<p>Lol, NewHavenCTmom, that sounds great. However, since youngest son is going on to grad school, we’ll be switching our allegiance to that campus this year for performances, parents weekend, and so on. But, I’m glad I can continue to hang out here with Yale parents and still feel a part of it all. </p>
<p>A reminder that you’ll get lots of help on move-in day from Yalie students–they emptied our entire van in a jiffy and took it all right up to our sons’ rooms. We didn’t have to do a bit of lifting or carrying. But, of course the unpacking, arranging, and purchasing definitely took up every second of our time after that!</p>
<p>My mother really wants to buy a futon for DDs suite. She has looked at the prices and is aghast at how much they cost and has heard that they are of poor quality. She happened to be in IKEA yesterday and saw a few couches that are around the same price as a futon. I feel that this is going a bit overboard but don’t want to hurt her feelings. Is a couch a better option -vs- an expensive futon that will be uncomfortable and most likely fall apart?</p>
<p>DD will be in Farnam freshman year and has been told that the rooms are quite palatial. Your input is greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>If your kid can wait a year she can probably get a decent couch for about $50 at the end of the year. That’s what my kid did. A couple bean bag chairs or butterfly chairs can fill the need till then. Just my two cents.</p>
<p>A futon is nice if they have overnight guests. IKEA futons are not the best we found–they break easily. For second son we ended up buying a very nice futon for about $150 from a midwest store called Shopko. We stuck it in the van and drove it out there. It was still in perfect shape four years later–he sold it Commencement weekend for $80.</p>
<p>Since you live in town, I would go for the couch if someone could sleep on it. One purpose of the futon is for over night guests, friends from other colleges or potential students visiting.</p>
<p>My D got a twin futon for a great price at Rubber Match in New haven, we had a coupon and they guy put it together for us. It’s now in her room and hopefully one day will be useful in her first apartment. She got a twin for price and because folded, it was like another chair. It was only used once or twice by her friends.
A cheap couch might be a better option.A friend got one at Bob’s I think, it barely lasted the 3 years they had it, but they weren’t planning on keeping it, so it wasn’t a huge deal.</p>
<p>I would recommend buying a cheap futon of poor quality. This is for a college student’s common room, and it is probably going to be trashed whatever quality it is.</p>
<p>I would probably double this advice for a suite of boys.</p>
<p>@hunt…that makes sense. Mom has always been hellbent on buying top quality products. Something that will last…and to spend $300 on something that’s going to fall apart is something that she just can’t seem to wrap her head around. </p>
<p>Tell her it will probably fall apart–or get irredeemably stained–no matter how much it cost. Tell her to buy a cheap futon and give your daughter the extra money as spending money.</p>
<p>NewHavenCTmom: emphasize “irredeemable” and “stained” — if any guys visit your DD’s room. This will be unstoppable. Like the sun rising in the morning…</p>
<p>Wow. I’m stunned! This is 2014. Not 1974 or even 1984. I would hope that my daughter and her suite mates are smart enough to understand the huge ramifications of irredeemable stains. </p>
<p>Even if no hanky-panky goes on, the couch will get stained with drinks, food, and the results of illness–not to mention rough usage from college students plopping down on it. It just doesn’t pay to get something really nice.</p>
<p>OK you guys, time to get off the couch and back to work. </p>
<p>I should mention we bought a futon cover that got washed often (well, every time we visited) and I must say at the end of four years my son’s futon was still in good shape. So there are exceptions…</p>
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