<p>Yes, its late. Most of you cc parents have already taken your S or D off to college. The first day of school for my S is Oct. 1. We’re driving down on Tueday and having a mini vacation before he checks into housing on Friday. He’ll be a sophmore after the cannon fires until then he’s still a frosh and the incoming frosh are prefroshies. Last year, I had more lists than I knew what to do with. We started packing as we bought things, we were so organized. This year, nothing has been packed, we haven’t even made a list. We’ve been in the process of trying to sell our house (a horrid agent & a miserable market - it has not been fun). Frankly, we’re not even sure where we tucked his stuff that he brought home from last year but didn’t need over the summer. So now its Sunday morning and I think I need to get him to pack. I searched the threads but didn’t find any packing lists. Any one have any links to good packing lists? Where is that thread about important things to remember? Yes, I’m stressed and don’t want to stress myself anymore trying to find all this stuff - I think I’m going to stress enough after S gets up and we have to start searching for all the important stuff that is packed away somewhere…and he’s living in off campus housing this year- I have no idea what else he might need that he didn’t need living on campus…suggestions? Thanks!!</p>
<p>Well… I don’t know if this will help you, but when my son was a sophomore, we told him when his stuff needed to be ready to load into the car (day and time), and HE had to pack whatever he wanted or felt he needed himself. Re: the off campus housing…does it have furniture? He’ll also need cleaning products and kitchen “stuff”, and things like shower curtains. BUT unless he’s living alone, I hope he has coordinated with his roommate(s) on these items. The good news is that there are stores everywhere and if you leave something behind or find you need something, you can just go buy it there. Don’t stress. Let HIM do the packing and deciding. He should know from last year what he needs and what he doesn’t need.</p>
<p>thanks thumper1, I’d forgotten about cleaning stuff! the off campus housing is furnished - its actually a big beautiful house with a nice yard, so he’ll have lots of housemates. I’ll probably worry about what he needs for the house itself when we get there and see what its like and what is really needed. He hasn’t decided about cooking yet as he can still decide to do the board program and eat dinners in the dorms at school. I think I was just so happy he got housing (he didn’t do the housing lottery at the end of last year as he “didn’t think it was important” and was put on a waiting list for housing - luckily the school has lots of off campus housing in addition to the dorms but he didn’t know he had a room until August). I can imagine him just bringing his laptop and clothes and trying to stuff it all in his backpack. Forget luggage! Forget bedding or even his razor. Or he’d not bother packing and just start throwing stuff in the back of the car. (I am worn out this morning…he’s not that bad, but dealing with real estate agents this week has been horrid). Hopefully someone will know where there’s a list he can at least glance at.</p>
<p>Relax…just tell him he needs to pack toiletries, his clothes, his books, any school supplies, his computer and computer accessories, bed linens (tell him which size to pack), towels, a desk lamp, music device (IPod, or whatever) and his cell phone. Seems to me if he has all of those things, he’ll be good to go. Like I said, we told our son to pack himself. We gave him some copy paper boxes, and a magic marker so he could label the boxes. Beyond that…we did nothing but help him pack the car. Of course, we DID run some errands once he was at college to get some odds and ends. By the time he was a junior, we didn’t even do THAT…HE ran the errands for what he needed and forgot. It’s a life skill.</p>
<p>I think you’re under stress because your house is for sale! That would make me a nervous wreck! Good luck on that project.</p>
<p>You don’t have to pack for your son. He’s just procastinating. He’ll get it all done at the last minute, I’m sure. He probably doesn’t even want your help. Forget about it.</p>
<p>This year my son packed - I kid you not - in ratty old plastic grocery bags. He just kept hauling them out to his car. Then, suddenly, he was gone! :(</p>
<p>I gather you want to help your son, and reduce everyone’s stress at the same time. I like to organize my thoughts by activities, so:
Sleeping: sheets, PJs, reading lamp, alarm clock
Hygiene: towels, toiletries, new toothbrush (I like to supply a new toothbrush regularly)
Health: cold medicines, prescriptions as appropriate
Studying: books, supplies, computer
Recreation: (as appropriate… this is the category where I let mistakes happen)
Clothes: as appropriate.
Pacific NW contingency: rainjacket, rainhat, extra socks, waterproof shoes</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82285[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82285</a></p>
<p>dmd, thanks thats the best list I’ve seen. S is not into details and would go crazy with a list of every little thing! I’d push for the Pacific NW continency list - one never knows when its going to rain but he swears “it never rains in southern California and there is no need for sweaters” so I’ll let that one go. Thanks to everyone else too! Having our house on the market has been so stressful. I really thought the house would be sold and I would have moved so S would know where home is when its time for breaks. We’ve picked out a house we love, but this house isn’t selling so we wait and wait and keep our fingers crossed our dream house doesn’t sell(its banked owned and the bank will not look at contingent offers though I keep having my agent go back and ask again). And we’ve had the real estate agent from H E double hockey sticks in Oakland, thank goodness that is over for now! But it means interviewing new agents. I imagine I’ll be here on CC a lot after I return from our mini-vacation and drop off as I haven’t even thought about the fact that I’m back to empty house again & this year my “girls” are gone away to college too! Yikes.</p>
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He’ll find out it occasionally rains but one point - most students end up buying a sweatshirt with their college logo so he might be correct that he doesn’t need to bring a sweater. Actually, I don’t own a sweater and haven’t in 40 years. The only jacket I ever wear is a lightweight warm-up type jacket but I hardly ever wear that - only in the mornings at 0500. Of course, I also wear shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops every day of the year (not at work but I would if I could).</p>