Starting to pick stuff up for the fall

Parent Cafe
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At the end of S17’s freshman year, I will say that the foam egg crate bed thing we bought at BBB was a definite help. He is taking it back next year. The shower shoes were also quite useful as was the bath tote. He actually is still using it even though he’s home.

He used his first aid kit quite often and shared with his friends. It’s a very comprehensive kit as H and one of my sons both spent time in the local volunteer ambulance corps. I am now getting stuff together to replenish the kit for the fall. H and S17 prepared the kit together so my son was familiar with everything in it, which is why I think it actually got used.

He has a tool kit that is more detailed than most others because he’s in a major that involves building stuff. Most kids probably don’t need wire cutters and 3 types of pliers.

My family uses a particular type of toothpaste. I usually buy it at K-mart but when it went up significantly in cost, I shopped it online. I found that BBB had it online for 99 cents a tube with free shipping over $30, so last year I ordered 35 tubes. S took a couple up with him and when he came home for spring break, he took another back. He’s already packed two new ones into his stuff for next year. I probably won’t have to buy toothpaste again for at least 5 years.

I found that with my D we significantly over packed the first year, although not as much as her roommate! With S17, I thought we under packed but he said that he had too much stuff. For instance, I gave him three different types of winter coats, plus his leather, and he said he only ever wore the leather and is only taking one other coat next year. He had 4 sets of bedding but wants only 2 next year - he is a kid who does laundry regularly. He did pick out the patterns of his bedding, etc. unlike my middle son, who didn’t care what it looked like and actually took D’s floral patterned sheets because he didn’t want me to spend money buying new.

I went with my son to BBB and we had a blast. I let him drive, which made him happy. We shopped and ate out and talked about college. We went after orientation so I had an opportunity to see the college and the dorm rooms, which helped focus our shopping. I hadn’t been able to visit the school before that.

Good luck to all embarking on this journey.

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@bjkmom did you glance at the Book How To Survive Freshman Year? Did it have any tips you thought were useful?

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@Cheeringsection what is Venmo?

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@melvin123 No, to be honest I haven’t looked at it yet. It came sealed in plastic. One of these days I’ll take a look at it. It I like it, I may pick up a couple for her friends as grad gifts.

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ok I’m just posting to remind myself that I want to come back and read all of these later this week! So far D18 is just taking her bedding (has a twin trundle currently, but we know she needs new pillows) and her clothes (still need to sort through and get rid of stuff; if you didn’t wear it Senior year you probably aren’t going to want in college). Was gifted a monogrammed robe, a monogrammed towel set and cross pen (yes, people still give those!) Plus a good bit of cash/gift cards! From this thread I’m a little behind (maybe I’m not as helicopter as I thought I was!) Keep the ideas coming… especially the bargains!

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One thing that we found very helpful was a power cord with a 15 ft cord at Bed,Bath and Beyond . Many schools do not allow extension cords ,but this was an excellent alternative. We bought 2.

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@Whistlingal Venmo is a form of electronic payment between individuals. Google it to get a better description.

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We also bought the extension cords at BBB.

On another note, I bought plane tickets for D, her bf and myself. Her bf told her to venmo me their share. D looked at him and said: “My mother doesn’t venmo. I have brought her a check!” I was very happy because I had never heard of venmo before that.

My S17 has a credit card and a debit card both from our local credit union. There is no reciprocity with our bank and the ones at school but it hasn’t been an issue. He took some cash up with him and replenished it each time he came home or I visited. I think we will do the same thing this year.

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@techmom99 I had not heard of it either until a parent of a friend who just went off last year mentioned it. Apparently it’s a great way if you are a young person to make certain you get ‘paid back’ it you are fronting money for things like concert tickets, late night munchie runs, splitting the bill at dinner as almost no one (especially young people!) carries cash these days! We haven’t downloaded it yet but it’s on our list of Apps To Be Familiar With Before August list!

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Thanks to all about Venmo. Will look up at some point!!

