Budgeting for College Dorm and what's needed?

[J'aime Paris]

She grumpy right now. She says she doesn't want to talk about it. I told her its a big step in life and its normal to feel nervous. Of course she says she's not nervous she just doesn't like me bringing it up-lol! She an only child so its a big change for all of us. I've started mentally preparing myself since September. I kept busy with a lot of organizing-lol!

Did I write this?? LOL!!

We are exactly in this phase of decision making right now.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I'll say that most college "to pack" lists that I've seen are mostly nonsense. Don't bring anything on the forbidden list and only bring what you cannot live without. Good bedding, a surge protector, a laptop, office supplies. Personal items that are important to you. You don't really need an alarm clock. You probably do need a really good pair of head phones.

The top tip I'd give my kid: only buy what you can fit in two large bins. Because you will probably not be in that room next year. Absolutely no furniture. Unless you've got a trailer and plan to help the kid move every single time.

Don't bother with kitchen stuff. Bring a thermos. Very few freshmen actually need a minifridge. The only roommates I had that used it were people who never left the rooms. A lot of common areas in colleges have microwaves, and there is a really good chance the kid will have access to one.

What I wish I'd had: printer. I went to school in a climate that had freezing winters. Didn't want to go to the library to print stuff on Sunday nights. And I didn't have 24 hour access to the library either- a printer would have been really useful during finals.

A bike probably is not necessary unless they are really enthusiastic bikers. A ulock if they take their bike, though. Bikes must be the number one thing stolen on campus! And if they have no car, and there's not a great transit system, buy them bags and fenders for their bike.

Someone up above said scent warmers. No. Not if there are roommates. Some people are really sensitive to smells.

The safe thing kind of surprises me. I can see the logic. On the other hand, if your roommate is letting people just walk in or leaving the door unlocked, that's a roommate problem. Because I don't know anyone without a laptop these days. And lots of people I was roommates with had other electronics, like RVs, or game systems.

I could see Kuerig if you are really dependent on coffee. But otherwise no. It'll just take up valuable counter space.

 

[dreamin_disney]

ideas on what laptops you all are buying? can't believe i will have one in college in the fall.

I have no idea hubby just said it will be a MAC. A coworker recommend something lightweight because when she was a student she had to carry hers around and lightweight will make it easier on students. Also I was thinking of getting DD's from Best buy . BB usually has 18-24 month with 0% finance.We are throwing her a graduaton party and laptop and bedding will be her graduation gift. At first I thought of doing 10 $100 bills but laptop and bedding if she has it picked out by then

DS is a college sophomore and DD will be going in the Fall. I was advised by other college parents to buy the laptop through the university. The university guarantees it for all 4 years; even drops and spills are covered. If it breaks, it is fixed free of charge at the university shop and given priority over non university purchased computers. A loaner laptop is issued to the student free of charge while their laptop is getting fixed. If it can't be fixed, it is replaced. All the university software pertaining to their major comes pre loaded on the computer. And the prices were competitive. DS has needed the free loaner twice now, so I will definitely be buying DD's laptop through her university program.

Sounds like a good program. Were the prices reasonable?

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Sounds like a good program. Were the prices reasonable?

Yes, the prices were competitive. We could also charge it to his student account with 4 months no interest. It was well worth it to buy through the university computer purchase program.

 

[Eastern]

I highly recommend https://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/ I have made (3) claims for 2/3 of my kids and they were paid promptly; some were several hundred dollars worth. Just take pictures of valuables and try to have receipts. For smaller items they may require that you return it to their salvage department. Even if your kids are extremely responsible (and mine are) roommates are dicey.

Each time something happened I was so aggravated, then I thought, 'wait, I have that insurance...'

 

[aprilgail]

What I wish I'd had: printer. I went to school in a climate that had freezing winters. Didn't want to go to the library to print stuff on Sunday nights. And I didn't have 24 hour access to the library either- a printer would have been really useful during finals.

I.

Most of the colleges we have looked at have printing kiosks in either the dorms or various other places so you always have access to a printer, no need to go to the library. You send it directly to the printer via your laptop then swipe your id at the printer and it prints what you sent it.

 

[aprilgail]

ideas on what laptops you all are buying? can't believe i will have one in college in the fall.

I bought my daughter a MacBook for college- hopefully it will last the 4 years!

 

[Westcoastwild]

Most of the colleges we have looked at have printing kiosks in either the dorms or various other places so you always have access to a printer, no need to go to the library. You send it directly to the printer via your laptop then swipe your id at the printer and it prints what you sent it.

FANCY. Kids today... (although it's probably just that my college was about a decade behind.)

 

[dreamin_disney]

Most of the colleges we have looked at have printing kiosks in either the dorms or various other places so you always have access to a printer, no need to go to the library. You send it directly to the printer via your laptop then swipe your id at the printer and it prints what you sent it.

