How are everyone's "dorm piles" coming along?

[Hoggirl]

We finally managed to get ds to do some dorm shopping this past weekend. He has really been quite disinterested, probably because he still has six and a half weeks before he and dh start the drive. I finally managed to get him to choose some bedding. We bought the mattress "encasement" (just a cheapy one), and a memory foam topper, but he refuses to buy a mattress pad to kind of "bundle" everything together! The foam topper has a cover as well, so he says he doesn't need the mattress pad. I think he thinks the fitted sheet can serve as the bundler. He has really dug in his heels! It just seems "wrong" to me not to have one. I just want an inexpensive one! He doesn't need a padded one since he has the topper! I may sneak one into the pile anyway! Lol! He still needs a new pillow.

 

He received towels and a nice laundry hamper as graduation gifts. Also a mesh shower caddy. We have a fan - big narrow box as it is tall and skinny, so at least it has a small footprint. He bought an external hard drive. We are waiting on a new calculator and other "school supplies" until the tax-free shopping weekend next weekend. Computer-y type things aren't included in that, so that was why he went ahead and got the hard drive.

 

He also bought a really cool "waffle" chair at Target. It folds completely flat. The seat part consists of wide, elastic straps.

 

I can tell I am going to have to be the one that puts together a medicine/first aid box and what I have seen referred to as a go-to box. Suggestions for the latter have been replacement light bulbs for desk lamps, batteries, flashlight/phone charger thingie, duct tape, sharpies, etc. He would not be keen on the details of assembling those.

 

We have most everything stashed away in an upstairs closet.

 

How are your "piles" coming along? Any fun things you have purchased?

[regentrude]

Almost nothing here. DD won't find out her dorm room assignment until last week of August, so before that we won't know whether she'll have a single or a double, a kitchen or not, with how many kids she'll share a bathroom... so far we have bedding and a foldable hamper.

there is always amazon,so I'm not stressing out. move in is not until September 21, since the school is on a quarter system

 

ETA: But I forgot: we did buy some school supplies!

[Susan in TN]

A small box of things - books/software for classes, some paper, pencils, pens and a few other small doodads I had laying around. Oh, and a huge rolled-up mattress topper and a bag with two new pillows. Ds's classes start in just under a month, and I promised I would take him to BB&B (they sent him a 20% off entire purchase coupon in the mail) and Walmart and Marti and Liz (for shoes) before too long. Two of his sisters have birthdays this week, so his shopping needs have not been a priority :D.

 

I put together a small sewing kit for him, which reminds me that I need to teach him how to repair his tux and then get it cleaned before he leaves.

 

Oh - is this weekend tax free weekend? I will have to check for TN - ds needs a good backpack.

[Pawz4me]

Our pile is beginning to cover up the dining room table.  Good thing we never eat in there.

[cbollin]

Oh - is this weekend tax free weekend? I will have to check for TN - ds needs a good backpack.

 

yes it is.  :) 

[AK_Mom4]

DS18 has bedding and 2/3rds of his books because we ordered those from Amazon.  We have until the end of August to finish getting things together.  He really needs some towels and a bathrobe, but I hate that sort of shopping - I should probably just place another Amazon order.

 

On the other hand, he needs a printer and a computer monitor - I LOVE that sort of buying trip!

[dirty ethel rackham]

We have most of the dorm room stuff - I think he may need a plastic drawer sorter thing and a shower caddy ("Mom - just a bucket will do.") The pile has spilled over from his brother's bed onto the floor, which will need to be cleaned up by Friday when said brother comes home from his summer job.  Ds still needs to shop for personal stuff - like new shoes, clothes, toiletries, etc.  He also needs to shop for books for his Freshman Studies class.  Not sure about the other classes. 

[Jenny in Florida]

My son and I went out and did some shopping last week. We got a lot done in one afternoon, actually.

 

We had bought bedding (sheets, comforter, a couple of decorative pillows) a few weeks before . . . about two days before he got the letter with his dorm assignment and discovered that he has been placed in the hotel dorm, which is all queen-sized beds. Bedding is provided, presumably because everybody has already bought XL twin stuff.

 

He's planning to take the comforter and throw pillows anyway. He'll use the comforter in place of the fleece throw that's suggested on every shopping/packing list and will put the decorative pillows on the bed for a bit of personalization.

 

In our follow-up trip, he bought:

 

- towels

- hamper

- shower caddy

- hangers (clothing)

- waste basket

- clip-on reading lamp (The hotel room has lamps, but we figured he might want one he could place at his whim.)

- small fan

- cups, plates, bowls and utensils for in-room snacking

- a couple of packs of self-stick hooks

 

We've already ordered the books we know he'll need for the fall semester, and two of those arrived today.

 

Our tax-free weekend does apply to computers that cost less than $750 (or something like that). So, he and his dad have big plans to take care of that bright and early Friday morning.

