Parents who already did the "college" thing with their kids..? (major, students)

[MaryleeII]

Get your kids eyes examined. Even if you have had routine eye exams in the past and your child doesn't wear glasses nor seem to have vision problems, get a check up before starting college, especially if they will be attending ESU = Enormous State University, like Texas A&M. Michigan State, etc. Many classes are held in huge lecture halls, and although your child might do fine with 20/40 vision in a small classroom, they might need 20/15 to even have a fighting chance in some of those huge lecture halls.


My experience---I never even thought I had a vision problem or needed glasses until I went back to school at age 32 for an accounting degree. I couldn't understand why I couldn't see the board (overhead screen, whatever), and I wondered what everyone else was writing down. Were they writing down what they heard? I finally asked the guy next to me if he could see the board. He could see it perfectly Then, I went for an eye exam---I needed glasses By the time I got an appointment, figured out I needed glasses, and got the RX filled, I was so far behind in the class I ended up dropping it. If only I had had an eye exam before starting that semester, I wouldn't have wasted so much time and money!

[MaryleeII]

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

OTC meds aren't always available when you need them. If you have a hacking cough in the middle of the night, or an attack of diarrhea before a big test, those aren't times to go looking for meds! Unless a person is used to taking meds for a particular condition, they simply don't think to have OTC stuff on-hand. I would suggest a SMALL first aid kit of sorts, including:

bandaids
neosporin
alcohol wipes
small quantities of---
pain med, like Tylenol, Advil, Naprosyn,
cough med, they come in capsules, easier to store
stomach med, like Pepto, Emetrol, etc
diarrhea remedy, like Inmodium
something for a cold, like Advil sinus, or whatever you usually take

All of the above come in small, travel-size containers, or even little blister packs. Put all in a small pouch, I like those little bags you get with cosmetics, like from Clinique, or just a ziploc baggie. This is not meant to be a dispensery, just something to tide them over until they are able to get to a health clinic for more comprehensive treatment.

I've traveled extensively with my two kids, and learned to always take a version of the above. I've always ended up using something every trip. It beats running around in the middle of the night looking for stuff!

An addendum-- Salt! I can't believe I forgot that in my list. Get those little packs you find in FF restaurants. Salt is an excellent first-line remedy for sore throats, and dental problems, like infected teeth, sore gums, etc. Note I said just as a first-aid measure. If one has dental problems, sore
throat, etc they should seek professional care, but a rinse/gargle with warm water and salt can do a lot to help pain and inflammation in the meantime.

[MaryleeII]

Originally Posted by Informed Info

LOL!

I was contemplating an iron, but since he doesn't iron anything (unless it's a dress shirt/dress pants)I figured if he HAD to, he could borrow one from someone else. Then I found out he's not allowed to bring an iron, so it worked out!

We just set the joint checking account up yesterday!

Thanks!

Many dorms now have valet service Just drop off what you want washed and ironed, it comes back in 1-2 days, bill sent to parents Ok, I know....but for the few times they need to look pressed, like an interview, etc, its worth it and beats trying to figure out an iron!

[randomparent]

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

Many dorms now have valet service Just drop off what you want washed and ironed, it comes back in 1-2 days, bill sent to parents Ok, I know....but for the few times they need to look pressed, like an interview, etc, its worth it and beats trying to figure out an iron!

I just told my kids to take their stuff to the town's dry cleaner.

[Coney]

One year, I ended up buying a spring rod and a shower curtain. The only storage/shelf space was a closet which didn't have any doors.

[MaryleeII]

Originally Posted by Coney

One year, I ended up buying a spring rod and a shower curtain. The only storage/shelf space was a closet which didn't have any doors.

Hey, my mother did that, way back in my student days! Our closets in the dorm didn't have a door. So, she installed a tension rod, and threaded sheets through the rod through the hem. I think she had to shorten it a bit....whatever, it looked nice! Not to be outdone, my roommate's mother sewed curtains for the window in a matching print. I believe they were Priscilla curtains. My Dad brought some carpet pieces he cut and sized together, then glued down to the floor in the area in between the beds. My roommate's Dad brought some paint and painted the walls a nicer shade of peach. Not to be outdone, Dad painted one wall in a matching accent color.

We thought the old folks would never leave

[greenvillebuckeye]

Don't pre-order textbooks!!!!!!! it's a scam. get textbooks at least after the first week of classes and even then if you play your cards right you can just hit up the library day one and "borrow" for the semester.

