Just remember it can be like Christmas - you start buying early - but then keep buying up until the holiday and then you realize you have too much!
My kids all used the box of first aid/medical stuff I put together. They were especially grateful for things like decongestant, Claritin, cough drops. When they called saying they were stuffy or whatever I told them what was in the box to take - once we did that once or twice they relied on that box - as did other people on the floor who did not have a box of medical goodies!
I’ve started picking up things now because we’ll have a lot of travel and expenses this summer. She got a few things for her birthday and others we’ve just set aside. We will be driving it out there and her sister (lives in same city) will hang onto everything until move in day. She will fly out when it’s time in August.
She and her roommate decided not to match so that makes it easier. She’s the second to go so we have a decent idea of what will get used. Anything we don’t take this summer can either be bought locally or ordered online.
So far she has-
Set of folding measuring cups and spoons
Can opener
Couple little Tupperware type pieces
Hangers
Gel mattress pad
Allergy/bed bug mattress cover
Just ordered comforter and sheets
Fan leftover from DD#1
Silverware-extras from home
Cups/water bottles/mugs-already owns
Looking forward to seeing what we need to add to the list. I have a running list on my phone of purchases and things needed.
Oh my, I posted this before. I was purchasing all summer and had a corner of a room filled with items. My son kept saying “whatever”. He was leaving for college after junior year, so I think it just didn’t hit him. So, night before leaving, we are having dinner with my close g/f and her twins, then freshmen. They asked my son about his purchases. Next thing you know, my g/f gives me all her BB&B coupons, and at 8 pm or later, we make a stop. My son picks out sheets and spread, etc. at home, we repacked. I think I was up until 2, but all got done, and I slept on the east coast to west coast plane.
The $100 mattress pad never got used. Son bought medical supplies at the local Walgreens. At parents day, I had a rental,car. We bought a desk chair, a monitor, a/c, couch.
We have a comforter, and coordinating bedrest and blanket, from Wal Mart. I was lucky that she found exactly what she was looking for at a reasonable place! Also have a gel mattress pad (the jury is still out on needing this) that I got for really cheap on Black Friday from Kohl’s. I have been picking up little things, like chargers and a hole punch (yes, my nursing student will need one) as I think of them.
Other stuff will depend on what dorm she ends up in. I’m not too stressed about the rest of it. Thankfully the microfridge is provided. She and her roommate/suitemates will coordinate some things (one girl wants to bring a Keurig, so the others will chip in and provide some k-cups to get everyone started).
What I am stressed about is the laptop, ipad mini (program requirement), printer/copier, and new phone we are buying this summer. @-)
Another milestone we reached is getting her a credit card of her own. She even made the first purchase - nail polish, lol - on it yesterday. Next thing is to get an ATM/checking account. I doubt she will use the checking account part of it, but even I used my ATM card back in the dinosaur days.
Our D had some landlords and others who insisted on paper checks, so she did write checks.
I made my kids & other loved ones each a zippered pouch of common desk supplies that they would be likely to need but may never gave thought if (things they grab from your or their desk). I had scissors, multi tool, small sewing kit, ruler, small stapler, various rolls of tape, permanentmarker, ballpoint pen, white out tape, glue stick, envelopes, paper lips, binder clips, hole punch, envelopes, postage stamps, mechanical pencil, post it note pad, and other things I found myself or them reaching or asking for. It was one of the first things we all reached for at move in day.
The seniors I teach had a seminar with a banker last week… the third in a series of talks preparing them for college. (One was on their legal rights, and a second on drug/alcohol use.)
Anyway, I’m no pro, just a mom. But I did disagree with one thing the banker told them.
He said that they would want to open up a checking account at the bank representing the school-- the one with a table there at orientation. That way, they could avoid paying a $3 fee every time they used the on-campus ATM.
I told them the next day that my opinion was different-- that they should open up a checking account at a bank that has a branch close to home. (Of course, a bank near both locations would be ideal.)
Should they lose their Psych book and need a replacement when they were low on funds, mom or dad could simply deposit money into their account that night. The alternative is for mom to write a check, mail it, wait for it to be received, then deposited-- for some it would then be an out of state check that would need to clear.
Either way, the advice they received on using an ATM once, to take out say $100 as opposed to five $20 withdrawls each with a $3 fee, made sense. Our kids use money so much less than we did that a single $100 withdrawl would last them far longer than it would have lasted us back in the day.
My S has a debit card with our local bank and it is part of a network so there are lots of ATMs he can use with no fee (any Bank of America is in the network). I have not looked but I would bet there is an ATM on campus he can use with no fee and no need to open another account. (Of course, he is going within driving distance to home so maybe it would be different if he went farther).
I agree with you @bjkmom and @Momma2018. We have accounts at the local credit union, but there are no branch offices near my D’s school. I need to do more research on its network.
May I also suggest student’s health insurance benefits/coverage while in school. I just confirmed that my D’s school’s student health services is a part of my employee health insurance network.
S is heading Stateside in August and I am following your chat to pick up tips. However, I am going to have to readjust my idea of banking. (College helps to open an account.)
Here in the UK my son does not know what a cheque looks like. People don’t like cheques because there is no guarantee the money will be in the account to cover it. I hardly every use one. If I want to pay someone I transfer money between my account and theirs. The two accounts do not need to be with the same bank. My H and I still have our ‘single-days’ bank accounts and I am continually swapping money around. ( I can only transfer out of my account for those that might be having a panic attack.)
