Something that came up yesterday, re: flying to school and then buying stuff there. What does D do with that stuff at the end of the school year? It isn’t very practical to fly it all back; it could be shipped, I guess. From what I’ve heard, storage is expensive, at least with the moving and storage company that advertises to this particular school. D is thinking she may not want any under-bed plastic drawers. Maybe a couple of plastic Sterilite boxes will do, no great loss if they are tossed at the end of the year. (hmm, can Sterilite plastic boxes be used to ship stuff. Trying not to over-buy, as large-object buying is something we are doing prior to move-in, and then I leave.)
This was helpful (funny when I google something and the most relevant answer is at CC) http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/507816-can-i-mail-ship-a-rubbermaid-storage-bin-unboxed.html
Though I still think we need to look into local storage options for a small number of boxes, as that might be much more convenient.
Also robe shopping here. Any thoughts on quick-drying towels for a humid environment? I’m experimenting with a peshtemal, though I suspect we will end up buying regular towels, hopefully on the thinner side if I can find some.
@evergreen5 D17 goes to school across the country. One of her roommates was also from the east coast so at the end of the year, together they rented one of the smallest storage units to store their stuff. It was approximately $125 each for the whole summer. Her school is in southern CA so there were plenty of storage facilities to choose from. The one D17 had with her roommate was about $75/month for a 4x5 space that was more than enough room.
Storing over summer—one of my kids had a local roommate who stored her stuff for her (all four years!) and the other usually got a storage unit and shared the cost with a friend.
@evergreen5 - advice from a been-there-done-that parent is to get thinner towels to dry faster.
@evergreen5 I haven’t used it, but heard about Zippy Shell. They’ll deliver a pod to the dorm room, you fill it, they store it and then deliver it to your dorm in the fall. Starts at $42.50/month. I can’t find where they operate, but I think there are other similar companies, as well.
https://www.zippyshell.com/storage/student-storage
Another option I’ve heard is off-campus students who rent storage space in their apartment/house over the summer. If they have a full-year lease and some roommates won’t be there in summer, they offset the gap by renting storage space to other students.
We’re in the same boat. Live in MA, D19 going to Ohio State.
We’ll be storing most of his stuff next summer at a climate controlled storage unit. They’re pretty reasonably priced in the Huntsville area. We’re flying him for move in, buying things like TV and minifridge there, and then over Labor Day we’ll drive his car to him then fly home. (It’s too tiny to fit the three of us plus what he needs for move in)
We fly for move-in on the 14th, giving us a day and a half to shop before official move in the 16th. Just a couple of weeks away now… hard to believe.
I’m jealous of all of this talk about lofting beds and extra storage. My D17 used every inch of storage possible but poor D19 is in a dorm with a bed that does not loft. The bed is built into a long row of closet-bed-desk. I seriously have no idea where she will put all of her clothes. Fortunately, she isn’t into a bunch of stuff but loves her clothes and shoes. I am sure she will figure it out but this might get ugly lol
Like it’s bolted down, or? I’ve never seen a built-in bed before; that would be frustrating.
@momof3kidz I lived in a dorm room with a built in desk, bed, and closet in the early 90s. There were a lot of shelves above my desk, some storage compartments and a long shelf built into the bed, and the closet was quite large. I don’t remember any drawers and I have no memory of where I kept my folded clothes, but I remember having plenty of space. Of course, I was more of a jeans, t-shirt and Doc Marten kind of girl. I probably only wore 2 pairs of shoes!
Fast forward 28 years and S19 is trying to figure out which 10 pairs of shoes to take to school. (He probably has nearly 20 pairs of sneakers).
In precisely one week, D19 and I will be on a plane to Minneapolis on our way to the Gulf South, where we’ll spend a couple days with her grandparents to do the last bit of shopping before moving her into her dorm the following Sunday.?
Yes, this is all happening too fast. Remember when days were dragging waiting for for decisions and other results?
