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A lot of kids have HS graduation parties and instead of getting duplicates or stuff they don't want, the parents can point invitees to the registry. They've been around for awhile. We never used them and in our group of friends most people just gave money to the grads.
It's been around for a while and it's great to mention to out of town relatives who want to know what to get the new HS graduate.
My son had 'wants' like car care products, freezer to microwave storage containers, crates and caddies for organizing his things, a small area rug, etc. Since he had access to a full kitchen, stuff like a small set of pans, cooking utensils, dishes, other odds and ends that would also come in handy in a first apartment. And it' always nice to have some extra bedding and towels so that you aren't having to do laundry every couple of days (or worse, using the same stinky towel for a week!)
I agree that "less is more" because dorm rooms are tiny but given the cost of everything these days, even a decent quality mini microwave and fridge will cost almost $300 (OK, there are some two-fer-deals to be had, but I don't know about the quality), so it makes sense to do that IF there are some well-heeled people to toss in a few bucks.
Oh, heck, I'll admit I've bought several microwaves and such for relatives. It helps to know what others have gotten without having to phone or email them, so I appreciated the registry.
You have to admit though it's a big market. Girls can now go off to their dorms totally coordinated.
A co-worker rented a uhaul pull behind to take his son off to college.
There's even a growing market to make loft bed frames so that there is more space in the room (under the loft bed desk/study space).
Yes, and I've built a few lofts in my day, both for me and for others.
I dislike the coordination trend. I've been sent to Super Target to check for more "pink" whatevers when the Target where a relative was shopping ran out.
I'm trying not to be an Old Meanie but honestly, my stuff fit in the back of a Vega hatchback and later when I was renting rooms in houses, a pickup truck. I kept things to a minimum because I was moving almost every semester.
Not a terrible idea. Most 18 year olds don't have the money to buy all the stuff they need for college, so putting together a registry can help.
Funny, but when I was in college, nobody needed all that stuff. I was looking at the "First child in college" thread. Nobody had a fridge, let alone a microwave (most dorms these days have a kitchen, why would anyone need a microwave in their room, and where would they put it? Many dorm rooms are so small, there's no room for that stuff), shower caddies, laundry hampers, etc. etc. No one had any of that stuff. Why do they need it now? Going-away-to-college has become commercialized, like the big back-to-school shopping hullabaloo, and various holiday gift-giving occasions.
I was also told that things disappear from the community kitchen, and some dorms only have one for the entire building for student use (and it's small).
But I agree with those who are dismayed with a lot of this. I built book shelves with cement blocks and scrap lumber (still do!) . . . I didn't have money for folding furniture, and microwaves back then were large and several hundred dollars.
It's been around for a while and it's great to mention to out of town relatives who want to know what to get the new HS graduate.
My son had 'wants' like car care products, freezer to microwave storage containers, crates and caddies for organizing his things, a small area rug, etc. Since he had access to a full kitchen, stuff like a small set of pans, cooking utensils, dishes, other odds and ends that would also come in handy in a first apartment. And it' always nice to have some extra bedding and towels so that you aren't having to do laundry every couple of days (or worse, using the same stinky towel for a week!)
I guess we were ghetto at UT-Austin because no matter where you were moving IN near campus, there was always someone moving out who was either selling their stuff or giving it away. The end of spring semester was best for this...we'd go around and collect free or dirt cheap stuff for an apartment after we left the dorms. I remember my roommates and I spent $40 on a sofa, $10 on a desk, and got a whole bunch of kitchen stuff for free. What we couldn't get for free from people moving out, we found in dumpsters at apartment complexes. Yup, people really WILL throw that crap away. Goodwill was also a great source for that stuff. The only stuff we bought new was wooden spoons and cutting boards, because...ewwwww. Everything else? Washable. We PIF'd it after graduation...gave it away to other students just moving in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan
There's even a growing market to make loft bed frames so that there is more space in the room (under the loft bed desk/study space).
Weird. Almost every single room on UT's campus had built-in furniture when I was a student there. Dressers, closets, beds, desks, etc....all built-in. You didn't need any furniture. There wasn't room for any anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
Funny, but when I was in college, nobody needed all that stuff. I was looking at the "First child in college" thread. Nobody had a fridge, let alone a microwave (most dorms these days have a kitchen, why would anyone need a microwave in their room, and where would they put it? Many dorm rooms are so small, there's no room for that stuff), shower caddies, laundry hampers, etc. etc. No one had any of that stuff. Why do they need it now? Going-away-to-college has become commercialized, like the big back-to-school shopping hullabaloo, and various holiday gift-giving occasions.
I had a shower caddy because we had a community bathroom; it went in the bottom of my closet when I wasn't using it, didn't take up much space. I had a laundry bag too because we had community laundry rooms on every floor. We did not have community kitchens and hot plates were banned. Most students had a small fridge and/or microwave. Some even had one of those tiny 4-cup coffee makers.
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