@eh1234 I hate shopping so your D is definitely not alone! I hate clothes shopping especially but really any type of shopping overwhelms me and it’s just not fun. My mom has had to force me to go shopping with her.
I still haven’t booked my one way ticket home after move-in. Denial? Maybe. Told D16 I’m staying on her floor. Ha ha. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it to use airline miles to fly home or to save the miles for later and just pay for my ticket. Does it matter? Is there such a thing as airline mile strategy?
@fretfulmother your DS’s comments about bedding made me laugh! My DS asked for a little help picking out something that didn’t look like he cared too much but also like he was not totally clueless.
Enjoy orientation @carolinamom2boys and @readingclaygirl ! You will feel less info overload if you organize your notes, handouts, etc very soon after. I used an expanding file and have referred to those materials often already.
@undercovermom1, I vote to use the miles before they expire (do they?) and treat yourself to a yummy treat before leaving to go home.
@Cheeringsection - thank you! 
@Undercovermom1 - yes there are strategies galore about using FF miles. You can look on flyertalk where perhaps you could think of it as -
flyertalk : travel :: collegeconfidential : college
The upshot is that you are supposed to see what equivalent dollar value you get per “mile” or “point” and then there are concordance tables where you could check and see if you are getting an objectively good deal. However, there is a subjective piece to this. Once, for instance, I used miles for a first-class ticket to go help my mother with her chemo, even though it was a fairly short flight, because I just wanted to have an easily changeable, but very comfortable/nurturing experience to the extent possible, on that trip.
I would say that in general, one-ways are not as hard to book reasonably as they used to be decades ago. In fact, sometimes they are now half the price of a round-trip. If this is the case, but the miles required would be the same, then paying for the one-way would be the more logical decision.
@carolinamom2boys - it’s quite all right - I have often thought that our sons would get along from your stories as well.
Unexpected “college” expense today…a new pair of glasses. Maybe we should have held off on the visit to the eye doctor until Christmas? I was greeted by an email from Marquette saying her “ebill” was ready while I was sitting waiting for her to finish her eye exam.
We have been slowly climbing dorm mountain this week. Hit up BBB on Monday for pack and hold. (I have not gotten the 20% off everything coupon in the mail, yet) scanned some things at Target to order mid August. Bought the comforter and a wall hanging from overstock.com. Unfortunately we had to have it delivered to home so we will have to use up one suitcase allowance on SW for the comforter, so now we are down to 5 suitcases. (I sure as heck hope her clothes do not take up 5 suitcases…).
I think D16 hit the wall today. She has been keeping herself pretty busy over the past few weeks doing things with friends, schedule planning/prepping for college and working. Today she seemed out of sorts and cancelled plans to get together with a friend.
We had a talk yesterday about visiting for parent weekend at the end of September or waiting another few weeks for a 4 day fall break. Husband wanted to visit for parent weekend but D16 said it would be too soon (6 weeks) and I sort of agree with her. So for now no parent weekend and she will fly home for the long weekend (which happens to be her HS Homecoming Weekend). Wondering if the talk might have set off some emotions.
Reality has hit today - DS called to me to show in his portal that the bill for fall semester has appeared today, but somehow says the due date was yesterday. Somehow that doesn’t seem right since when he figured out how to look at the itemized bill it showed everything posted today. I’m surprised he even noticed it since he barely ever looks at his portal (or his email account). Seeing the actual price was a bit of a shock, too, even though I knew it was coming. Fortunately, there’s only one course fee and it’s not too awful (at least compared to his book prices, I’m sure!)
But, he is eager to find out his housing, and he thinks he’s at least figured out the building since it showed up on the bill with the building name and double room - and his (hopeful) roommate saw the same information on his portal. They should find out room number, etc. on Friday. He is starting to think more about college, and seems to be getting pretty excited about going. Right now I’m also excited for him - his full-time summer job is helping us adjust to him being away from the house more than we’re used to. But I’m sure once August hits I will be dreading the final count down until he moves in :(.