[randomparent]

I'm curious about how move-in day went for all who sent kids to college this past month. We had a few surprises awaiting us on arrival day, including a closet that was not configured as expected. My daughter's dorm room is at the very end of a hall and had a standard closet as opposed to the built-in closet/drawer unit we expected, so we made a run to Target for a couple of inexpensive collapsible storage boxes to organize what she placed on the closet shelf; otherwise, all went pretty much as planned.

We ended up lofting her bed, so a mini-fridge and her two-drawer dresser could fit underneath. She placed the bed length-wise against the window wall with her desk at the end, allowing her a view of the outdoors while she's studying. The room does not have a/c, but the windows face north and there's plenty of shade from mature trees, so it remains comfortable all day, especially with a small desk fan providing some air movement.

A couple of weeks after move-in, we delivered a bike and a small three-tier rolling cart from IKEA to store her meal supplies (an electric kettle, a set of dishes, utensils, spices, tea, snacks, canned soups, cleaning supplies, etc). It fits under her bed next to the fridge for easy access, and she rolls it down the hall to the dorm kitchen when she wants to cook, so she has everything she needs at hand. (She has a meal plan, but she likes to cook for her hallmates occasionally.)

She designed her space to be fairly compact, which turned out to a very good thing, because despite coming from overseas, her roommate is a borderline hoarder (by dorm standards) who's taken up a whole lot more space than truly necessary. My daughter doesn't seem to mind, though, so it's all worked out. She just keeps to her space and lets her roommate do her own thing.

So what about your college students? Did they have everything they needed? Any hitches in your well-laid plans? Any words of wisdom for next year's batch of parents preparing their own children for college life?

[Informed Info]

It was quite an event!

My son is in a basement room. I thought it would look like a "normal" room, just in the basement. Nope.

Pipes and shelves and low areas (highest ceiling height is 7') and a built in cabinet that is useless, but takes up space. This built in cabinet had no shelves, smelled just awful. Two small windows (large enough to get out of) and views of the shrubs planted in front of them. Asked for maintenance to take the shelf down (it had a pipe running/attached underneath it, to hang clothing? Don't know. But it ran the entire length of one wall. My husband took it down, maintenance took it away. He brought his drill b/c he had "stuff" to put together.

The move-in-volunteer upperclassmen were phenomenal. The group we had couldn't wait to get their hands on all of the "stuff" in the car. The funny thing was they asked "where is room #mysonsroom"? In the basement. "There are rooms in the BASEMENT?"

*Sigh*

Smells like one, too.

Roommate showed up with his parents (who were lovely & sweet folks) and apparently roommate didn't tell his parents that the room was where it was and had the ceiling height that it did (as well as a central light fixture their 6'8" kid hit his head on two minutes after showing up). Roommate was off - either a total introvert or high as a kite. He made no eye-contact with anyone, his mother spoke for him, it took him a bit to answer questions, didn't answer the question but spoke about something else that was said a few minutes previously. OK!

So anyway, my son has had a single since move-in day. Roommate's mom moved him in to another dorm. She was not happy about the basement room, at all.

We have already sent two packages - he forgot to pack his winter jacket (he can unzip the lining and use the shell as a raincoat/windbreaker) and a few other things. Like an umbrella & quarters for the laundry & I ended up taking home the hangers that you can hang multiple things on to save space and a few other things by accident.

I forgot to pack his winter jacket in the first package, so that was the reason for the second. Plus a letter from his youngest brother & some home-made choc chip/oatmeal cookies.

No vacuum in the basement room housekeeping closet, so I bought him a stick-vac. Amazoned it (new verb).

He loves his single (not sure if he will have a roommate this semester or next semester) and his room in the basement.

He's made a lot of friends, and is enjoying his classes. As long as he is happy, we are happy.

Today (Thurs) two of my good friends picked their freshmen sons up at the airport (one in NJ, one in NC). They just moved them in to the University of Miami a few short weekends ago. They are both wondering what is going to happen if the school gets hit hard and the students lose the first semester of the 2017-2018 school year - or longer. So basement rooms that smell a little musty aren't looking so bad (to me) any longer.

[Ceece]

My daughter took some clothes and drove to her college 3 days after her HS graduation. She went straight into a partially furnished apartment with an upperclassman she knew and some other assorted roommates. Once she found out she could have her own room all talk of dorm living was shut down. She was given a lot of things like a mattress and misc bedroom furniture from graduating students and bought whatever else she needed in town. She got a summer job there before school started and since she was only a 4 hour drive away she came home to visit and collect more of her things during that time too. It's was great since I didn't have to do anything but worry!