New college student must have list?

[RAV]

remember to find out what banks are avail with atm on campus in order to avoid transaction fees

 

[golfgal]

remember to find out what banks are avail with atm on campus in order to avoid transaction fees

Good point. I know there is a branch of our bank near campus and they have free bus transportation around town. I "think" they can cash checks for cash in the finance office up to a certain amount.

 

[MELSMICE]

Thanks for starting this thread.

I have 2 going to college this fall & 1 of them will be dorming. I have been asking friends, etc. what their kids felt was a "must have" that wasn't on the official list!

 

[daisyx3]

Here is something we are doing as far as spending $ goes. DH wanted DD to keep her job here at home (we live close enough she could come home on Fridays and work--it's a pizza place). My argument is why are we letting her live on campus for a year then--and I don't want her any more distracted her first semester than she will be already.
So she has cashed every check she has received for grad. gifts and given me the cash--and I will put it in the bank for her when she goes off to school so she can live off that money first semester instead of wasting it all summer. It will also, hopefully, make her think before spending foolishly.
Yeah, we're cheap.
Daisyx3

 

[dapookie09]

Just wanted to throw in a caution about the Purex sheets. I bought a pack thinking they'd be convenient for the laundromat but they left oily spots on clothes some of which never came out... I even tried cutting the fabric softener strip off of them, but that didn't help.

I'd recommend just getting some smallish bottles of detergent. Purex detergent (liquid) is great, and the Free& Clear comes in smaller bottles easy for toting about.

Some schools use the Campus Card (One card, etc) for the laundry facilities in the dorms and don't take quarters at all, so you might want to check to see what your DD's school does.

Also make sure she knows how to do laundry! I was so surprised my freshman year (just a few years ago) how many of my dormmates were clueless about doing laundry. Best wishes to your DD. I was a 17 year old college freshman too! College was wonderful!

 

[NotUrsula]

About the laundry: One thing I remember was that while there were a fair number of people who had been washing their own clothes, almost no one had ever done household laundry, as in washing sheets and towels. One of the things I saw very frequently (especially with guys) was that their linens would get mildewed because they didn't let them dry properly. It's a good idea to include lessons on WHY it's iimportant to always hang your towels up after a shower, and to hang up towels and sheets immediately when you get back to the dorm after washing them if they are not bone-dry. (Which happens -- people take their laundry home damp in order to save the cost/time of an extra cycle in the dryer. Towels are an issue in laundromat dryers.)

Also, a cheat sheat on the standard apparel industry laundering symbols is useful, too. Not all mfr's use them, but enough do that it makes sense to learn the most common ones, such as "dry clean only" and "do not tumble dry" http://www.drycleandave.com/astm.html

 

[Sparx]

Good point. I know there is a branch of our bank near campus and they have free bus transportation around town. I "think" they can cash checks for cash in the finance office up to a certain amount.

At my freshman orrientation all the local banks had a booth for students to open a student checking account. Most of these banks even had ATMs in the UC. Has he already had his orrientation?

 

[golfgal]

At my freshman orrientation all the local banks had a booth for students to open a student checking account. Most of these banks even had ATMs in the UC. Has he already had his orrientation?

Yes, he had orientation to sign up for classes but they might have something during move in weekend. He already has his student checking account and there is a branch about 3 blocks from campus for our bank so we are fine there.

 

[powellrj]

When we took our college tour, it poured down rain and lots of kids had umbrellas, so I added one to DSs pile of items. He thought it was strange until the first day it rained and he was ready for it.

A nice outfit is a good thing to have. DS didn't realize he needed nice clothes at school too.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

A nice outfit is a good thing to have. DS didn't realize he needed nice clothes at school too.

Yes! I had a couple of nice outfits/dresses when I went.
My campus had a really nice stage theater where some touring shows came. Because it was on campus, the students got a discount on tickets (some were even free). When the plays came in, some of us would get all dressed up to go to the theater.
I still kick myself when I remember missing out on the Natalie Cole show that was there during her Unforgettable tour.


But there are certain occasions where you might want to actually dress up a little.

 

[Kath2003]

From my experience:

Socket extension leads - never enough mains power sockets.

V-Shaped pillow - no couch, so you spend your life sat on the bed.

Small trash can with SOLID sides - acts as a bin and several other liquid-holding functions...

My advice will be DO NOT OVERBUY. You can always buy more stuff, but only when you get there will you know what you need. So many people buy heaps of stuff and then realise they hardly ever use them.

There are stores at college

 

[bimshire]

Since I have not read the whole thread, don't know if anyone else suggested this company for residence hall supplies.

http://www.rhl.org/

 

[flipturngirl]

On move-in day, they have a big party at Target late at night -- bus all the kids there, have food, prizes, games, etc., so kids can get that stuff they missed.

Make sure you tell your child to get to the bus early!! My sister and her roommate got there at 10:30 when it said the busses would be picking up. They got to the head of the line and walked probably a mile back to get to the end. . They stayed in line for 2 hours trying to get to the bus and decided that they would take the trip in the morning on the city bus. But it depends on the size of the school!! So just a heads up!

 

[flipturngirl]

Since I have not read the whole thread, don't know if anyone else suggested this company for residence hall supplies.

http://www.rhl.org/

I would second this!