<p>Nope, no shopping. Dorm stuff will come out with back to school, probably after the 4th. </p>
<p>Orientation was today. Kid is registered and happy with her schedule. I,m zapped. We left the house at 4:45 am and got home about 9. Long day.</p>
<p>Is this the type of mattress topper we are supposed to purchase?</p>
<p>My lazy approach to shopping is to wander the aisles at Costco. They had this for the same price in every size ($99 or $109—can’t recall). I had never seen one of these before and would love to knock something off the list!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.costco.com/Novaform®-4"-Dual-layer-Memory-Foam-Mattress-Topper.product.11765697.html”>http://www.costco.com/Novaform®-4"-Dual-layer-Memory-Foam-Mattress-Topper.product.11765697.html</a></p>
<p>crowlady: My son did not realize how much he missed a dishwasher and an oven until he did not have them. The dishes pile up in his sink, and he spends an hour or so every day or so doing them. So his place, which is a studio apartment, looks like a bomb hit it. As for the oven, he has one, but it is not working. In fact, it has never worked. And his landlord really stinks. The guy does not fix anything. He leaves messages for him about issues, and never gets a call back. He’s so glad to be moving into a place that is cared for! In fact, his new landlord said that he will have the place cleaned professionally, including the carpets, before he moves in. The kid just wants the freedom to make baked ziti and freeze the leftovers for a night when he’s slammed with reading for law school! </p>
<p>We have not done any dorm shopping. I will work on that after all this graduation stuff is done. I figure I can hit up BB&B while he is gone. One good thing about having a boy this time is that he just defers all choices re dorm decor to me. I am sure the process will not be the same when DD18 goes off to college four years from now.</p>
<p>Last day of school for seniors was just yesterday, and judging from posts on social media that I have seen from DS and his friends, it was emotional. Tears were shed. DS came home for a few hours, napped and watched some World Cup, then headed off to pick up a friend from the airport and then straight to an overnight grad party. These kids are doing their best to maximize their short time left together. </p>
<p>My parents arrived last night after midnight and DS will come home probably just when they wake up since they are still on west coast time. Perfect timing! He has yet another grad party tonight, then rehearsal tomorrow, and the class picnic on Friday. Graduation Saturday evening at 7. My how time flies.</p>
<p>@overtheedge D’11 goes to college in Maine. The first thing she bought after being accepted was a pair of Bean boots! They have served her well and she probably wears them Nov thru March! She also has a pair of tall Hunter boots with wool liners. Spring in Maine is mud season. D’14 wanted nothing to do with Maine weather. She is heading to NC and will probably not be bringing a pair of winter boots, but maybe a pair of Hunters with liners. :)</p>
<p>I gave DD a pair of Hunters with liners for her birthday in April. Our shopping has been limited to a black Northface which she really needs and will wear a lot and a new backpack. She doesn’t seem to have the interest in anything dorm related yet. She starts work babysitting next week so I was hoping to get some things done before then but there are days she’s done at 2:00 so maybe a rainy one we’ll head over to the local BBB to start looking. First I have to find the box in the basement I packed away the stuff DS’11 used when he was in a dorm room but didn’t need when he moved into a rented house with a kitchen. Some things I know she’ll need aside from the linens are a Brita pitcher and filters, a printer and a new alarm clock her iPhone will sync with. Oh - I did pick up a couple of pillows at Kohl’s on sale so those are done too! And I’ve been stocking up slowly on toiletries and medicine for a first aid box, getting one or two items each time I’m at Target when they’re on sale.</p>
<p>@crowlady - no news at all on the missing grad. It’s odd really - when Chelsea King went missing from this same community, everyone went nuts - immediately mobilizing huge search efforts, the town was plastered with fliers, it was all over the news, but we’re pretty much getting only silence on this one.</p>
<p>In other news, D bought her first college textbook this week for a French class she’s taking at a local CC.<br>
$230!! I about fell over.</p>
<p>LL Bean boots ordered! D chose the Gore-Tex and thinsulate version- maybe overkill? At least her feet will be warm and toasty. I didn’t know they made wool liners for the Hunter rain boots. I’ll pick up a pair of those too. Thanks everyone for the great advice!!</p>
<p>I don’t remember memory gel foam toppers being available back when S went to college. I definitely prefer featherbed to milk crate topper, but now I’m wondering about the memory foam. I wonder which would be better - featherbed or memory gel? Hmm. </p>
<p>I researched the feather bed v foam topper 3 years ago when s1 went off to college. We chose a feather bed topper bc neither of us were thrilled w the chemicals used for the memory foam. That’s why they stink when you removed them from their bag, and told to air out before use. Didn’t want my kid sleeping on something potentially toxic. Bought the primaloft topper from the country store online.</p>
<p>The year that D1 went off to freshman year I remember that the annual “what do we buy?” thread really went into excruciating detail about bed toppers and making the beds as comfortable as possible. D1 initially laughed at her Princess and the Pea setup–mattress pad, then the memory foam topper, then another mattress pad, then fitted sheet–but she apparently had the most comfortable bed on the floor. </p>
<p>Memory foam is going to make the bed feel warmer (the extra mattress pad on top helps with that) because you don’t move around as much and it’s insulating, so keep that in mind as your student is choosing between options. </p>
<p>And with feather toppers - they can be very allergenic. When I go to hotels I always have to ask for feather free room or else my eyes swell up by morning.</p>
<p>New to this forum…any parent having a child going to Drew University in the fall?</p>
<p>Welcome bisouu! My child is not attending Drew, but it’s a great school. Thanks for joining our friendly group. Do you have a son or daughter? </p>
<p>Thanks…I have a daughter. She is an actor majoring in theater. How about yours? @Classof2015</p>
<p>Welcome @bisouu !</p>
<p>@bisouu – I have a son – he will be attending College of Charleston in the hot sweaty swampy pre-Fall that is Charleston. But he’s so happy he got into the school he loves and so am I.</p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter! Here’s hoping move in and first year will go smoothly :)</p>
<p>Wow, this is a great thread! I have popped in and read every once in a while. Am now reading back several pages about bank accounts, credit/debit cards, etc. </p>
<p>My D is going to her orientation next Monday and Tuesday. I think she’s very excited but nervous. Any tips about orientation? </p>
<p>I wonder how far back in this thread I should read … :)</p>
<p>@WindowMomto2 my D got home this evening from a two-day orientation. She said it felt like being in summer camp.The one piece of advice I have would be for your D to spend some time putting a tentative schedule of classes together if she hasn’t done so already. The courses and times should be listed online. D said several of the students didn’t do this because they thought an advisor was going to sit with them 1:1 to help, but that was not the case. There were advisors circulating to help, but that was it. I’m sure schools handle this differently, but it’s better to be prepared just in case. </p>
<p>Welcome @bisouu and @WindowMomto2! You have to read from the beginning - all 875 pages! Haha. I will warn you that this thread can be addicting. </p>
<p>D doesn’t have orientation until the week before school starts. And I hate to admit it, but I don’t recall anything significant about S’s orientation other than class selection and checking out the dorm room set-up if they have their dorm assignment. </p>
<p>So D has to select classes by July 15th. Her school has the oddest course selection process. Students pick their “top 12” choices, divided among various categories of learning objectives, and then place the courses into one of 3 categories relating to interest and difficulty/ease to student. Very complicated. </p>