 

The only other big purchases after that will be a microwave and mini-fridge. Other than that, it's mostly generic school supplies and some cleaning/housekeeping stuff. 

 

He did mention this morning that he will probably want a small bookshelf or some kind of modular shelving for book storage. Although his major isn't likely to be book heavy, he's a big reader and has an emotional attachment to his favorite books. He considers them something in between wall decor and talismans. So, he can't imagine going to school without taking at least a box with him. I've suggested we wait until we see how much space is actually in the room (which we've been warned is small) before we buy anything.

 

He also needs a few regular clothing items before he goes, since he's not likely to do laundry as often as I do at home. I'm hoping we can take advantage of tax-free weekend to get him some new jeans and a some additional athletic/dancewear.

 

It's a much smaller pile than my daughter accumulated before she went to school. But she was going so much father away that we really wanted to make sure she was fully equipped. And, as it turned out, she didn't end up using or needing a lot of it. So, my son has learned from his big sister's experience and is shopping much more carefully.

 

 

 

[Lori D.]

Becoming a small mountain in the middle of DS's room… A metal locking storage trunk and 3 big plastic bins full so far, starting with Memorial Day sales. We just went through all of DS's clothes last week to figure out what he's taking and what he's leaving and what we need to buy, and just 3 weeks left till we take DS to his school...

 

And DH leaves in 2 days for his first 10-day residency in another state for the MFA program he is just now starting, so another mound of things has been accumulating for the past week in the office.

 

And a dear friend with terminal cancer and virtually no possessions is moving out here in mid-August as we are the closest thing he has to family, and we've been Craigslisting and getting cast-offs from friends for 3 months now to completely furnish and equip a 1-bedroom apt. to be all ready for DF when he arrives -- so our bedroom and back porch are mounded with furniture and more stuff...

 

I feel engulfed in multiple slow-moving tides of "stuff"…   :eek:  :willy_nilly:

[creekland]

My guy has a bunch of his stuff - all sitting on my living room floor.  I take that back, most of it is there.  He hasn't gathered everything yet.

 

He has clothes, diving stuff, towels, hamper, dishes/silverware, school supplies, and probably more.  I just realized I need to ask him about a jump drive and shower caddy...

 

MY biggest issue is wondering how we're going to get it to college - with 5 people and taking a vacation for a week ahead of time.  I suspect we'll mail a box or two.

 

He is going to be buying some things there - coffee pot, shelving, some toiletries, etc.

 

We had his mattress topper sent there already - and in our experience with my other two, putting a sheet over it works just fine.  ;)

[Laura Corin]

So far, we have bought two bath towels at Ikea.  

 

We already have sheets and a duvet plus covers because Calvin recently moved from a single to a double bed at home, so the old stuff is still available.  We have an old kettle for him to take if he wants, and spare mugs.  Apart from clothes and his electric bass, I don't think he's going to take much more.  Oh - we need to get him a computer.  And maybe a dirty clothes basket.

 

L

[creekland]

Keeping the twin sheets we have here at home didn't work for my guys as the beds at their dorms are all XL Twin.  At home we have regular twin.  I don't know that all schools use XL though.

 

[Laura Corin]

Keeping the twin sheets we have here at home didn't work for my guys as the beds at their dorms are all XL Twin.  At home we have regular twin.  I don't know that all schools use XL though.

 

I don't think that's an issue at UK universities - at some point Calvin should get a welcome pack from his college, so we'll wait for that.  I haven't heard of an XL single size here.

 

L

[creekland]

I don't think that's an issue at UK universities - at some point Calvin should get a welcome pack from his college, so we'll wait for that.  I haven't heard of an XL single size here.

 

L

 

You may, indeed, be correct, though the first time I heard of it here was when my oldest went to college.  Even now, in most stores around us, they only carry the size in the summer and in their special "dorm shopping" displays - not totally with regular sheets.

[Hoggirl]

It's a much smaller pile than my daughter accumulated before she went to school. But she was going so much father away that we really wanted to make sure she was fully equipped. And, as it turned out, she didn't end up using or needing a lot of it. So, my son has learned from his big sister's experience and is shopping much more carefully.

Care to share with us newbies what your dd did not use or need? I really do not want to overbuy.

[angela in ohio]

Big pile in my dining room. :) We still have to get an external hard drive, her own straightener, shower curtain and towels, speaker/clock, and a few last other things. And some more clothing shopping. :)

[Jen in NY]

True... ours is a much smaller 'pile' for sophomore year.

 

Things that were a bust: a beautiful round ottoman type storage thing that was a graduation gift... just too big for the teeny tiny hundred year old rooms...

An all in one camping type food service thing... which she got for a pre-orientation camping trip, but didn't use all year after that. She'd rather have one real plate than that whole kit.

