Hello! I’m an incoming college freshman who has been lurking on this thread for a few days.
@eh1234 My parents are also paying for 4 years of private school tuition and I’m opting for the monk lifestyle over buying my own dorm stuff 
I bought some sheets and a comforter from Ross but nothing else seems too important (I can bring hangers and some organizational bins from my room at home). Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about buying winter clothes!
One of mine literally carries my plain Jane navy Jansport from college. She used it all 4 years of high school and intends to take it to college. I have resewn it I don’t know how many times. They actually did send one to replace it but she doesn’t like the new material. She likes the circa 1985-1989 fabric. I am going to lose my mind.
My S is still in the “it’s going to stink” camp, when referring to school. He says he hates school so it will just be four more years of misery. He and the girlfriend are still going strong, so I imagine he won’t be adjusting his attitude anytime soon. Man, I could not WAIT to go away. I can’t tell if part of it is nerves or all just the GF.
I went in older S’s room to scavenge for younger son- and apparently closing the door and never going in there (S doesn’t live here) was a mistake. My startling discovery of the night- five loads of laundry, from what appears to be a mix of older and younger Ss’ unwanted clothes, and two bags of socks with holes in them.
On the bright side, I found a camp chair, shower caddy, pencil cup, and desk organizer (black mesh metal), that I remember buying for older S. So while S doesn’t want to go shopping, I can at least relive some of the fun memories from shopping with my oldest, as I raid his room!
Our dorm mountain has been moved for the last week and a half to school. There were many things that were on D16’s list such as a cart from IKEA. It was a fine cart and not that expensive but we already had the plastic drawer thingy with wheels that would have the same function. DH refused to pack it as he said we did not have enough room. After move in we had a last minute trip to walmart to buy the very thing we left behind. I had told D16 she needs to live comfortably but not lavishly. I guess we should have had the same conversation with the hubby 
D16 is still using the Columbia brand backpack she started with in 1st grade! I’d love to find an affordable Ful brand backpack as a replacement for her this summer. But, she just might wind up taking that old backpack to college.
@carolinamom2boys I’ve always seen a good selection of men’s-style leather messenger bags at Marshall’s.
Geez, I never realized that winter clothes are so pricey! I just bought D16 a 1/4 zip North Face Fleece for $30.99 plus tax, free shipping, which appears to be a pretty good deal to me. Why on earth do they sell for $50+? If anyone is in the market for fleece I purchased it from www.rakuten.com. After you put in your payment information, there’s a spot to enter a promo code. I used Brad19 and that brought the price down from $49.99 to $30.99.
I’m surprised that DS16 wants a messenger bag because he so not a hipster , but he wants what he wants. The only thing missing is a Starbucks cup. He has the hipster glasses, t shirts and skinny jeans( the only kind that fit)
@carolinamom2boys Starbucks has some refillable cups for just a couple of dollars if you want to complete the ensemble.
@livinginLA He doesn’t drink coffee. It was funny though. When we were at Disney they had a " Hipster Micky" figure that DS19 and I kept teasing DS16 about.
DS carried a Nike backpack stuffed to the gills thru high school. I’m surprised it survived but, he refused to buy a new one.
Today at lunch we discussed if he planned to haul his computer around- this will probably impact his choice for a new backpack- (which I’m insisting on). He is not one much for labels so, I imagine practicality will win out.
I am not exactly sure why the Jansports do not hold up for D16, actually I am…pretty sure 75% of the issue was user carelessness! I would inevitably have to sew a ripped corner or strap by November. I know she never once used her school issued locker in 4 years, just a very tiny band locker designed to hold an oboe/clarinet/flute sized instrument and not much else, that was stuffed with marching shoes, marching gear and the instrument so not much room left. The school issued everyone a tablet freshman and sophomore year and switched them out to a laptop junior and senior year. The computer coupled with AP text books (not sure why the text book were not the online version since everyone had the school issued computer…) a home packed lunch which more often than not had to hang off the strap because there was not room inside, and the Jansport was doomed to failure from the beginning! She inevitably would want a Jansport because of s unique pattern. I told her this past year, if it broke there would never be another Jansport in the house. It has only a small tear in on the front corner, but will not make it through a few months of college.
She did try a Vera Bradley backpack her sophomore year. The actual body of the bag help up great but the webbing strap ripped within 2 months. I was able to repair it, but than a few months later the other webbing strap broke. She muddled through the rest of the year. It was a shame because the body of the bag was great!
Her field hockey gear backpack made Harrow from her freshman year has been awesome! it has been over stuffed for several cross country trips, band trips and more. It is like the tardis, Come to think of it, perhaps we should have bought another one of those instead?!
I bought S a new backpack last summer, but he wanted to keep using his ratty, ripped, 6 year old one. Wonder if I can talk him into it this year. Also, my S wants to take a bike, although he hasn’t ridden one for many years. I’m trying to picture him riding to class (with his laptop in his backpack), without somehow wiping out and smashing his laptop. Can you ride a bike with a messenger bag? Is that harder or easier than a backpack?
I would think a messenger bag and a bicycle would be unbalanced. Maybe some bicycle practicing over the coming month would be beneficial, lol.
The only trends I’ve noticed for college kids are those Herschel backpacks, Sorel leather winter boots, thin down-like puff jackets, watch-cap knit hats, & skinny jeans (uni-sex). For girls, ballet flats, heeled booties, booty shorts, skater skirts, exposed bra straps, short sun-dresses, leggings (with butt in view), riding-style boots, and Uggs. Not endorsing. Just reporting.
Messenger bags were the bag of choice for bicycle messengers. The perfect size was said to fit an IBM Selectric.
@psychomomma Bicycle messengers were the original users of the messenger bag. My hubby prefers it to a backpack when he bike commutes to work.
By the end of senior year, my D16 had a pile of papers in her backpack and nothing else so it’s not exactly worn out. Pretty sure any textbooks were kept under her bed by the end of the 3rd quarter. It’s a miracle that she didn’t wind up with a C in something this year!
@Undercovermom1 I can’t believe you got a North Face anything that cheap! I’ve been expecting to pay at least $75 for whatever pieces of fleece I end up buying - she might be getting some ugly colors from 6pm.com. We have winter clothes, but the coat that got her from the car to the school in a D.C. winter might not be enough for a hike across campus on a Colorado winter morning.
@Waiting2exhale Definitely not New England.
Another local teen just passed away. A 16 year old boy from a neighboring town fell into a gorge while hiking, hit his head and drowned. It’s terrible.
OMG. @readingclaygirl I’m getting concerned. That is just too much local trauma in your community. Any interest in making sure you personally have an emotional support system in place and active?