With regards to Google though while REALLY useful I still love to ‘hear’ about things. Googling takes all the ‘socialbility’ out of things. I fear for this generation that they will lose the art of conversation for conversation sake, making connections that technology doesn’t need.
(And what will happen when we have that solar flare and it knocks out the satellites and no-one knows how to read a map!)

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I probably have way too much for my D already. Some of it we got last year, since she spent the summer at a college in a foreign language program, so she has new pillows/twinXL bedding sets/gel pad (vacuum sealed it all when we got home), shower caddy/shoes, towels, bed risers, rugs, etc. She hates flat sheets, so will be using those as an extended “bedskirt” to cover everything she’s storing under the bed. Since she will be changing climates, I just ordered some boots from Lands’ End on “summer clearance” (plus a 30% coupon) because the same ones will be back to full price by September, I’m sure. I’ll do the same when I find a coat she agrees to (you have no idea how much hassle the boots were).

I got her a little Dirt Devil with a detachable hand vac. We have tons of Swiffers, so she’ll just take one of those. I have gotten some little cube shelving and a rolling storage cart. I was stocking up on cleaning/beauty, but there is no reason to take all that stuff up to NYC. My concern was things being so much pricier, but the weight/hassle of all that stuff just isn’t worth it. She’ll probably take a few specialty face products from home but buy/Amazon the rest. She has a shoe bag for her closet door. I will get over door hooks for robe/towel/coat that will save closet space. She has picked up a few quirky mugs at thrift stores for her ramen and tea, and will be taking some of our Corelle dishes (I’m replacing a set) since most of the plastic stuff available is not for microwave use and stoneware is too easily breakable. We do need some sturdy plastic cups that aren’t easily knocked over, as many are very lightweight. We also need to buy a pot and a pan for use in the communal kitchen, I’m looking at ceramic options since she’s not super experienced with Stainless cooking and cast iron is just too heavy.

Someone mentioned it a bit further up, but I will echo the sentiment of sturdy totes. Over the years, I’ve been ordering her a Large or XL Lands’ End tote for birthdays/Christmas. I fill them up with fun products for a “beauty bag” which she loves. She has about 6 now (she also has 2 mediums for variety), and they were so useful in moving to her summer program (we drove–so may be less helpful for those who are flying). They are monogrammed so there’s no question whose they are, are able to be stuffed full a bit more than traditional suitcases, and fold down pretty flat for storage. She used a couple of them as her laundry bags, as they could be zipped and carried downstairs on her shoulder for washing, and also concealed her items instead of just having open dirty clothes hampers in her room. They also were nice for weekend trips and I think they’ll come in handy on daylong shopping excursions, as they’re stronger than most reusable bags.

Our big hassle will be narrowing down of clothes and shoes to take, and I’m not looking forward to that, even though we’ve already discussed swapping summer for winter stuff during family weekend. Her big wish item is a Yogibo Max, but I just can’t justify $250 on a beanbag, especially if we don’t know if it will fit in her room, so we have negotiated that I will pay half if we see there is space once everything is set up. We’ve visited the store and they are nice, and would come in handy if her friends come from other schools to spend the night/weekend, since they are big enough to be a bed, plus are a comfy spot to read as an alternative to bed or a hard desk chair.

She has Venmo already and knows how to use it, she already has 3 bank accts/debit cards, and I have easy access to them all (local branches/e-setups) for emergency deposits. She has credit cards on our accounts, but I will help her set up her own once she turns 18.

Now I just have to stop buying–after I get some of those 15 ft power strips! (sorry this is so long!)

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DS got DD a Yogibo. It’s huge! I was very leery of taking it. And yes, it was a pain to move 500 miles, but DD said that it gets used a LOT.

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Wow, a medical kit is such a good idea! I swear I’ve not noticed that on other lists!

Right now D is getting her room here ready to vacate, setting up under bed storage (hello Ikea), taking stuff to Goodwill. I swear she’s already thinking ahead 4 years to moving across the country.