She's leaving all extraneous books home this year... just no time to read most of them... and since she works in the campus library she can pick up reading material at her convenience.

Those milk crate storage bin things.... not convenient... and not going to have too much to store in them this year.

 

This year she's sticking with her laptop, textbooks, minimalist clothing, her backpack, minimalist shower supplies/first aid, and her bike. To my surprise, the bike was a big win last year. The campus is huge and she loved being able to zip from one side to the other when necessary.

 

 

[Jenny in Florida]

Care to share with us newbies what your dd did not use or need? I really do not want to overbuy.

 

Silly things, mostly, like extraneous decorative and sentimental items. The photo collage frame we lovingly assembled in the last few days before she left fell off the wall, breaking the glass, within a week of her moving into the dorm and spent the rest of the year taking up space in her closet. The cute, fluffy area rug was buried under laundry on the floor and rarely saw the light of day. The little decorative stuff she took with her to set on shelves and remind her of home just got in the way. Most of it did not make the return trip for year two.

 

The inexpensive printer we sent with her turned out to be annoyingly slow, and the ink cartridges were a pain to buy locally. So, it, too, went into the closet when she decided it was more efficient to print papers in the library.

 

I don't think they even recommend this anymore, but when we were shopping for her a few years ago, the school's suggested packing list included a phone handset to plug into the landline in the room. I think she used it once. Otherwise, she used her cell.

 

Similarly, we bought her an alarm clock/CD player to take with her, but she very quickly got into the habit of setting an alarm on her cell phone, instead. And she mostly played music on her computer. Once she ripped everything she actually listened to, she sent the physical CDs home with us following a visit.

 

My husband insisted on sending her with a digital camera, hoping she would send us photos and videos. She didn't. 

 

In her case, she found it a pain to trudge to the kitchenette in the lounge to wash dishes and very quickly retired the cute reusable stuff we had bought to match her chosen colors in favor of using disposables. (She did keep a couple of mugs for tea.)

 

I don't think she ever used any of the first aid stuff we sent, either. Inevitably, when she did need/want something, it wasn't something we had included. So, she would pick it up at the campus store or the drugstore near campus. 

 

She also took far less clothing with her when she went back for her sophomore year.

 

I don't remember anything else off the top of my head. All I know is that when I drove her up there for move-in day, my car was packed to the gills. But she ended up sending boxes of stuff home with me on successive visits and took much less with her in each of the following years.

 

Edit: Looking at this list, I realize that some of these items probably wouldn't even be considered in the age of smartphones. But remember that she started college in 2007, when we were all still making that transition.

[rjand6more]

We-ahem-I have been collecting stuff since May.  He is a last minute person, I am not.  He still needs clothing and shoes, an umbrella,and a surge protector.

 

We have:

2 large footlockers

locks for them

3 towels

3 washcloths

a bed in a bag(includes sheets and comforter)

extra sheet set-his school does not have XL unless needed

blanket

mattress topper

2 pillows

underbed tote

Bunk Buddy-roommate has asked to sleep on the bottom bunk

laundry hamper

alarm clock

mini frig

flash light

First Aid/Med kit that I put together

Some school supplies (not sure what he would need??)

most textbooks

MacBook

external hard drive

 

I think that's it.

 

 

 

[Laura in CA]

We finally managed to get ds to do some dorm shopping this past weekend. 

...

How are your "piles" coming along? Any fun things you have purchased?

 

Cynthia, I haven't read all the replies yet (but I will!), but had to share this ... as I started reading this thread, my son wandered into the kitchen, rummaged around in a cabinet, and said, "Mom? Can I take this to college?" -- brandishing a "Google" coffee tumbler (?? is that what it's called? I had to Google it LOL) from a field trip to Google ... anyway, I had to laugh, and I showed him the title of this thread. Even as I was reading your post, my son was adding to his "dorm pile"!

 

The difference is (unlike with my other son, two (large) states away), with this guy, we're within an hour's drive, or an hour by train/bus, so as I told him earlier today, I'm being pretty laid-back about planning. If he needs or has forgotten something, we can just swing by his dorm and drop it off. When my older son went to college, I was jealous of people whose kids were attending college a 3- or 4-hour drive away, who could just come home once a month or so to get, say, a jacket (and see their parents :) ). We're getting ready to take Son No. 1 back for his sophomore year (we drive out next week, as he will work at his on-campus job until school starts), and he actually has a larger "dorm pile" than his younger brother -- b/c he won't be home again until Christmas  :huh:  ... the week of Thanksgiving he has class through Tuesday, so he'll probably stay there, like last year ....

 

Oh, and I told my son he will be meeting Hoggirl's son eventually :D

Anyway, that was a funny coincidence! :)

[Kareni]

A couple of items my daughter appreciated having at college:

 

 

a timer (to remind her to go get her laundry, etc.)

