Amazon.
As she’s accumulated more stuff, now she uses one of those summer storage places (all colleges have them) and they cart the items away and then bring them back to her dorm in the fall.
Bed Bath and Beyond is another place to look. https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/ Items can be ordered in advance for pick up at the local store, and he will only need to pay for the items that he does need. Check for coupons at retailmenot.com
A surge protector is a kind of electrical extension cord with a built-in fuse that is used to keep sensitive electronic devices safe from fluctuations in electrical current.
The international student office at his college/university will also have good ideas for him. Stay in touch with them too!
Honestly, he’ll be so much better off with only the basics. No need to buy everything on the lists the schools publish.
Some schools offer a package with all the bedding needs - comforter, blanket, sheets, towels. The cost is usually about $300, but the quality is not the best. It’s easier, but you could just pick it all out yourself. Target, Macy’s, BB&B are the ‘usuals.’
If he has basic bedding and towels the first week, everything else can be obtained as needed. Shorts and flip flops are fine too.
I agree on those “packages” that almost all schools offer on linens. I’ve read they are “scratchy.” The other outlets named would be preferable. Have your son sign up for Amazon Prime when he gets there (I believe students get a break) and he can get everything (and I mean everything) he might need later in two day delivery for free!
I would send a pillow case (are the ones in UK square or rectangular?), a light blanket and a flat sheet with him, also a towel and washcloth and a toothbrush, deodorant, comb, bar of soap, to get him started.
Once there hopefully there will be a bus to transport students to Target or other stores to stock up.
Most colleges have XL twin beds, but not all. So he will need to find out what he needs.
He should have at least one pair of long pants and a sweatshirt.
What will he do for money, a credit card? Will he need to open a bank account in the US?
My D’s desk in her dorm had a light built in. So he should wait until he knows what he needs.
Amazon student prime membership is free for 6 months.
Thank you for all your suggestions. International students are invited to the college a couple of days prior to move-in day to get them into the shops/bank accounts etc. Though they still advise a package of bedding to be shipped prior to arrival so there is no ‘sleeping on bare mattresses’. All well and good.
However, S can only arrive at 8pm the night before move-in day so will be missing all of the pre-arranged international stuff. So wanting to make things as smooth as possible for him.
He will be opening a bank account and obtaining a visa card. We will do as much as we can for him from here but I know he will have to present himself at a bank within a few days of getting there. I will be liaising with the college about this.
@mommdc pillow cases are rectangular here. @ccprofandmomof2 thank you for your quick response too. You must have been typing as I was!! Also love your comment about Target being a lower quality - equivalent to Marks and Spenser. Marks and Spenser would be very miffed by that comment as they think of themselves as ‘high quality’! Ha Ha
That single suitcase for a guy sounds about right for many US males heading off to college via an airport. Bedding easily obtained from some good US sources in college towns. Add JC Penney to the list of Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohls, Macys and Target (it has some good stuff). There is plenty of time as stores offer their college gear in summer. Over the years I have heard bad things about college linen services.
See if he can open his US bank account soon so he is up and running when he arrives. He should contact the international students organization on his campus. I’m sure there will be people who can help out. He will be using US current so his device adaptors will need to match ours. A few trips to Target and Walmart will get him the little things. August is a great time in the US for stocking up on pens/paper and all of the things one uses. It is much too soon now to try to buy things. Good time to scout out the mentioned stores online to see which brands and products are carried.
If he is a typical college student it will be a good idea for him to acquire enough clothes to last a week plus, or two, because he won’t want to need to do laundry every week. This can easily be done in the US, unless he has favorite brands. If he needs winter gear that is best bought in season, ie the fall and locally to fit the climate.
ONE set of Penney’s XL sheets is all my son had as I recall. He won’t be sleeping when he is washing them. A pillow. The comforter/blanket (climate dependent) can be regular twin size. Definitely a mattress pad because the mattress is likely vinyl covered. Two sets of bath and hand towels because the first may not have time to dry.
