<p>As you can tell, I get hung up easily on details! :)</p>
<p>My current worry is how do I know what sort of lighting comes with a dorm room? Does he need a desk lamp and a lamp to read in bed at night? What’s been other peoples’ experience with this? Buy something and return it if we don’t need it? There is almost NO chance he’ll be willing to shop when we get there…</p>
<p>PS I know he can’t have halogens.</p>
<p>I also don’t know what will be needed/work. S’ school has photos of a dorm room from each building on-line, but it’s still hard to tell. I can see one lamp on each desk, but can’t tell how moveable it is … So, Would he need a desk lamp/bed lamp (how would it attach?) etc. etc.</p>
<p>I’m planning to either get away during move-in weekend (it’s a whole 2-day orientation thing w Parent activities) or order on line and have delivered (after all, he’ll survive a few days). IF he even needs one.</p>
<p>Bed lamps and desk lamps are nice, because that way you can read in bed or do work without disturbing a sleeping rommie too much. Bed lamps usually clip onto the headboard, so you would have to see the furniture first to know how it would work.</p>
<p>Most dorms that I’ve seen have a general light fixture for the room, but in many cases it might not be quite good enough for doing work at a desk. Probably something to wait and look into once you’ve seen the room.</p>
<p>Lighting in a dorm room can be pretty dim. My D got a floor lamp with 3 lights of it, along with something on the desk.</p>
<p>We’re taking a desk lamp, floor lamp and a clip-on lamp for S. We learned through experience last year with D that actually all three are helpful. This was a surprise to me because those dorm rooms (especially hers) are so small.</p>
<p>I’m just keeping all my receipts so we can return what we don’t use.</p>
<p>S plans to pick up a study light at the campus bookstore once he sees what the room really needs. We’ve been to the bookstore, and know that they have a selection. A little pricier than if we purchased at Target before he leaves, but less hassle than having the wrong thing and needing to return it (or more likely, just throwing it in a closet).</p>
<p>Weenie, look into your confirmed housing info from the college, and there might be a description of the dorm room. </p>
<p>Most dorms have an overhead ceiling light. D took a desk lamp and a book light. Levenger (reading supplies) carries book lights on their online site, $4.95 each. Amazon carries Gooseneck reading lights, $1.95 each. They’re kind of neat and come in different colors (the casing, not the light).</p>
<p>We got a snazzy, inexpensive desk lamp from Pottery Barn Teen (online). The wooden base did not take up a lot of desk space, and the lampshade was held on with a finial. I’m paranoid about lamp shades tipping up against hot light bulbs when students leave them on unattended in their dorm rooms.</p>
<p>Many schools don’t permit halogen lamps. Check to be certain. At D’s college, they are forbidden.</p>
<p>Well, problem may be solved… Son has declared that rather than discuss lamps he’ll just bring a flashlight. (!!!) This is the same child who says he would prefer to sleep in a sleeping bag for 4 years than go anyplace to buy sheets. I really should take him up on this stuff, don’t you think?</p>
<p>Anyway, now I know why I see so many mother/daughter teams strolling the “back to school” aisles of the stores and so few mother/sons. And to think I was sort of looking forward to getting a dorm room set up!</p>
<p>Seriously, I saw some “architect” lamps that I thought might screw onto the bed frame with a vise like thing. I bought his a desk lamp at Target, but I think I’ll pick up one of the architect lamps too. Wouldn’t want the poor baby to strain his eyes with a flashlight…</p>
<h2>“Anyway, now I know why I see so many mother/daughter teams strolling the “back to school” aisles of the stores and so few mother/sons. And to think I was sort of looking forward to getting a dorm room set up!”</h2>
<p>Weenie, So right! I was part of the mother/son dragging, not strolling, through Target this morning, with the attempt to buy the bare essentials, like sheets and mattress cover. It wasn’t a pretty sight. He only perked up when we made it to Best Buy to pick up the laptop lock and power strip. Now, electronics, that’s the one thing boys will enjoy buying. I figure he will sink or swim, but it’s his room, his and two others. I don’t even want to think of the bathroom they will be responsible for cleaning.</p>
<p>We used the “desk lamp” that had a clip on the end of it… that way you could clip it to your bed frame, or to your desk… they worked really well. I think they sell for about 10 bucks?</p>
<p>choff: thanks for the tip on the laptop lock.</p>
<p>Or there is <a href=“http://www.lampsplus.com%5B/url%5D”>www.lampsplus.com</a>. This is one of the best-designed ecommerce sites I have ever seen.</p>
<p>Do you think the “full spectrum” lamps get hot like halogens? Thanks.</p>