<p>Don’t send clothes that are single-purpose. Versatility is everything. For example, son wears his ankle-high, hiking-style boots when it snows. Don’t send a semester’s worth of underwear - limit it to 2-3 weeks worth because that’s how and when the laundry will get done.</p>
<p>My son, also in upstate NY, wears a fleece-lined waterproof jacket for much of the year, only switching to a down coat in the worst of winter, December-February. A lightweight, practical coat is worth a dozen sweaters, IMO, because buildings can be so overheated.</p>
<p>My daughter actually did borrow my bread machine (which I rarely use) mid-year. Her roommate (assigned) is a fantastic person and also a trained chef (specializing in pastries, but she knows how to cook everything 
). For relaxation, she would cook and bake in the small, basic dorm kitchen and my daughter was her “assistant”. They asked to borrow the breadmaker and apparently they used it several times!</p>
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My daughter and two of her friends used her sewing machine a lot. It’s one item she’s thrilled she took. She did recently tell several incoming freshman that she had taken way too many clothes and won’t make that mistake again. One item I thought she was crazy for taking was a hammock, but after spending numerous evenings “hammocking” in the park last summer, she felt the need to take it to school. She and several friends found a lovely area on campus to hammock and study.</p>
<p>I brought a love bird to college way back when. I don’t know what I was thinking. No wonder my roomate moved out half way through the first semester.
My son wanted to bring an easy bake oven.</p>
<p>I’m not so sure I agree with the “don’t bring your HS yearbook” wisdom. My daughter took hers, and it turned out to be a wonderful icebreaker in her dorm, particularly during orientation. The kids all hauled out their yearbooks and compared notes about their schools. The yearbook came home at Thanksgiving, after its “purpose” was served.</p>
<p>D is also a clothes horse and brought up the ranch last year. Not this year though. It is very easy for her to come home once a month and switch out warmer clothes for cooler ones, etc. This year she will bring up much less. I know most freshman girls will not listen to this advice, but next year, I’m sure they will be cutting way back on what they bring up. It’s just something you have to go through to understand. </p>
<p>Also, someone said leave the yearbook at home your freshman year. D would disagree. Like Mezzomom’s comment above…My D also looked at that thing so many times last year. Not only to reminisce, but it was a great way to share stories, etc with the new roommate.</p>