I love the tape-on-rod idea for gauging clothes to pack. We just decided to set up the two underbed plastic storage chests and fill them
to see how to stow a lot of the stuff she’s taking. A dress rehearsal of sorts.
Those plastic bins can hold a LOT. D got three-one larger rolling one and two shorter without the wheels and never even put clothes in her 3rd. Here’s a tip-if you ROLL the clothes, they take up a lot less space than if you fold then. Learned this in camp years ago. Because it’s so hot where D is now, she put all of her jeans, long pants and long sleeve shirts in one, all the tees and tanks in another. She hung almost everything else. The two assigned drawers have undergarments and socks in one, and shorts and “wear all the time” tees in the other. To get it all there, as mentioned already, we used space bags. We bought the bins in college town. They replaced two drawers at home-she has a 4-drawer dresser there.
I have to admit I stay a couple of days behind on this thread. Son announced today he will pack tomorrow. I think he will take about 30" of hanging clothes including a sport coat. All new underwear and socks. We leave Monday to shuttle him to an off campus orientation camp. We’ll meet him on Thursday to move in the dorm. I heard “The Freshmen” by the Verve Pipe in the car yesterday. It was an indie rock hit the year he was born. I was glad I was alone, tearing up.
Space bags are amazing. We just got all of her winter clothes, duvet, two pillows, light blanket, winter blanket and all the bedding in one suitcase and one carry on. She hardly have enough stuff left for one more suitcase.
DS and roommate have not yet discussed or decided how they want the furniture so I have no idea if he will have storage space under his bed. He does not need to take all of his winter clothes yet since he will be home twice before Christmas, but I do appreciate the ideas given for storage when the time comes. TBH DS may not own enough winter clothes since he is not really one to bundle up. DS only began wearing long sleeves on a regular basis about a year ago. Oh, to have that metabolism and be comfortably warm year round! His college location may challenge him on that front and, if so, Santa will likely become involved.
Received a reminder from DS’s college about renter’s insurance so I am posting a reminder here as well. Hopefully it will be money “wasted” but it will easily pay for itself with even one claim.
@Cheeringsection Right there with you. DS16’s go to was, and for the most part still is, jeans and T shirts. Always wore a hoodie when it got colder. Now he’ll at least wear Oxford shirts occasionally .
DS wanted to go to a Japanese steakhouse before he leaves for school. We decided to go last night before our schedule got any more crazy. Evidently , that seemed to be the go to plan for a lot of future college students . We ran into 3 former HS classmates with 3 different “parties”.
i follow this thread off and on – have one leaving for college 8 hrs away this week – and have enjoyed and appreciated several posts. Like: #23735 by @bookmom7 about reducing car insurance. Thanks for the idea!
and questions about risers for bed that @Justathought1 mentioned in #23806. Where would you get those? are they steady?
several posts back @sseamom mentioned grocery store panic – and i had that happen this week. I could barely breathe when i started looking at some of my D’s fave foods.
also helpful: the posts about relationships being 2 ways, and the rolling clothes tips. i’ve heard that before and will encourage her to try that.
My D last night watched a youtube video and CUT OFF her long hair with a friend. One side looks sort of cute. I think she’s nonverbally saying she is ready for change! She’s mild and introverted. I think this is a sign of confidence. right?
@bgbg4us We bought our risers at Bed Bath and Beyond. Ours also have a USB port and electrical outlet. Yes, they are stable, they only raise the bed about 7 inches.
https://m.bedbathandbeyond.com/m/s/Bed-risers?isfromSearchBox=true
Word of advice. Avoid Hallmark Channel . Most of their episodes of The Middle today are about Axel either leaving for college or coming home from college at Christmas and not wanting to spend time with his family . I don’t want to spoil it, but there’s a scene where Mike quotes the song “Cats in the Cradle” to Axel , and I lost it. Did anyone include Kleenex in Dorm Mountain? I now need to buy a new box since I used a quarter of the box . 
@bgbg4us “one side sort looks cute of cute.” LOL, flashback to having kids dress themselves funny in preschool and the teachers telling the parents “It’s ok, we know you didn’t dress them like that!”
I was told that the dorm bathrooms at D16’s are regularly stained purple and green from all the hair dye …
3 huge boxes of Kleenex are sitting on dorm mountain, not packed yet.
It’s too soon!!! :((
Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t watched Gilmore Girls, you really should. It’s one of the greatest parent/child relationship shows of all time. :x
This is my instant tear-fest prompt. I may watch this later, just to get some of the tears out before Thursday.
So near the end, the daughter, Rory, is leaving for a new job in a few days, unexpectedly. Mom, Lorelei, is acting low key, like it’s all fine. She is ironing and talking non-stop.
RORY: Mom.
LORELAI: Yeah?
RORY: I don’t get it.
LORELAI: What?
RORY: How can you be so okay with everything? Ever since I’ve told you that I’m leaving, you’re just all busy with shopping and packing, and you seem fine with it.
LORELAI: [Sighs] It’s too soon.
RORY: What?
LORELAI: If I stop to think about you leaving now, I’m gonna fall apart. We still have time left. It’s too soon.
[A few moments silence]
RORY: Here. I’ll iron. You fold.
:((
It’s too soon!!!
@psychmomma While we are talking about TV shows and leaving- Family Ties- the last two episodes when Alex is leaving for NYC and Elyse is a mess. My mom always got teary eyed at that
Just to represent: While there have been no tears in our family over the move to college, I do acutely feel three things now:
- The aching void of her being gone whenever she is not with me in the house or elsewhere.
- The painful regrets, large and small, for what I failed to do to benefit her when raising her for the past 18 years.
- The joy of my hopes for her future and delight in who she has become.
Initially I complained about Amazon Prime ($99 yearly membership fee). until I checked the cost of my sweet girls books on Amazon Prime. Comparing GW’s bookstore ($822) to Amazon Prime ($601)…Yup…we are now Amazon Prime members. We rarely ever shop through Amazon but buying/shipping everything from books, clothes and snacks to our sweet girl (with free shipping) is worth it. =D>
Because the dorm for freshman girls at D’s school does not have raised or lofted beds, all of the kids get risers, then leave them behind because the next years they can loft or raise their beds. So on move-in day all the beds were already on risers. Good thing we’d planned on getting those after move in day just in case! They aren’t much, but those 7 inches or so make enough of a difference to fit plenty under the beds.
And so…D is “pinned”. This morning was the ceremony that marks the end of orientation week, where the freshmen are pinned by the upper class students. The entire faculty is in attendance, and everyone dresses formally, girls in stockings and dresses, boys in suits or jackets and ties. D texted me a photo-she and her friends look very happy. Now they are off to church. This one is a very large one (compared to her home church where everyone knows everyone). It even has a version of crossfit, which she will need if they keep going out to sample the local food! Classes start tomorrow. Hopefully she will get to bed sooner tonight than she has been. The kids have been staying up until 1 or 2 am. D has never in her life stayed up that late, never mind days on end. Must be the adrenaline.
It sounds like quite a close knit community and the perfect fit for your daughter @sseamom
Thanks @carolinamom2boys we are heading back to BBB to exchange the bed lifts we purchased for the ones you mentioned. 
You’re welcome @HappyFace2018