<p>For credit cards, I would recommend that parents be mindful on whether the credit card is going to be used during study abroad. I would think that a credit card would be necessary for emergencies if students are traveling or going abroad. Cards charge outrageous fees for ‘foreign transaction fees’. I recommend Capital One Venture card because there are no foreign transaction fees.</p>
<p>But, I don’t think we will get D a credit card in her name until there is a specific reason. She’s not going to have a car for at least her first semester, even though her school is pretty remotely located without good transportation. I’m still trying to figure out if they at least have a shuttle for local shopping, bank, pharmacy, etc. Also I need to figure out how she could get to a doctor if Health Services refers her to a physician.</p>
<p>She does have a Debit Card to her own checking account, which I have tied to my account so I can transfer money, if needed.</p>
<p>My dd has a Visa Debit Card that is tied to her checking account also. She actually used it for the first time last night. H is a bit concerned with it being hacked into on the internet. Credit cards you can “fight” wrong charges but I am not sure about debit - anyone know? Also, if you make them an authorized user on your credit card do they get a card with their name on it?</p>
<p>So the last few pieces on S3’s college portal are falling into place. Tuesday the AP scores and today it appears his transcripts arrived. So all is well.</p>
<p>Debit card: I am not sure about fighting charges, but my daughter had a problem and it was the bank who caught it first and called her and all charges were reversed.</p>
<p>DH just put D2 on our card today. We did that for D1 when she did her summer study abroad after freshman year, but since D2 will be flying back & forth we wanted her to have one for cab/shuttle fees and for in case a flight gets cancelled.</p>
<p>Stbemtpynest: that’s how I remember credit cards at college too. There would be tables set up in the quad and they were handing them out like candy. I remember getting in a little trouble & having to borrow $1000 from my parents & paying them back over a year. A federal reform law was passed that took effect in may 2010 (credit card act of 2009.) it put limits on marketing & issuance to consumers younger than 21. Free gifts such as tee shirts as a reward for signing up for a card are banned within 1000 feet of a college campus.</p>
<p>Debit cards are protected from fraud also, or at least at our bank. If Debit Card stolen, they will reimburse the fraudulent charges. As long as you catch it really quick.</p>
<p>TD Bank called us at 3 AM one night while D1 was at the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware, (scaring the hell out of us, naturally), to tell us that somebody had found her wallet and that they had stopped her debit card.</p>
<p>I do recommend getting your kids some type of credit card beyond a debit card for emergencies particularly if they need to travel. Not all places take debit cards…</p>
<p>Hello! Happy Friday! I am dragging today. Working 5 days a week really is no fun. But on the bright side, did I mention how happy I am to be enjoying the first summer with “summer reading/AP homework”? I keep having this nagging feeling that I am supposed to be harping on someone to get their homework done.</p>
<p>S got his room assignment today. As usual I am way more excited than he is. I had to prod and tease to get a smile out of him. I could tell he’s nervous but he couldn’t tell if it was excited nervous or deadful nervous. So I asked how he would feel if I said nevermind, you don’t have to go. He said he would feel bad. I said so then it’s excitement. He seemed satisfied with that. I already checked, and couldn’t find his roomie on facebook.</p>
<p>I am putting my DD on my credit card “for emergencies”-- or as someone else said, to use to pay for medications or other items that come up…I am not sure if it helps her credit score or not…but, I can look on line, see what is being purchased. I haven’t figured out about “banking”… DD finds out about roomate/s in August. She is not sure there is a specific FB page that allows them all to meet. From what I can see, the FB page is mostly informational…not really 'chatty"…maybe there is another section I can’t see…</p>
<p>My D finally came home after 10 months and 10 days in Spain! It’s so good to have her home although right now I’m feeling a little tinge of jealousy as she went out with her friends. She’s only home for 6 weeks before heading off to college 5 1/2 hours away. I keep telling myself how easy it’s going to be to take her to college after surviving this year, but I don’t think I’ll be ready to let her go that soon…</p>
<p>ahsmuoh - for D15’s dorm DH went to Goodwill or somewhere and found an old book really beat up but with good illustrations and framed a few. Unique and inexpensive.</p>
<p>sophie - that’s awesome. I can’t do it. Not open mail or email, I can do. Not go to orientation, that’s beyond me :)</p>
<p>tx5 - we’re doing the connected Visa check/debit thing too - the card also runs as a credit card, but there isn’t any credit. Hopefully that works out fine. S13 won’t have emergency airline tickets, so should be good. He doesn’t want a credit card - says there’s plenty of time to worry about that.</p>
<p>S13 got his dorm/room assignment - it’s a quad. No suites, so shared bathroom in the hall - but at least the room is bigger. He’s disappointed he won’t have AC, but seems to be happy about his assignment, and is already communicating with at least one roommate. On page 3 of the dorm student handbook it says something to the effect of “when you men (or Moms, who are probably reading this before your sons) read this…” - OMG, they KNOW me!! ;)</p>
<p>Welcome home to Cyclonedaughter! I’m impressed that she went on exchange for her senior year. My last two kids have gone on exchange after 10th grade but taken it as a kind of gap year. I understand how precious this summer is to you. My D13 went to boarding school after exchange so she’s been home very little since. Due to a summer Chinese class and various outdoor adventures, she’s only home for 2 weeks this summer. I was a little resentful when her college added on an outdoor leadership week for her scholarship cohort. That’s one fewer week for me to see her!</p>