In son’s day it seemed navy was the color to have- JCP ran out for awhile. Later when son moved to an apartment and had a larger bed he found tan more practical- nose grunge didn’t show. Parents should be thankful they do not see a college kid’s room- we don’t need to know how often they clean the sheets, do laundry, tidy up…
Oh- and even if your son does not return for the duration he does not need to have four years’ worth of stuff. He will acquire some as he goes and discovers what he wants.
Will he know his roommate ahead of time? Maybe he could reach out to see if he could bring him an extra (new) pillow and he could give him money when he gets there.
Having stuff shipped depends on the school. I would find out how long before arrival he can have things shipped there.
If he arrives in the evening, the mail office might be closed too, so he should at least have something for the first night.
Thanks everyone for more great tips. I like poking around on websites so will have quite a lot to keep me busy over the next few weeks. Won’t be buying anything yet but want to be sure I’m not panic buying!
He is soooo excited to be going to America - it’s been his aim for the past 3 years. We are excited too as we will be visiting at least once a year.
Thanks for all your help, again.
We have expat family members who elected the horrible linens package from the school for their kids for freshman year. They did it simply because of what you are pointing out…they wanted something THERE ASAP for their college kids.
Yes…they replaced things little by little…their sons really didn’t have any issues with this linen stuff…but their daughter did!
Some of these linen places have varying packages…maybe you can get the least expensive one. Then your son can supplement with his trip to wherever the college takes him.
Where will your son sleep the night he arrives at 8 pm which you indicated is the night before move in? If at a hotel, you could reach out to the hotel and ask if your son could receive a package that arrives before he gets there. Then you could send his bedding (I agree with the Amazon recommendation, after your son gets a free 6 month prime membership with his .edu email address).
We actually did this with one of our Ds that was starting college across the country. We asked the hotel if they minded and they, not surprisingly, said “no problem”. We sent things ahead, having them arrive a bit ahead of us with a note on the package “please hold for arrival on X date”. Worked perfectly and our D was able to move in early the next day with the basics that we needed to buy.
Whichever way you go, congratulations to your son and good luck!
Our kid’s college was fine with stuff being sent to arrive a week or two before fall quarter. But he likely won’t be able to pick up a package from the mailroom at 8 pm (or maybe not on a weekend, either). You might consider a hotel for that first night.
I fully agree about Amazon Prime. 2 day delivery, free shipping for almost anything he needs.
Remember he can probably take a Lyft or Uber to stores if needed, too. He will find it very beneficial to have a Visa or MasterCard for that and other reasons. You might want to add him to one of your cards with rules about when to use it.
Our kids live in HI and had to fly to get to and start their U in CA as well. As everyone says, less is better. The dorm room us likely much smaller than the space most students are used to in their homes. I’d check with the U about where he can sleep the night he arrives and also as to the soonest packages for him can arrive and be held at campus. I’d slso check on the precise address the U wants used so your S gets his packages sooner than later.
Our kids mainly needed anough clothing for a week or two, hooded sweatshirt, some footwear and 2 sets of sheets and a pair of towels. (I know some folks who only opted for 1set.)
You can check on whether the U will be transporting the students to the stores or ball to get school supplies (paper, pens, lamps, etc. For the most part, it seemed easier (& cheaper) to buy near campus than bring things from home. Amazon is an easy way to get deliveries and most campuses have one or more stores nearby plus the campus bookstore is also often pretty well stocked.
Waiting till he’s on campus has the advantage of not duplicating too many things with room mate and overfilling the room. Also good to know everything us good for US voltage.
Just order online and send everything to the university since your son won’t have a car to transport everything. Have the school hold everything for him. I would suggest that he stays at a hotel the night he gets in because the school offices would have been closed by then.
Stores that will deliver things quick fast and good with returns would be Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon. For returns other stores you may have to bring those things back to the stores yourself which is more troublesome but I know that Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond will pick return merchandise up at your door step.
I live in Memphis and would suggest either independent bank or first tn as banking options. I assume no car so would use amazon for bedding. As for barbeque, the commissary is the best.
