While I’m a certified helicopter mom, even I wouldn’t think of picking up anything important-- like bedding or towels-- without my daughter’s approval.
But for Christmas we got our daughter a Keurig (yes, OK to bring to her school) and a clothes steamer. (Ditto, because it has an auto turn off.)
I was just placing an order on amazon, and figured I would add a few things to the list so we could pay for them now, not over the summer.
I got her:
Bedside Caddy Hanging Storage / Organizer with Laptop Space - 12 Pockets Perfect for College Dorm Rooms and Bunk Beds - Large Size Holds Your Laptop,
Sold by: Veritas Brands
$14.79
Buy it again
Mayin Quick Dry Hanging Toiletry and Bath Organizer with 8 Storage Compartments, Shower Tote, Mesh Shower Caddy, Perfect Dorm, Gym, Camp & Travel Tote
Sold by: Mayin LLC
$7.89
Buy it again
Wundermax Decorative Door Stopper With Free Bonus Holders, Door Stop Works on All Floor Surfaces, Premium Rubber Door Stops, The Original (3, gray)
Sold by: Wundermax
$11.99
I’ll also start picking up odds and ends at Target-- tweezers, bandaids, Command strips-- whatever I think of each time I’m in the store.
We have a mini-fridge and microwave left from 2015 Child’s dorm year, so that helped.
I’ve been shopping for two years (I am that parent). So far, I have two sets of twin XL sheets, hand vac, fan, towels, hampers, long ethernet and phone charger cords, shower caddy, hanging closet organizer, Leatherman-style multi-tool, sewing kit (travel size), Clorox Wipes, Swiffers, paper products, and bed risers. I horrifically over-bought with 2015 kid, so I am trying to learn with 2018 kid. We’ll see how successful this is.
We’ve been picking up stuff as its been on sale (shower caddies and little things like that) but we are waiting to pick up the big stuff until closer to move in time. The one thing I did put together is a first aid kit with all the OTC meds my daughter typically will use in the course of a year.
I used a 30% off a purchase at CVS to start her medical kit. I’m so jealous of the parents that are within driving distance! My daughter will be my second off to college this fall and I’m on the fence about buying one set of bedding at home and packing it.
My son hated the comforter we picked up from Bed, Bath and Beyond and never used it.
When my oldest was getting ready for college last summer my wife went on a tear buying stuff. Once a week my son and I went through it and returned what he would never use. In two weeks we go to pick him up and put stuff in storage for a couple of months. He just informed me that the two under bed bins (which contains most of the stuff my wife bought) have not been opened all year. :))
I’m not buying anything yet. I’d love to spread out the purchasing, but DD is going to college far away so we will be flying and picking up most things at the local Bed Bath and Beyond, and Target.
JCP had a great sale a few weeks ago, so I purchased bed linen, a comforter set, and bathroom items. Our family usually has a trunk party for those who are going to college (my D, Nephew, and niece), so many items that my D need will be on her college registry list.
Save a little cash for when you make the first “parents day” visit during the Fall semester. Once they become familiar with the setup of their dorms, the style of dress, etc., they’re going to need to do some gap-filling – things they want or need that they didn’t bring with them to college. We found that was true for both kids. Parents day = shopping time. Clothing and dorm stuff.
We bought our daughter a ton of stuff. Since she’s studying abroad in the fall, we don’t want to pay for storage until net spring, so she’s hauling it all home. She says she’s jettisoning most of it!
We put together a medical box for DS in 2003 he was a college freshman. He brought it home in 2005 before his term abroad…and he hadn’t used anything in it except the bottle of Tylenol.
DD started college fall 2006. So we just added a bottle of Tylenol and took it for her. Four years later when she graduated, she pulled it out from under her bed…and the only thing used was the bottle of…Tylenol.
When they each moved into grad school apartments…I bought each a bottle of 500 Tylenol.
Waste of money…the rest of it…for us.
ETA…I asked them…
“You never needed a bandaid…or cough medicine?”
