College Dorm Stuff

[kmccain]

DD & DS got accepted at the college of their choice for the fall YIPEE

I don't know what to get to make their time away from home more comfortble

Any of you parents that have been through this, please give me some advice of what to get and when.

Thanks so much!

 

[dfchelbay]

I'd make sure to call the dorms of the colleges for their guidelines. When you call, it's usually the Resident Advisor that answers the phone, and you can talk directly to the person that will be looking after your kids while there. They can tell you what's practical, what's popular, and what's a no no. Call this semester because it may be difficult in the summer months to reach someone in the dorms.

For our DS, we got a mini fridge, coffee maker, snacks, laptop, etc. The no no's were anything that cooked food. No hot plates, no microwave, etc. But those things are provided for in the lounge on each floor anyway.

 

[lastminutemom]

XL sheets almost all dorm rooms require them.

I presume you went ahead and put housing deposit down?

 

[disneyfan007]

If you look on the college web site under student life alot of them will have listed what is accepted and what is not accepted in their dorms. I know one school my son looked at did not allow microwaves because each floor in each dorm had one to share. The one he chose to go to, he is allowed to have a microwave. The other thing to consider is the roommate issue. Sometimes the schools recommend sharing these items. Here is what we did though - my son took twin extra long sheets, a fridge, a microwave a t.v. (His roommate also brought a smaller fridge.) a laundry hamper (the collisapable one) A dry erase board, towels, alarm clock. Two things that my son or rommate did not bring that they wish they had now was a futon and a rug of some sort. (why they won't go to Target and get a 5x7 rug is beyond me but whatever) His roommate also brought those plastic storage units with drawers in them on wheels for extra storage. Posters or stuff like that to decorate the walls with. A few plates, bowls, eating utinsils for those snacks or meals they might eat in their room. That is all I can think of right now. I hope this helps.

Congratulations on getting accepted to the college of choice. That is always exciting.

 

[malibuconlee]

Hold off on buying any of the big ticket items (tv, microwave, fridge, etc) until they get their roommate assignment. Then have them contact the roommate and they can divy up who is bringing what. No sense in buying a tv when the roommate is planning on bringing one.

Research lofts. Are they allowed, do they fit, where are you going to buy one. We used to live in a college town and at the beginning of the year I would see them for sale outside of the dorms, but it might not be the case at your school. DH had one and it gave a lot more space in the room with the beds off of the floor.

Closer to move-in load up a couple of first aid kits...bandaids, triple antibiotic, dayquil, nyquil, benadryl, ibuprofen, immodium, etc. If they are sick, especially if they don't have a car, having these on hand makes life easier for them or a friend.

 

[MrsPete]

Extra-long twin sheets are much easier to find than they used to be. Extra pillows make reading in bed comfortable. Don't bother matchy-matching with the roommate; few people stick together more than a year or so -- even best friends from high school.

My grandparents bought me a LARGE refrigerator (large for a dorm, of course) for graduation, and I realized first semester that a smaller, cube-type fridge would've been better. Living in the dorms, we were required to have a meal plan, so I never really had much in it, it took up more space, and it was more difficult to move. And college students move fairly often. If your student has a roommate with a 'fridge, don't buy him one yet -- at the end of the semester, students who are moving into apartments sell things like refrigerators super-cheap (some even end up abandoning fridges because they can't sell them and don't want to mess with moving them).

A couple small kitchen items that're useful: a can opener, a sharp knife, a small cutting board. Most dorms will have a microwave (and if your student has a meal plan, it's not going to be used very often -- it's not inconvenient to trek to the microwave occasionally).

Plastic cubes -- milk crate style -- are the best dorm accessory. They can be turned on their side as bookcases /nightstands. They can be tucked inside a closet to keep sweaters/sweatshirts organized, and they make moving in/out easy.

Plastic boxes for organizing things UNDER the bed are nice -- unless the student has the top bunk.

If the bathroom's down the hall, a plastic shower bucket is a necessity. If the bathroom's shared between two rooms, some organizers would still be useful.

A laundry basket, hamper, detergent, and quarters are useful.

Every student needs a bedside lamp; for many lay-outs, the clamp-lamps that can attach to a bedframe and be directed towards the student's bed are very useful. When you visit, notice whether the desk has a built-in lamp/hutch.

I'd suggest that you consider giving a couple large items (bed in a bag, refrigerator) as gifts as the time draws nearer . . . but let the student take the lead in deciding what he/she needs. Everything that students learn in college isn't from the classroom, and stocking a dorm room is a step towards independence.