Regarding ATMs all free here no matter which bank you use no matter which atm you use.
Also we have something called ‘contactless’. Just tap and go - very handy with your i phone - called Apple pay? Do you not have this?
@Whistlingal - I work with banking interfaces frequently and the US is unique in that paper checks are still frequently used. But even we are getting with the program with ApplePay and Googlepay (pay with your phone) - most people just don’t trust them yet because they are used to the credit card/debit card/check options for payment.
My oldest D, currently a senior, got a checking account/savings account/ credit card with a bank that is online and lets her use any bank’s ATM for no fee - they will refund any fees as long as it’s under a certain number of uses a month. I also have an account at the same institution so we can transfer money if needed. I agree that the recommendation for waiting to open an account at a bank “local” to the school is pretty old-fashioned. I did that in 1981!
Yes, we have Apple Pay. Not all places accept it though. And honestly, I don’t know what % of consumers have it set up on their phone - that would be interesting to know.
@CaMom13 Do you think you could let me know the name of the online bank? College is going to sort out internationals with an account on the International Orientation days prior to move in day. Unfortunately S is going to miss this as he cannot get there for then. I will talk to them next month to get the name of the bank so I can get the ball rolling beforehand but if I can look into all possibilities I would feel happier.
How many places accept a payment by card with your pin number? As in coffee shops and theatres etc? S hardly (and the rest of the population to be honest) hardly uses cash. Don’t even need it on the bus nowadays as they accept contactless. @abasket Apple pay is fairly popular here. I used to work in a store and I was always surprised how many people use it. Contactless with your debit card is VERY common though. Even I use it!!
@Whistlingal - unfortunately the American bank we use is like a member-only credit union but I would imagine Barclays or any of the big internationals would have a similar offer in the US - if they don’t have a network of ATMs they will “pay” for members use of other banks’ ATMs. Some of the online-only banks - like Ing - might also be a good resource.
Most places that accept credit cards here accept debit cards - cards that draw against your checking account - but not all. Or are you talking the “chip and pin” credit card? We don’t have those here either! Just about every places takes credit cards but our cards don’t use/require a PIN.
@CaMom13 When you say ‘don’t use/require a PIN’ how do you verify that it is you when you pay for something?
Also was not thinking of giving S a ‘credit card’ rather a debit card that draws against the checking account. Is this the norm? That is the norm here. All our plastic (credit and debit) is chip and pin or now ‘contactless’. You just tap. There is a spend limit of £30 per transaction and you can only spend £100 per day ‘contactless.’ So for the coffee or even chewing gum you just tap.
Thanks for the online info. I will check here with HSBC - our bank - and see if they have anything in the US.
@Whistlingal - you can’t, so many places ask for ID. Even then, credit card fraud is rampant. So the US will probably go to a chip and PIN eventually - or skip that entirely and go to phone pay as the norm. Also - I don’t know how old your son is but many types of business transactions - like registering in hotels or renting cars - actually require credit cards for a guarantee against damages and do not accept debit cards for the same without a lot of hassle. His life will be easier if he has a U.S. credit card, even if he never uses it to pay for anything.
My daughter and I share a Pinterest board for college needs and wants. We haven’t done any actual shopping yet, but she’s having fun window shopping and pinning ideas. She’ll be in a major city, so I’m not overly worried about forgetting something.
My daughter isn’t up for buying anything to do with decor until she actually meets her roommate. They’ve both signed up for the same orientation session in June. I told her that I’m OK with staying in the same hotel if she wants-- they could hit the BB&B website after orientation if they wanted and get coordinating or or contrasting bedding. She’ll get back to me when she speaks to the roommate.
So the stuff I’m picking up has nothing to do with how the room looks. I got a mattress protector the last time I placed an amazon order-- not something that she’ll care about in terms of brand or style.
Oh, and I also picked up this book at amazon. How to Survive Your Freshman Year: Fifth Edition (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides) Fifth Edition
by Mark W. Bernstein (Creator), Yadin Kaufmann (Creator), Ed.D. Scott Silverman (Editor), Frances Northcutt (Editor)
I may see if there’s anything decor-neutral to pick up on sale. Or wait till she wakes up (she worked till midnight, then went out for Half Apps, so that may not be for a while) to see if there’s anything interesting.
I did see a Keurig for $69, but she already has one.
I completely agree that banking is something you can, and should, do now rather than closer to move in. Here is what I have learned after 2 years of a DS at college. College students use Venmo or similar to pay for things amongst themselves (clubs, fraternity/sorority stuff, chipping in to cover the check, etc) rather than cash. Credit cards with chip, and sometimes pin, are becoming more common but are not everywhere. Debit cards are also very commonly used. ING is now CapitalOne here in US, but works well for online and student account options. Many banks offer student accounts with little or no fees, so shop around—including with your current providers of credit cards and financial services. I have electronic access to my DS’s account and can easily electronically transfer funds 24/7, as well as assure myself he has not spent a huge amount on something crazy. We set up a small, spending money transfer that happens automatically each month. We have had only 1 “May I have money for x ?“ discussion in 2 years. His books, basic toiletries, snacks, class supplies, laundry supplies, etc can all be purchased on campus and need to be to fully exhaust his “meal plan” buy-in required by the school. This means his need for money to buy these things is greatly reduced. Most of his entertainment needs have been met on campus also so not a lot of money needed for that either.
Good luck and enjoy the planning! The memory is still fresh of being where you are, but it will all come together.