Re: eyeglasses. We’ve been pleased with Warby Parker. Stylish affordable glasses.
@bookmom7 My S is else headed to UT. No interest in what will go on his walls yet. He is taking two small hangings from his room at home plus a small white board. I “need” to find more but for all he cares, we can stop now.
@labegg If she needed a new prescription, she needed it now. My S did doctor, dentist and eye appointment this last part of school year since he could take himself and fill out the forms etc. It helped to spread the expense but it means he’ll be due again in the spring when he is in Austin instead of here so not sure we thought that all the way through.
@labegg maybe you can space bag the comforter and still fit some other things in that one suitcase? I’ve been amazed at how small you can get everything with those.
D doesn’t need glasses, but I sure do. I suggest Zenni Optical. They start at $6.95-really-and have all kinds of style, colors and options. I need three different pair-one for reading, one for driving, and one for prescription sunglasses. I don’t think they total more than $50 even with various coatings.
@fretfulmother : Were you being serious about the black jeans?
@gettingschooled check with your dentist, but ours has already assured me that they make room in the appointment book for college kids whenever they are home. There will be a slight adjustment in timing this year to get lined up with the school calendar, but otherwise DS can continue with his usual cleanings, etc.
My kids usually have their eye appointments in the summer so D is due to go in August. Need to see if her strength changed and insurance pays for 2 boxes of contacts. All of us need glasses and the two teens have contacts so getting vision coverage is worth it for us.
Same with dental ins. It pays for cleanings, xrays, exams, $1000 towards orthodontia (all three have/had braces or appliances), even covered some of D’s wisdom teeth removal that medical didn’t cover.
What’s nice is that our dental ins goes by twice a year and not every 6 mos for exams.Last year I switched D to go in June and when home on Xmas break in Dec. So for now she can go to the same dentist.
Yes, it can become so real when the bill is actually there.
My D’s school has them add an authorized payer (at least one parent) and I have my own payment portal. In ‘current account details’ I can see deposits that post like housing and tuition deposit, outside scholarships that were sent to the school. And charges.
I had a pretty good idea what we would pay but after she scheduled classes and got her room assignment they had the exact charges for lab fees, room fee, meal plan fee listed.
Bills come out starting in July and due starting middle of August. There are no bill statements in the mail, only online. But I get an email and text when the bill is ready.
S16 doesn’t seem to care too much about wall decor either. Has anybody used the removable chalkboard paper? Seems like there would be less of a risk of staining the wall than the dry erase type.
@RyanG1207, I don’t know.
My D used some kind of cling type wall calendar and wrote on it with wipeoff markers. I don’t think she had any issues with taking it off the wall or staining. But YMMV. The cement block walls in her dorm seemed to be painted with semi gloss paint so that might be why.
Her room also had some kind of aluminum track on the wall above the bed where they could hang things from.
And her desk had a hutch with a back wall so possibly you could lean a small whiteboard/chalkboard up against that.
You can just wait and see what your S’s room setup is like when you move him in and then get something that will work.
For kids that have to maybe travel at night to the communal bathroom a small flashlight might be a good idea, so they don’t have to turn overhead light on and a flashlight is easier to replace than their phone.
Because it has been over 100 years and I don’t actually remember the lighting in my dorm hallway, I will ask:
Might there not be something akin to that which is found in hotels, though less harsh - little embedded lights along the tops of the walls, set to ‘dim’?
@sseamom: What are glasses for driving? (Maybe I need those.)
@Waiting2exhale In a perfect world, I could wear bifocals-one prescription for close reading, and one for distance, such as with driving. But my eyes are wildly different from each other-one is legally blind, one only has astigmatism, and was told bifocals wouldn’t be ideal. So I have different glasses depending on what it is that I’m doing. I was ALSO told by the lady in the sales section of the doc’s office that I could ONLY use the super-expensive frames, ONLY with special tempered glass, and my insurance only covered a grand total of $100 for one pair of glasses-which they sold at prices starting at $300 per pair with all these special requirements. I went home and got online, found Zenni and have never looked back.