 

[MrsPete]

Closer to move-in load up a couple of first aid kits...bandaids, triple antibiotic, dayquil, nyquil, benadryl, ibuprofen, immodium, etc. If they are sick, especially if they don't have a car, having these on hand makes life easier for them or a friend.

I don't know if it's still the same or not, but our on-campus health center had a walk-in health clinic. We could go in without an appointment, go through a room with signs that helped us "interpret" our symptoms, and then we could go to a desk to get over-the-counter items we wanted (not first-aid things like bandaids, but meds like Nyquil, Tylenol, Sudafed, etc) without cost. We got full-sized bottles of name-brand items as often as we wanted. It took about 20 minutes to go in and get what we wanted. This was covered by our student fees, and we took full advantage of it! The only limitation was that we couldn't take two of the same item on the same day.

 

[PrincesCJM]

I'm not a parent but I can offer this one piece of advice for your children: invest in a pair of flip flops for the shower and only for the shower. Community bathrooms are often interesting to say the least.

How far away is each child going to school next year?

 

[englishteacha]

Things that made my school life more comfy (lived in the dorms for 4 years):
egg crate for my mattress
a couple of pillows
some homey stuff, like my favorite stuffed animal and some photos
a hot pot
fridge/microwave (only had a micro my senior year)
laundry stuff and a rugged laundry basket (I lived on 3rd floor and the laundry was in the basement, with no elevator)

My dorm had a kitchen (in the basement) so I was able to properly cook if I wanted to, so I had a couple of small pots and a cake pan.

I had a meal plan and we had excellent food. I sometimes miss going to the dining hall!

I moved several times in college, so discourage them from bringing too much stuff. They'll accumulate a lot as they live in their rooms. Trust me. I stayed on campus during summers because I had a job with the university, but we had to move across campus to the summer dorm. Unfortunately, it was the smallest dorm and I could never get a room there for the school year, so I moved from one building to another every year.

 

[RangerPooh]

Definately go online and read the student housing manual/guidelines fro your college/dorm selections. I know that the one that I was in we were free to have almost anything that we wanted as they were small apartments. The only thing furnished for us were the beds, desks, night table, wardrobe, full sized frridge, and table/chairs. But that's not nec typical. Some dorms don't allow students to have my appliances; hot plates, microwaves, mini fridges, coffee makers, toasters, etc due to fire hazards. So I would hold off on that kind of things until you get the building assignment.

Basic things such as 2 plates/cups/bowls/silverware are good to have. You can pick up these in the seasonal picnic section of Target and Walmart for cheap during the summer.

Laundry detergent and rolls of coins!!!!

Small laundry basket

Electric outlet strip and small extension cord

computer/printer/ink cartidges

bulletin/cork/dry erase board

alarm clock

shower caddy, Target had some in their Dollar Spot recently. Try Dollar Tree too

dish soap and sponge

plastic storage container with drawers for extra storage

XL twin sheets

I agree with the rug if you're in a linolium room

 

[tiggrsbride]

Great thread! Just sent off DS college deposit for his freshman year in the fall. He has been very college-focused during the fall so he got excited when he received XL twin bedding, sheets and 6 dark towels and face cloths for Christmas. Super sale items picked up via JC Penney and Black Friday bargains.

I have started a list of items to pick up and hope to gradually accumulate the little stuff that adds up over the course of the next 8 months.

Some colleges require students to use the microfridge (a combination microwave/fridge) in the dorms. Check with your student's university before purchasing your own items.

Congratulations to the class of 2010!

 

[4 Ears]

Congrats to those who have been accepted!
Our oldest DS was accepted to his first choice as well. NECI in Montpelier VT
Neither DH or myself went to college so this is a whole new game for us.

I noticed "dark towels", we use white (bleach easier) why is it suggested for dark? Just so they can throw them in with anything?

TIA

 

[PrincesCJM]

From the previous post, it made me think of another suggestion. Teach your child(ren) how to do laundry before the leave for college. Depending upon how the school handles laundry, you may want to stock them up with quarters (tubes of mini MMs hold $12 worth) or put plenty of cash on their student ID card for laundry.

Definitely be prepared for kids to come home with tons of dirty laundry. Both my brother and I did in college and up until recently when we both bought houses.