I'll have to look into that. I do know
one college dorms sucked! The dorms are old and need to be updated. Theres a really small laundry room and a microwave in there. Its the only microwave in the entire dorm building. I doubt that dorm building has a printing Kiosks. Not sure if the apartments have an area for printing

the other campus college has nice dorms so they might have a printing area or study building

 

[QueenIsabella]

Most of the colleges we have looked at have printing kiosks in either the dorms or various other places so you always have access to a printer, no need to go to the library. You send it directly to the printer via your laptop then swipe your id at the printer and it prints what you sent it.

This sounds wonderful, but not every school is going to have those. My DD lived in specialty housing her first two years--a 100-year-old converted brownstone--and even the internet was a bit dicey. And she had all sorts of rules (no separate microwaves, no loft or bunk beds, etc.) OTOH, she had wood floors, a 10-foot ceiling, and a walk-in closet, as I mentioned earlier, and the nearest dining hall actually won awards for high-quality food. She was in a triple both years, they shared a printer, and she was also able to print at her work-study office job. My only concern with the kiosks would be, how easy is it to get in the queue when everyone in the dorm has final papers due.

 

[tcufrog]

Some colleges have room layouts on their website for the different dorm rooms. You can also sometimes find dorm room photos online that were posted by current students. One of the biggest unknowns though if you're not able to scope out the rooms in advance is how much or how little storage the dorm room has. One dorm room I stayed in had no towel racks so my roommate purchased a set of over the door hooks so we'd have a place to hang our towels to dry. Another friend of mine's room had an entire wall devoted to two closets but all the closets had in them were a single hanging bar. She moved her small dresser into her closet to clear up floor space and bought closet organizers such as a doubling rod and shoe bag to hold shoes, purses, winter scarves, gloves, etc. My second dorm room had a tiny desk that was clearly built pre computer age so I ended up buying a small computer cart to hold my printer. It also gave me a place to hold printer paper and school supplies since the desk only had one narrow drawer.

As for lofting your bed, my college only allowed lofting kits bought from the school. I didn't want my bed to be that high but I wanted space underneath so my boyfriend helped me take my bed apart and flip the bed frame brackets. That raised my bed enough for storage underneath but not so high that I had to climb into it.

One of the most useful things my parents gave me though was a Sam's Club card. At the start of every semester I'd go there with my friends and we'd stock up on coffee and snacks for the semester and split giant boxes of printer paper, pens, etc. I saved a lot of money that way. I now prefer Costco but Sam's usually has a better selection of office supplies.

Some fun things I brought were Christmas tree lights in the school colors that I draped around the dorm room window and a body pillow and a few throw pillows. I had room in my first two dorm rooms for a beat up loveseat from home but not the third. I used the body pillows and throw pillows to set my bed up like a daybed so I could hang out on it with my friends.

 

[aprilgail]

This is a great list! All of the optimal ones are things ds18 has needed this year. He has cinderblocks as did dd20) and NO closet doors!

The college my daughter is leaning towards says right on their paperwork they sent home NO CINDERBLOCKS or raising the beds.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

We are working on a buy as you go theory. We were in Sam's last weekend and they had some great oversized bath towels for $4.91, so we grabbed two of them. A trip to IKEA on Monday netted plate, bowl, cup and silverware. I think she is going to take a quilt that grandma made her for her bed, and I am trying to convince her to use the sheets we had from her brother's time in the dorm. Not sure if that will work.

 

[kid-at-heart]

We just did this Fall 2016.
Small bottle of dish washing soap (Dawn works well for dishes and to scrub out stains).
Laundry pods (easier to transport up and down stairs than laundry powder/liquids).
Dryer sheets.
A few clothes pins – for whatever, clothes or to keep the opened chip bag closed.
Laundry bags. Daughter likes this one (has shoulder straps) and this one.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014KSWKSM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QD40R4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hangers.
Lots of medium and small storage boxes for under the bed. (not much storage for clothes in our daughter’s room). Sarah bought a variety of pretty boxes to stack under the bed.

Fan (one powerful enough to cool the area without being too big for space). Sarah said the “desk fan” does not keep her cool at night but works well for when she is at her desk - so she has two.
Power strip.

Emergency lantern or flashlight (with batteries). This one is good – and small. https://smile.amazon.com/LiteXpress...=1490376748&sr=1-2&keywords=supernova+lantern

“Real” folks/spoons/knifes (bought from Target, cheap). A couple of coffee/tea cups for hot drinks.
A couple of "water" glasses/bottles.
Paper plates/bowls (easier to take care of than “real” ones, no leftover food sitting around).
Plastic wrap and ziplock type storage bags.
Electric tea kettle. (for tea, cocoa, etc)

XL sheets and comforter.
Towels and washcloths.

Surprisingly our daughter wanted a small vacuum cleaner and step ladder for her room.

A few basic tools (hammer, screwdriver, pliers, scissors).
Removable hanger hooks (like Command brand) to hang fun stuff on walls.

