“No college girl in MA is going to wear a winter coat that her mom picked out for her the previous winter.”
Lol. I guess it depends, because my kid wore her Northface Transit jacket (which I purchased at 50% off in the spring of her senior HS year) for 4 winters of undergrad in MA and then for 4 winters after that. I finally said that it looked dated and now use it as my garden coat.
This is how we moved kiddo into her undergrad dorm. We flew together on Southwest (4 suitcases flew free!), I rented a car, and after surveying her dorm room, we went shopping for the still needed stuff. Hit BB&B, Costco, Target, etc. it was much more practical to buy stuff on the spot than to ship it or haul it with us. Plus, it was nice not to pay the WA 9.5% tax!
Amazon is great, and we used it for her grad school apartment, but opening and disposing of all those boxes arriving piecemeal gets very old, very quickly!
We moved across the country with DD. Things we did:
We flew Southwest Airlines. Each of us checked two bags, has a carry on bag, and one other item. I had an instrument case, and DD had her computer case as the second item.
One suitcase was filled with linens only.
One suitcase was filled with clothes.
A second clothing suitcase had the rest of the clothes and shoes.
Fourth suitcase had some school supplies, pictures, and other personal stuff.
We ordered bulky stuff from the Bed Bath and Beyond near OU home and picked it up,at the BBB near the college.,this included bed pillow, mattress pad, seat cushion for chair, blister pillow for bed, desk lamp, bulletin board, etc.
We made a Target run for toiletries, a small microwave and a small TV (roommate brought a rug, and fridge).
We made a Staples run for a cheap printer, and some other computer related things.
Our kid did not need winter clothes. So that wasn’t an issue. But I would,suggest you wait to get those until,the kid is AT college and sees what kids there wear…then do online mail order.
We moved our D from IL to MA. On the actual day, we (H, D and I) each checked 2 suitcases plus had carry-ons, all free. We got to campus; D and I unpacked while H ran to Bed Bath and Beyond to pick up previously-ordered bed linens and went someplace else (Dick’s Sporting Goods maybe? Target? I forget) to pick up previously-ordered bike. By the time he returned, the room was completely unpacked except for making the bed. We then went to campus receptions, kissed goodbye and flew home that night.
I’m a stock-up kind of person and I believe it’s silly to have my kids go buy individual tubes of toothpaste at Walgreens price when I can get them a four-pack at Sam’s for much cheaper. So generally speaking I loaded them up with toiletries and the like upfront, and they refilled during breaks.
The one thing I thought was important that in hindsight I might have foregone was the printer. They used them a lot less than I thought.
My other kid was within driving distance and honestly his move was more disorganized since we didn’t have to think through every item as thoroughly, we didn’t have space planning issues and we always had the backup that we could drive something up to him if need be.
We flew United and were each entitled to one checked bag and one carryon, plus s personal item. The kid moving in was able to put whatever was desired in the 4 checked bags. We lived out of our carry on bags and bought what the kiddo needed after arriving on campus and figuring out what was desired and needed. It really wasn’t that much more.
Bedding gets picked over near campus. Whether you buy at home or ship (what we did, kid did not care for BB&B options), don’t wait to get that. We shipped bedding & towels. Wait until summer to ship, the college will probably provide her with a campus mailbox number. We shipped about a month ahead. For D1, the school suggested bedding was poor quality (not very soft) – don’t recommend it, we didn’t do it the second time.
Another vote for Southwest – 2 bags checked free per person plus carry on. We planned a trip to Target for toiletries, desk lamp, and a pillow the night before move in (move in day is crazy, glad we didn’t wait). TV, fridge, etc – waited to see if a closer to college roommate might provide some. Not that we thought our kids needed a TV in their room. Did not send a printer, and that was fine. School supplies – on our kid to purchase, but I think she went to Office Max for a few cheap notebooks & pens at back to school sales, and planned to just shop near campus for the rest. Amazin delivers to college and all college kids seem to get Prime, and there are stores near campus.
Bulletin boards, tv, printer, microwave, so many bulky items you really do not need. I would forget about those bulky non essentials that will crowd the dorm room and be a huge hassle to transport and store. Focus on warm clothes. A good winter coat is pricey and I recommend getting one now during end of season sales. I don’t know what kind of spoiled kid would refuse to wear a coat that was bought last season and maybe not made by the same company as some other kids are wearing, but maybe such kid can work and buy her own coat then. I suspect a little dose of Boston winter will cure that real fast. I recommend a below the hip length. I also recommend long underwear, good hats and gloves.
