Shower caddy isn’t just a girl thing! Just don’t buy him a pink one.
I got a twin XL jersey sheet set at Walmart for under $10 last week, ahead of the big college supply coming in. It was one to the colors I was looking for so I snatched it up.
I didn’t go away to college so I jumped at the chance to dorm when we took D to orientation 8 years ago. The mattress was fine. She and middle son went to the same school and I never sent a topper. My son is a sleep on the floor Eagle scout as well. I just got home from S17’s orientation, where I also slept in the dorm. This time, I am getting him the topper as he asked for it. The schools are both SUNY’s but the mattresses were like night and day. My son is not a prima donna and he knows funds are limited, so when he asked for the mattress topper, I agreed.
I have spare XL’s but the school said regular twin should be fine.
Since our bathroom is under renovation, the boys shower in the basement. S17 has a caddy type thing he uses and will bring to school with him. He also has a pop up hamper that he loves and which will also go with him
Amazon can be your friend. Sometimes kids do not know how they will live in terms of what will be helpful until they get there an actually go through daily tasks. You also do not often know exactly the size of the dorm room or what will fit, etc. With Amazon you can have something there in two days.
I understand mattress toppers would be expensive to ship. So for those if you are inclined to buy one, likely to get one before you go. I am talking about other things that kids use/have in dorm rooms.
Completely agree with ^^
We can tell from this thread that everyone’s different. Some can’t do without x and others don’t get why it’d be needed. I would either wait until my S arrived at school and have him order via Amazon prime if he found he needed a topper, a mattress pad, etc. OR I’d decide to go ahead and give it my best shot and order it and have it there day one. I guess the issue with ordering later is whether or not S would remake his bed to put the topper on. As we’ve noted, some of us are moms that will just rest better knowing the darn topper is actually ON the bed. If that’s the case, I’d just buy one and (assuming I’m helping make the bed during move in) and put it on.
I will mention, for those that have been able to reuse for 4 years, that by year 3 two of my kids lived in apartments that had full size bed so the originally sheets, topper, etc. did not fit. We bought full size comforters or duvets originally with the hope that they’d hide the things being stored under the bed so at least those worked for all 4 years.
Slightly OT, but what sort of order do you all put everything on the dorm bed?
Mattress protector, mattress topper, mattress pad and then fitted sheet?
Has anyone found any cotton twin xl sheets that have a storage pocket on the side of the fitted sheet? Not a fan of microfiber…
yes to the order you listed.
Yep! You have the order of applying bedding right.
My curiosity kills me… so I have to ask, “What is a “delima”?”
^ The OP mis-typed “dilemma”.
LOL, that’s what I thought, but the mods are usually quick to fix this stuff. I thought I was missing some college bedding-related term. 
“Slightly OT, but what sort of order do you all put everything on the dorm bed?”
Since we used non-foam type mattress toppers, it was mattress pad/protector thingie, mattress topper than fitted sheet.
Thank you to all who replied on the order of bedding!
For mattress protectors, did you guys go with an encasement or the kind that is like a fitted sheet? His bed will be lofted if that affects anyone’s answer. Thanks again!
Like a fitted sheet
@BunsenBurner and @doschicos - sorry, spelling isn’t my strong point (more of a math person).