Both had the same reply “oh…those were in there? I just bought them when I needed them.”
My D is all about packing lists and buying stuff, she is our only and will be starting this fall. I am trying to go slow and focus on the “must-haves”…but so far we purchased a twin xl comforter and sheets on sale at Macy’s, new pillows, a shower caddy, a winter coat on sale, and tall rubber boots. She will be living in an apartment style dorm which has a kitchen, so no mini fridge is necessary although cleaning supplies are a must. On our list is a bathrobe, an interview outfit, a laundry bag and some sort of a locked box for medications. All of the “college dorm” shopping reminds me of bringing home a new baby. You are bombarded with ads for all sorts of stuff you think you have to have, but you never wind up using.
Such a happy thread! After admissions, such a relief to have a happy task! Both my kids chose schools a plane ride away so nothing could be bought that wouldn’t fit in a check-through. We discovered vaccum bags! We’ll be buying towels and sheets and a nice colorful comforter to warm up the white on white dorm room color scheme. Everything else will come from local stores or Amazon. She won’t need a shower caddy as the dorm rooms all have bathrooms en suite. I think a colorful rug would be great but we’ll have to wait until a roommate is assigned to see how she feels about that. Not much else on my list…
My daughter is a junior and started packing her stuff because her cousin is coming next week to help her and her roommate move a lot of their things into a rented storage area. We were just talking this morning about pitching unwanted, worn, broken things, and donating surplus unwanted clothing. Funny how fast you go from buying it all up to downsizing. It was fun thinking about it and buying it all before freshman year though!
I’m in the opposite situation. I’d like to wait to buy anything until move-in day, or at least until she knows which dorm she’ll be in and gets a room-mate assignment, but she wants to buy now. She will also need a new wardrobe since she’ll be moving from the Deep South to the Northeast, and I’d like her to wait until school starts so she can assess what the campus culture is, but she wants to start buying. My D definitely doesn’t follow my minimalist and just-in-time ways.
We didn’t buy anything in advance for D outside some more appropriate clothing for actual weather. We didn’t want to lug the dorm stuff across the country. Besides, it was kind of a thrill going to Target and just load up the cart. I bought S a shower caddy as his “Easter basket” but waiting on everything else but clothing.
My advice is to buy them a set of sturdy tote bags. They can be used for laundry but they are also really handy for packing up that dorm end of the year and throwing in storage (and we found that sharing a storage unit with other students super cheap.)
We live somewhere warm, no need for snow boots, winter coat, gloves, etc. My daughter is going to school in New England. We bought all of her arctic wear on sale, at substantial savings, at this time of year, before freshman year. We don’t have the option of changing clothes out by season, so it didn’t matter that it was purchased so far in advance.
This is such a good idea. My dyslexic DD has decided she wants to enroll in our local cc for 2 years then commute to a 4-year university because she’s a competitive swimmer and doesn’t want to leave her team. But it feels like something is undone, and I think this is just the ticket.
I think we’ll go out this afternoon and pick up some things to freshen up her room. We’re planning to paint, if NY ever warms up to something resembling spring temps, but new curtains and bedding will fit nicely too. And a good table lamp will be a necessity for sure. I have a couple of antique writing desks that can be adapted to hold a laptop and she likes the style, so I’ll let her take her pick of those. I think I’ll pick up a dedicated printer for her too. I have one in my office and we could probably use wifi, but with 3 college students in the house if we run into technical issues it could be a nightmare. I’m fairly certain there will be clothes and shoe shopping to round out the day, so we’re definitely going to have to make plans to stop at our favorite restaurant for a lunch break.
We’ll be buying towels and sheets and a nice colorful comforter to warm up the white on white dorm room color scheme. Everything else will come from local stores or Amazon. She won’t need a shower caddy as the dorm rooms all have bathrooms en suite. I think a colorful rug would be great but we’ll have to wait until a roommate is assigned to see how she feels about that. Not much else on my list…