<p>D1 got her dorm assignment, but didn’t want to mess with picking from among unknowns for a roommate. The thing is, those who pick roommates get to pick their rooms too, so folks like her will get the dregs. I’m hoping that all the rooms in “open suites” are pretty much identical.</p>
<p>Okay I was starting to get a little nervous about having all the “Stuff” for S’s room, so we went to Bed Bath and Beyond today. Which was a mistake as every college-bound kid in the tri-state area was there.</p>
<p>We got a few things, but found ourselves saying, well, not sure if I’ll need that and I can order it online once I’m there. So I would really appreciate comments on this list of items and how important they are, from anyone with experience (or not!) I think he’ll do an online order once he settles in.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Bed risers (with built in plugs!): Don’t know if they will be bunking beds and/if they will need risers anyway. And do they share the under bed space if they bunk?</p></li>
<li><p>Under bed storage box: see #1. Plus, don’t know if he will need more storage. I never used anything but the Univ supplied dressers etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Desk Lamp: Not sure what the desk style is, so might be better to wait until we’re there to see if a clip on or traditional lamp is better?</p></li>
<li><p>Laundry detergent: Pods or bottle? </p></li>
<li><p>Shower caddy: All the ones we saw were “too girly” according to him. But he still has to carry soap, shampoo, razor, etc. I got a small chrome mesh style thing, hope that’s okay.</p></li>
<li><p>Do boys just show up with any color comforter and not care if the roommates go together at all? S doesn’t care at all about the comforter, my H thinks only girls compare notes. So I see myself just looking for a good bargain :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I am really trying not to over think this, but I am obviously not succeeding.</p>
<p>Took one of each to bbb yesterday too…very different experience :). D2 carefully looking over all options and taking pictures but no purchasing until she communicates with roommate (housing snafu at the moment)
S: “that one looks fine” one and done-I’m sure if I asked him what it looked like today, he really doesn’t know.
One of our dorms doesn’t allow the bed risers…i thought the ones with the plugs were really cool.
I boughgt mine the shower caddies from BBB and added all their favorite stuff for their bday. I know my son would think they were too girlie too so I got him a mesh, zippered shower bag,
We are going to do pods for laundry…kids preference
And I think it just may be easier
Friend of mine swears by under bed storage…just one soft one for sweatshirts, bulky stuff you aren’t wearing yet, will need but don’t want to take up the other storage space…I’m like you though…haven’t done this yet either…though by the third move in one week, I’m going to be a pro…:)</p>
<ol>
<li> Buy the regular $7 risers, and keep the receipt. If you are going to need them, it’s very nice to have them on hand while help is available to lift the bed.</li>
<li> Couldn’t hurt to have an under-bed storage bin or two. Keep the receipt.</li>
<li> Desk lamp almost definitely – and many schools stipulate non-halogen, so go ahead and pick one up while they’re readily available. I’d buy a clip-on, too, and keep the receipt…(notice a trend here?)</li>
<li> Pods. Totally. The Tide ones are great.</li>
<li> Our BB&B has a cool tote with a small center insert that nests inside a larger tote – D uses center section for contact stuff and toothbrush, larger area for soap, shampoo, etc. I think one of the color choices was black/grey. Even boys will need something!</li>
<li> It is my understanding that boys generally do not coordinate much. But that’s just hearsay…</li>
</ol>
<p>I have to say I loved the shopping. Good luck!</p>
<p>OK. As a former “boy” (and current older “boy”), I can confirm that boys do not care about coordinating stuff. They may care about how things feel (sheets, towels, comforters, etc.), but probably not. And yes, boys do need something to carry their stuff to the shower. For what it’s worth, I believe I used a plastic grocery bag for a while freshman year before finding a small duffle of some sort. I will concede that I had one of those plastic soap holders that kept the wet bar of soap from getting on everything else, but that was years ago and I think I would opt for body wash now.</p>
<p>Hope that helps put some perspective on this discussion.</p>
<p>I found a black mesh shower bag at Target for S2’s shower caddy. He shrugged and threw it in the pile. He really doesn’t care about the “stuff”. He’s taking old towels, old sheets, old blanket, no comforter. Did buy bed risers, just in case. Also bought hangers (including ones for suits and dress pants), wastebasket, egg crate mattress pad. I’ll wait and see if he needs or wants a desk lamp. He’s a study in bed kind of guy. I think we’ll also have to buy him a new lapdesk for his laptop. If it was up to him he would arrive at school with a laptop and a Playstation and he’d be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for all this advice and for talking me off the ledge. I bought him one bath sheet (he is pretty tall) that is a quick dry towel and then he can take old towels for the rest. I think I’ll find him an inexpensive navy comforter of some kind and be done with it.</p>
<p>Luckily, he just got accepted to a preorientation program, so he will go up a few days early with most stuff but not have a chance to unpack. Then we come up for the official orientation, so there will be a chance to make a last minute run to the store.</p>
<p>Another friend suggested some plates and silverware - he will probably have a small microwave and his roomie has a fridge, so I can see him heating up ramen noodles or something where he’d need some kitchen-y stuff.</p>