I’m sure she’ll want to coordinate with roommate for more visible items. In the meantime, we already have plain XL sheets, towels, totes. And, of course, Venmo, plus her own credit card for a future semester in Europe (sophomore year). She’s been amassing small appliances for years – blender for smoothies, electric kettle. She’s been using a mini-desk that can set on a bed and hold a laptop all through high school.

Overall, reading this thread is making me aware that this kiddo has been getting ready for this moment since she was about 12. Yikes, why am I not ready?

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I’m not sure how much we will pick up ahead of time. All bedding (she has a twin duvet from when she and sister shared a room). She will be less than 90 minutes from home. She has plenty of clothes and is not changing climates. She has make-up and face products. Will need a medical kit of basics. Some cleaning wipes and laundry stuff. The Honors College supplies the mini-fridge and microwave. I don’t see her doing more than heating water for soup. Maybe a tapestry/lights to decorate. I’ve seen that a lot of people use the large, zippered IKEA bags and totes to move and I like that they lay flat. I’d like her to move in and then see what she might need for a year. She wants to pledge a sorority and the house may be an option for next year, so I really don’t want to over purchase this year. Reading all of the suggestions though and taking notes.

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Be aware that in the case of all 3 of my kids - at 3 different schools - those over the door hooks/hangers did not work out. Doors are too thick (thicker than doors at home) or hanger did not allow door to shut properly.

Also remember less is more. Buying an item doesn’t have to stop when you pack the car/suitcase. You might want to wait on extras like cookware for the communal kitchen…because the kitchen or a neighbor might already have them available - or while it seems like a great idea to use the kitchen, they actually DON’T. And then the frying pan and pot just take up precious room in their small space. If they want it later you can order from Amazon or Target or Walmart and have it in a couple days to use.

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@abasket Thanks so much for that tip about the over door hooks, I’ll make sure to keep my receipts for that kind of stuff. You’re also right about waiting for the pot/pan, and those can be shipped. We were going to limit it to a pot for boiling water (they aren’t allowed hot pots/kettles in their room) and maybe a small fry pan for reheating foods. Unfortunately, my daughter is not the type to share that kind of stuff. She even has her own special dish brush at home for washing that none of us are allowed to use LOL! She’s very laid back about most things, but communal kitchen and bathroom stuff are not part of that!

@MaineLonghorn The size is the main reason we won’t get it now, and will just have it shipped to school! I tried it as well, and it is super comfy.

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@sunsheyen. See whether they’re allowed a Keurig. Since it shuts off after each cup, lots of dorms allow them. You can do hot water for soup, instant Mac n cheese, hot chocolate… lots more than coffee.

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It’s fun reading what everyone is bringing and doing for their child’s transition to college. D1 graduated in 2015 and D2 will be a senior this coming year. Some hits and misses for us: Kids had their own bank accounts for monies they earn or was gifted to them, but also had a joint credit union account with us so it was easy to transfer money to them and if money was needed could easily transfer from one account to another. Gave them their own health insurance card and stressed the importance of Preferred Providers since we have a PPO. Showed them where a pharmacy was and how to get there by bus. In our case, CVS. When D1 started college there were no Uber. We also bought them a small safe. And I mean small, about the size of a shoebox. They could put extra cash and important papers in it (like SS cards). We emphasized for them to put it in the back of the closet and don’t even tell anyone you have one.
D2 is a clothes horse, so non slip coat hangers and those hangers that you can hang about 5 shirts or pants on one hanger.
Both kids coordinated with their roommates as to what to bring for appliances. Maybe one brings a coffee maker and the other a small microwave.
D2 loved and still does her memory foam mattress topper and a white down comforter.
Mostly you just figure it out as you go along.

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I was able to drive my D to college in a rented Explorer stuffed to the gills (mostly with stuff she did not take back the second year.) There were guys volunteering to help unload cars and carry stuff to the dorm rooms. I wish that I had brought cash (small bills) or fast food gift cards to “tip” them, but all I had was a large bill and a debit card. The guys were a tremendous help and I would have liked to have been able to show my appreciation.

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@musicmom1215 thanks for the tip! (Couldn’t resist, but truly a great idea).