Care packages are great to receive. All of my friends and I loved receiving a package notice

 

[sharonmickey]

As a PP suggested first check the college website. My DD's both went to a college that had a microwave/frig in each dorm room. Extra long sheets are needed for most dorms. I also purchased bed risers, they were $9.99 and raised the bed about 5 inches. That way the girls could use a plastic storage unit that fit under the bed to store clothes. The dorms for freshmen are very small, at least at the college my kids attend. There is not much room for extra's like a futon. I second the suggestion of a carpet - we have a 5 x 7 remnant from Ollies we used in their dorms.

Also, at DD's college the washers do not use quarters, you have to use Lion Cash.

If possible find other students from your area that are now attending the college your children will be attending. These students and their parents are a great source of advice.

Good luck and congrats!

 

[petchie]

Duct Tape- sticks what is supposed to be stuck but isn't
WD40- unsticks what is not supposed to be stuck

Tool kit

 

[dreamalittledream]

Cinderblocks also make good bed risers. LOL.
making a long dust ruffle will hide the mess underneath

do they still offer laundry service where you can rent towels and sheets? You just turn them in for a new set when you want to have clean ones.

check out the type of chair they provide too. a good ergonomic desk chair may be a help if they sit at the desk to work.

 

[rynosmom]

Before you buy appliances be sure to check with the college. Our DS did not need a fridge or a microwave as the school supplied each room with one. As well he does not need $ for the laundry as they are included in his tuition. We did use those clear bins for moving in and add'l underbed storage. Check out the dresser/closet situation. My DS only got a file cabinet size dresser and closet. We purchased a hanging shoe rack and a hanging one for cloths which worked out great. As for TV's DS and his roommate both have 22" LCD and they each took their PS3 and Xbox. Some other much needed items were strip outlets with 6' cords, fan, lamp and alarm clock.

 

[rynosmom]

I'm not a parent but I can offer this one piece of advice for your children: invest in a pair of flip flops for the shower and only for the shower. Community bathrooms are often interesting to say the least.

OMG you can not stress this enough. DS looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested this until he got to school.........now he tells everyone of his friends.

 

[tiggrsbride]

Congrats to those who have been accepted!
Our oldest DS was accepted to his first choice as well. NECI in Montpelier VT
Neither DH or myself went to college so this is a whole new game for us.

I noticed "dark towels", we use white (bleach easier) why is it suggested for dark? Just so they can throw them in with anything?

TIA

For DS, dark towels make sense. Most all of his clothes can be washed in a dark load. He will only have a few whites to do. I can't imagine him taking the time and care to bleach his whites. I think that once he runs out of clothes, he will throw in a load of stuff to get him through...Just working on the laundry stuff now. Remember when they used to "help" with the laundry when they were small???

 

[MrsPete]

I also purchased bed risers, they were $9.99 and raised the bed about 5 inches. That way the girls could use a plastic storage unit that fit under the bed to store clothes.

Be careful about those bed risers. I bought some for my daughter's room, she and I set put them under her bedframe . . . we sat down on the bed, and the bed immediately shifted, falling off the bed risers, making a hole in the wall. SO NOT WORTH IT!

Ours came from Bed, Bath & Beyond and were in the $10 price range. I think the "wells" in which the bedfeet fit weren't deep enough, but I wouldn't give it a second chance.

We moved the bed to cover the hole, but someday I'm going to have to deal with that.

do they still offer laundry service where you can rent towels and sheets? You just turn them in for a new set when you want to have clean ones.

My roommate had this our first semester, and she didn't renew the service after that. The laundry company was there for a short period every week (let's pretend it was Tuesdays from 11:00-2:00), and if she missed it, she was stuck 'til the next week. It was also a rather expensive option.

check out the type of chair they provide too. a good ergonomic desk chair may be a help if they sit at the desk to work.

Before you invest in any furniture, check another thing: If you bring your own chair, what can you do with the chair that's already there in the room? In my dorm, there was no place to get rid of the standard furniture, so that would've meant having TWO chairs in a small space.

For DS, dark towels make sense. Most all of his clothes can be washed in a dark load. He will only have a few whites to do. I can't imagine him taking the time and care to bleach his whites. I think that once he runs out of clothes, he will throw in a load of stuff to get him through...Just working on the laundry stuff now. Remember when they used to "help" with the laundry when they were small???

I don't think it matters so much whether you have dark or white towels . . . but when washing for just one person, it makes sense to have all one color (so they can be washed all in one load). For most people, I suspect dark would be better so that they could be washed with jeans. I'd assume that the average college student would have a full load of jeans/towels once a week or so. I would avoid red or other colors that'd potentially run and ruin other clothes.