***Since our daughter has to take meds, we included a small safe and a bike lock to attach it to the rail of her bed so it would not walk. She also keeps her extra cash in the safe but mainly it is for her medicine. I also have our daughter on one of my credit cards so she can use it in an emergency (has to call me first so I can “unfreeze” the card). She keeps the credit card in the safe also.

***Insurance card and discuss with your child what to do if they need to go to the hospital. Our daughter’s RA called an ambulance for our daughter and it costs us $400 after the insurance company paid their part. Daughter is a dancer and had pulled a chest muscle. It was NOT an emergency. We told her next time to (1) call us first if possible and (2) if it is not an emergency then take a cab to the hospital.

Wall art, tapestries (can be used as a cool curtain or to hide the items under the bed), extra pillows for propping on the bed.

Such a fun, exciting time for you and your child.

 

[dreamin_disney]

We just did this Fall 2016.
Small bottle of dish washing soap (Dawn works well for dishes and to scrub out stains).
Laundry pods (easier to transport up and down stairs than laundry powder/liquids).
Dryer sheets.
A few clothes pins – for whatever, clothes or to keep the opened chip bag closed.
Laundry bags. Daughter likes this one (has shoulder straps) and this one.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014KSWKSM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QD40R4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hangers.
Lots of medium and small storage boxes for under the bed. (not much storage for clothes in our daughter’s room). Sarah bought a variety of pretty boxes to stack under the bed.

Fan (one powerful enough to cool the area without being too big for space). Sarah said the “desk fan” does not keep her cool at night but works well for when she is at her desk - so she has two.
Power strip.

Emergency lantern or flashlight (with batteries). This one is good – and small. https://smile.amazon.com/LiteXpress...=1490376748&sr=1-2&keywords=supernova+lantern

“Real” folks/spoons/knifes (bought from Target, cheap). A couple of coffee/tea cups for hot drinks.
A couple of "water" glasses/bottles.
Paper plates/bowls (easier to take care of than “real” ones, no leftover food sitting around).
Plastic wrap and ziplock type storage bags.
Electric tea kettle. (for tea, cocoa, etc)

XL sheets and comforter.
Towels and washcloths.

Surprisingly our daughter wanted a small vacuum cleaner and step ladder for her room.

A few basic tools (hammer, screwdriver, pliers, scissors).
Removable hanger hooks (like Command brand) to hang fun stuff on walls.

***Since our daughter has to take meds, we included a small safe and a bike lock to attach it to the rail of her bed so it would not walk. She also keeps her extra cash in the safe but mainly it is for her medicine. I also have our daughter on one of my credit cards so she can use it in an emergency (has to call me first so I can “unfreeze” the card). She keeps the credit card in the safe also.

***Insurance card and discuss with your child what to do if they need to go to the hospital. Our daughter’s RA called an ambulance for our daughter and it costs us $400 after the insurance company paid their part. Daughter is a dancer and had pulled a chest muscle. It was NOT an emergency. We told her next time to (1) call us first if possible and (2) if it is not an emergency then take a cab to the hospital.

Wall art, tapestries (can be used as a cool curtain or to hide the items under the bed), extra pillows for propping on the bed.

Such a fun, exciting time for you and your child.

Thanks for the visuals. I can't believe how fast time is flying by!!!! Hubby tells me wait to buy anything depending on where DD goes and what type of housing she gets. We went to Kohl's and I find hubby looking at dorm stuff-lol! I think it good just to get an idea of what's need and be prepared especially how much it will cost

 

[kymom99]

I bought a mattress topper from kohls with my 30% off last week. It's a gel type thing. One of those "big one" brands. It got good reviews. Hope it helps make the bed comfy.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I bought a mattress topper from kohls with my 30% off last week. It's a gel type thing. One of those "big one" brands. It got good reviews. Hope it helps make the bed comfy.

I got DD one of these during the Christmas sales.

One other thing to add to your lists:
a copy of your insurance card

DS needed the card this past weekend. He fell, did a face plant and needed 3 stitches. We sent him to school with our insurance card in the Fall 2016 but forget to get him the updated card in January 2017. Now we have to contact the hospital and get things straight.

 

[kymom99]

I got DD one of these during the Christmas sales.

One other thing to add to your lists:
a copy of your insurance card

DS needed the card this past weekend. He fell, did a face plant and needed 3 stitches. We sent him to school with our insurance card in the Fall 2016 but forget to get him the updated card in January 2017. Now we have to contact the hospital and get things straight.

He has his own card with his name on it but yes, in January he may need a new one.

 

[aprilgail]

I got DD one of these during the Christmas sales.

One other thing to add to your lists:
a copy of your insurance card

DS needed the card this past weekend. He fell, did a face plant and needed 3 stitches. We sent him to school with our insurance card in the Fall 2016 but forget to get him the updated card in January 2017. Now we have to contact the hospital and get things straight.

My daughter has her own card and will take it away with her to college but she has a photo of the card in her phone so if needed in an emergency she will always have the info needed since she is never without her phone!

 

[TnTWalter]

thanks for all the great tips.