@elena13 I sometimes wonder “why were we in such a hurry?” Then I remember just how stressful that was…
When D19 was very young I was torn between enjoying having a little one around, and wanting to know what she would be like when she grew up. I’m still there - I really enjoy seeing her doing so well and becoming a wonderful adult, but I do miss having the adorable little kid running around.
However, I would prefer not to go through the interim puberty years again…
I’m trying to figure out the mattress topper thing. Since we’re flying in, I definitely want to buy the mattress topper when we get there. But all the reviews talk about outgassing and say you need to give it at least 48 hours to plump up and allow the smell to dissipate. We won’t have 48 hours, we’re flying in the day before move-in. I don’t even want to open it up before we get it to the dorm room — I mean, where? The hotel? The car?
Any BTDTs?
@momzilla2D we flew in too with D17 and did not open the mattress topper until we got to her dorm room. She never complained about any smell but I’m sure some people are more sensitive to smell. I can’t tell you how many reviews for toppers I have read over the last week - some complain strongly about the smell, others say they didn’t notice any.
Actually I forgot, the first night D17 actually slept in our hotel room b/c her room didn’t have a/c and it was a fluke 95 degrees on move in day at her southern CA school. So in terms of fluff/plumping, I guess it was fine by the time she actually slept in it. The first week it was so hot there, she was probably too hot to even notice any smell. She slept on top of all of her bedding for at least a week. 
I still can’t even decide which one to get S19. He doesn’t seem too keen on memory foam, but alternatives seem too fluffy for him. And so many complain that they are hot, which S19 will not tolerate. I was going to let him take the IKEA mattress he has now but I thought it was a topper not a mattress. But it’s actually a mattress that I think would then make his bed too high if he puts it on risers. So much indecision! I have yet to buy him anything and we leave two weeks from today!
@momzilla2D - Have not BTDT but have wondered. I’m thinking you could open it as soon as you get there and spread it out on the mattress, then make the bed last minute to give it at least a little bit to air out and expand. That’s about all you can do. Maybe your student can unmake the bed again in the morning and let it be airing during the day?
We ended up getting a cheap Target topper, DD kept saying she didn’t know why she needed one (she can sleep anywhere) so we compromised with something inexpensive so there is at least something cushy between her and the plastic mattress. Also she likes to sleep on top of an old comforter which will add another layer of softness anyway.
Yes, this is all coming pretty fast and when I get twinges thinking about my baby being gone I think about how the next stages will be fun too!
My daughter’s topper (purchased at kohl’s) had no odor. We bought it when we visited her at her boarding school because the flimsy bed was literally giving her bruises. Obviously in her case the odor wouldn’t have deterred her one bit, but I have a very sensitive nose and didn’t smell anything when we set it up. She is taking two to college with her and they’re both currently sucked down small in a vacuum seal bag.
@momzilla2D the mattress topper thing was something I was thinking about, too. After reading 4 million reviews about different toppers I went with the one that a friend got for her son on Overstock–a 3" Lucid (I guess Macy’s sells these, too). Since we have a 5 1/2 hour drive to So Cal vs. flying everything, I thought I’d open it up now to air out. I really wish I had left it packed up because there was zero smell and it plumped up in like 5 minutes. Now we get to stuff the opened topper into the car or maybe I can get one of those vacuum things that @milgymfam mentioned ; ) So maybe go with the Lucid brand or another brand mentioned by another CC parent who has opened it up and can guarantee no smell.
My daughter was super happy that we got this. She got back from orientation last week and said the mattress was the pits, lol.
@crknwk2000 That’s good news. Lucid is the brand I’m planning to get. Amazon has it, and there’s an Amazon Hub Locker right across from campus. So I’m planning to have it shipped to the Hub and pick it up the day before move-in. I, too, read a bazillion reviews, checked all the obvious stores — Kohl’s, Target, BB&B. For some reason, it seemed like they won’t ship the toppers to store, and they have only a few in store. I’m afraid they will be bought out when we get there. I’ll feel better if I can order it in advance. Lucid had good reviews on Amazon.
Regarding to “Lucid” mattress topper…Which one would you recommend? 2”, 3” or 4”?