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My son leaves for college in a couple of weeks. I am just beginning to shop for his supplies with him. We have the fridge and microwave; his roommate is getting other furniture.
Does anyone have input on what to get for dorm supplies such as: clothes hamper vs laundry basket, what works best for toting shower supplies to bathroom (the universtity has a shower caddy we can buy, but maybe something else has advantages).
Any helpful advice is appreciated, concerning supplies to buy or dorming advice (things he may need to know about etiquette/how things are typically done).
Thanks!
Target, Walmart, and such have much cheaper items like shower caddies and the like than the college bookstore. Maybe do a quick shopping trip there?
Look around the college website or call the residence manager. There should be a list around of recommended items to bring vs. those to leave at home. In general, less is more because the rooms have a way of filling up throughout the semester.
And I like "pop up" mesh laundry baskets, rather than hard ones in that situation because they take up less space.
Also, things such as a rug might wait until the student has been there a week and has a better idea of "nice to haves."
As for "dorming advice," impress upon him not to skip the first "floor meeting" or "intro meeting," whatever they call it. A lot of that sort of thing gets covered there. The main things are security (don't prop open doors that need to be kept locked), don't make excessive noise, and don't microwave really smelly meals at 2 am!
My son leaves for college in a couple of weeks. I am just beginning to shop for his supplies with him. We have the fridge and microwave; his roommate is getting other furniture.
Does anyone have input on what to get for dorm supplies such as: clothes hamper vs laundry basket, what works best for toting shower supplies to bathroom (the universtity has a shower caddy we can buy, but maybe something else has advantages).
Any helpful advice is appreciated, concerning supplies to buy or dorming advice (things he may need to know about etiquette/how things are typically done).
Thanks!
Haven't been to college in a while, but when I was there I was the only person with an iron and everyone always wanted to borrow it (but we were women - maybe guys don't care).
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We flew down, rented a car, and did the shopping there when our first went off to college 2,000 miles away. You will forget things, so give him a gift card ($100 perhaps) to Target or similar in the area of the college for those things that come up.
While ours did very well as far as grades, it's a big challenge to find out that even though you may be paying thousands of dollars for his education, you have no right to see his schedule, attendance, or grades information unless he shares it. In high school the school goes to the parents, in college they really have nothing to do with you. A couple of cases of Ramen from Costco ensures they always have something to eat. Most of the time the college years are not going to be spent eating healthy anyway. They used to recommend a desktop computer for homework to prevent theft but hardly anyone does that any more. Just give him a cheap laptop.
Look for a mesh hamper that has straps like a backpack. Even if your child is perfect and does laundry weekly, it could still be a walk to the laundry. I ripped out several hampers my freshman year dragging my bag every other week up and down the stairs because it was so heavy. The hampers with backpack straps are much easier to maneuver - I've seen them in Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Make sure he has several sets of sheets - those tended to hang out in the hamper for awhile. Duffle bags are the best way to transport clothes - he can store extra bedding in them under his bed. You things that squish up when not needed - space in most dorm rooms is incredibly limited.
Get a lamp of some sort. While most freshman dorms have overhead lighting, I needed lamps for every room after that in my older dorms. A desk lamp is less harsh than the fluorescent overhead lighting.
I'm wondering what "other furniture" his roommate could possibly be buying. Chances are, there won't be room for anything else.
Agree with the pop-up hamper, we got ours at BB&B. Presumably you checked to see what electronics are allowed in the dorms. A refrigerator and microwave were ok, toaster ovens weren't. Coffee pots weren't either, but everybody had them anyway.
Bring hangers, but narrow ones. The closets are tiny. Under bed storage boxes are handy, so is a futon. None of my three used shower caddies.
We brought lots of water, Gatorade, and Monster drinks, energy and granola bars. A couple of rolls of paper towels, a wastepaper basket, tv's and stands, and bed risers. Two boys were in rooms with twin beds, so the risers made it possible to fit a lot underneath. Son #3 and his roommate raised both bunks up as high as they could, putting a futon under one, and the tv under the other.
Haven't been to college in a while, but when I was there I was the only person with an iron and everyone always wanted to borrow it (but we were women - maybe guys don't care).
You're right, 99% of guys don't care. And, 50% of junior and senior girls don't either. Like my oldest daughter told me. You can always tell the freshman girls. Their clothes are immaculate, every hair is in place, and their makeup would make any Hollywood starlet proud. Senior girls show up for class in sweat suits, pajamas, or old comfortable blue jeans. Very few exceptions (unless they're totally ingrained in the sorority life).
We flew down, rented a car, and did the shopping there when our first went off to college 2,000 miles away. You will forget things, so give him a gift card ($100 perhaps) to Target or similar in the area of the college for those things that come up.
While ours did very well as far as grades, it's a big challenge to find out that even though you may be paying thousands of dollars for his education, you have no right to see his schedule, attendance, or grades information unless he shares it. In high school the school goes to the parents, in college they really have nothing to do with you. A couple of cases of Ramen from Costco ensures they always have something to eat. Most of the time the college years are not going to be spent eating healthy anyway. They used to recommend a desktop computer for homework to prevent theft but hardly anyone does that any more. Just give him a cheap laptop.
Yeah, I know about them not letting you see that stuff unless he shares it. What irked me, though, was that while we are paying, I wasn't even allowed to ask financial questions to figure out our final cost. You know, about how the scholarships get paid and when, so I could budget. They waited til my son showed up and then only directed answers to him. But I was the one paying it!
Remember that there is always less space than you think.
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Duffle bags are the best way to transport clothes - he can store extra bedding in them under his bed. You things that squish up when not needed - space in most dorm rooms is incredibly limited. 