Icebreaker makes great washable wool clothing that stays warm, even when wet. A GOOD quality warm coat is an important investment for health and comfort.
I have to say that stores around major college hubs in MA usually stockpile the stuff popular with college during move-in time. While our home Target was picked through, the Target in Natick had everything a college student ever needed!
If the kid does not like hats, earmuffs and hooded coat are must-have items. Waterproof boots, too. Kid never used the rainboots I got her, but loved her Blondo skater-style boots.
@HImom Icebreaker merino wool long underwear is the best in my opinion, but not for college. It’s very expensive and I am not sure how it will fare if kid throws it into the dryer, not to mention how many things get lost in laundrmats. Before you shell out hundreds of dollars on sets of expensive long underwear, consider that your kid is walking to class not climbing a mountain. I can recommend the stretch fleece long underwear which I purchased last month at Target. List price was $15 per pair, and I think I got some discount on that. I got a few pairs for each of us and so far so good. They run a little big so a tiny lady might find them too big. By the way, you really only need the bottoms though tops are available.
My kid got by with fleece-lined footless tights we got at TJMaxx. They were worn as tights and as liners under jeans. She also had a pair of Helly Hanson skiing liners (just the bottoms) which survived the dorm dryers just fine.
That’s true, things for college students DO get tossed in very hot dryers and wool IS more expensive than sybthetics, but so nice and warm for those of us long out of college.
You are right that things that are easily laundered and that you won’t be heartbroken if they are stolen or “lost” are best for college.
Getting nice items from thrift shops can be a great way to stretch clothing budgets.
Not sure if your DD will be coming home for Thanksgiving, but DS took his winter clothes when he returned to school from break. He really didn’t need anything before then, but we did have a fairly mild start to winter this year. Also, Amazon Prime (and Pantry) is great for kids away at school. Anything they forgot can be delivered in two days. Make sure to get a quality memory foam mattress pad and cover - made all the difference in the world on those skimpy dorm mattresses! We had those shipped directly to school along with pillows and other bulky items.
We ordered and sent DS a nice size monitor that he uses for gaming and connects to laptop for movies, Netflix, etc.
Costco offers free or low cost delivery of many products (including printers) to most locations, which is another option if your child determines that a printer IS needed.
I ended up shipping bedding from home to D’s school. She used those big vacuum bags so the bedding was reduced to a surprising small and manageable size. I think she also used the bags to pack clothes which resulted in overweight luggage.
Thank you to everyone for the insight and advice. I appreciate the collection of knowledge this forum provides so very much. This has been very helpful.
A note on the TV several people keep saying she doesn’t need: Trust me…this is one of those items that it just depends on the kid. My daughter’s passion is video games. Unlike some students, she can make do with very few shoes, won’t want a microwave, won’t have tons of decorations, bulletin boards, etc., but she will want to bring her xbox and will have to connect to a small TV. She games online with her older brother (also in college) which is a huge way they stay in touch. Everyone needs a hobby to de-stress and that is hers.
My S and his roommate had a TV, XBox and Playstation. They set the TV on top of one of their desks. Neither of them used a desk - they studied in bed, or at the coffee shop.
My kids both had very (and I mean VERY) small TVs in their dorm rooms. But as time went on, they used them less and less. They were usually used for movie viewing. Get that TV local to the college. Plenty of places sell TVs.
I didn’t see it mentioned but you can go to a local Bed Bath & Beyond store, pick out what you like and you can pick it up in a BB&B store nearest your D’s college. I’ve had a number of friends use this service (for sheets/comforters/lamps/mattress pads/pillows etc.) with great success. This way there is less stress with picking out stuff from what is left at the store when you get to campus.
I mentioned the BBB purchase in my first response on this thread…post 21, my number 2 item.
The nice thing about this feature…everything will be ready for you at the college locale, and younpay there (remember to take your coupons)…but you can change your mind and add or delete items, or make changes.
@thumper1 - Sry…missed it. Anyway, I agree. My friends who used that BBB service felt much less stress because they knew their kid’s preferred/selected items would be waiting for them when they arrived.