 

a wooden lap desk

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[creekland]

My guy has gone from piles to packing.  It looks so different...

 

For what not to bring, both of my older two would suggest "other" books (pleasure reading).  There's very little time for that - and my middle son was a HUGE reader while home.

 

Otherwise, we're pretty basic, so there isn't much mine take that doesn't get used - or I'd want there anyway like first aid stuff.

[rjand6more]

oh.  and ds said he would not take a shower caddy.  so I got him a mesh backpack to take back and forth to shower.

 

I bought the action pack laundry pod things too

 

Command hooks(not sure why)

 

small fan

 

I'm sure there is more to get.

[Frosch]

XL twin sheet sets, mattress pad, and bed bug guard are all washed and ready.  He has two feather pillows that *must* go with him along with his favorite comforter.  My husband is home on leave and ordered his new laptop per the engineering department specifications.  I’m trying to figure out what extra organizational stuff he’ll need to make that tiny dorm room hold all the stuff he and his room mate will need.

 

He’s thrilled that I bought him some of the sistema containers for food.  (Ants are a problem in their dorms)  He’s most excited about his surge protector/power strip. It has a 15 food cord, swivel plug sockets and 4 USB ports for charging.  His 100 year old dorm room has increased power but few actual sockets and none are where they would be useful. 

 

I think my biggest issue right now is making sure he has a decent first aid kit.  He’s used to just having everything available at home.

[Miss Marple]

Just pulled out the "freshman gear" that has been piled upstairs in the game room for several years.  Hmm....sheets for XL twin beds don't look so good.  I mentioned that fact to my oldest son who informed me that he seldom washed his sheets that year.  He said that there was a discolored area on the sheets where he always slept that just wouldn't come out...yup, still there.  Decided to get new sheets :)

 

I have a pile of discarded bath towels that they boys will choose from...they don't mind that the towels don't match :) and the discoloration on the new towels I sent with the oldest caused me to determine that they don't need new ones.

 

I will not buy everything on the packing list the university sends out.  I did that with #1 and #2 and they came home with stuff still in the shrink wrap, totally unused.  Now I will send just the necessities.  If they decide they want/need anything else, they can head to WalMart or Target and get it themselves :)

[MysteryJen]

Hmm, ds1 has a few new clothes.

 

 

Dh is going out with him, God only knows, what they will decide ds1 needs.

 

He has been too busy/obsessed with his job to even focus on the fall yet.

[AngelaNYC]

Nothing yet.  Dd starts college near the end of October, so we have more time.  She also doesn't get her room assignment until October so it could be a single or double.  I do have a huge list though!  We'll be buying a lot from dormco.com.

[LizzyBee]

DD18's new towels came in the mail yesterday, and I told her to put them with her stuff to take to college.  Her reply? Am I supposed to have a place for that?  Um, yeah.

 

My dd20 leaves first, and she's organized with very little assistance. So after she leaves, we'll use her half of the room as a staging area for dd18, and with any luck, she'll be able to find everything we've bought so far.

[Teachin'Mine]

"Dorm piles" is such a lovely euphemism!   :tongue_smilie:   We're about half way done with this ... ummm "dorm piles" stuff.  

[Kareni]

Just wait until they return home at the end of four years of college.  Then you'll have a dorm bomb explosion in your home!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Teachin'Mine]

Dorm bomb explosion syndrome is probably why many are encouraged to attend graduate school.  

[Kathy in Richmond]

Just wait until they return home at the end of four years of college.  Then you'll have a dorm bomb explosion in your home!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

We circumvented that mess by packing up dd's dorm room into a UHaul in June & shipping the whole lot to her new apartment for her to deal with! 

 

PS, she seems to care a *lot* more about explosions of stuff when it's her own place & not our home. LOL.

[Wheres Toto]

Just wait until they return home at the end of four years of college.  Then you'll have a dorm bomb explosion in your home!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

We have the explosion at the end of every year since everything has to come home again.

[Susan in TN]

Pile has increased slightly if you count new socks and pants.

[AK_Mom4]

DS18's pile has grown a tiny bit as his text book order arrived from Amazon.  He still has a few books coming directly from the uni book store (only option), but it's exciting to actually see the little pile of books!

[Sunshine State Sue]

Dh took ds to BB&B today.  They ordered sheets, blankets, mattress topper, surge protector, and shower tote to be picked up in 2 weeks near school.  We've taken ds to Burlington Coat Factory (here) and REI (Denver) in search of a winter coat for a tall & skinny guy.  Nada.  We're not even quite sure how warm it needs to be.  My days in Chicago make me think everything needs to be down.  He's gonna have to get a teammate to help him out on the coat & boots.  I am hoping that he will wash his clothes before he packs them. 

 

ETA:  The sales clerk at BB&B reminded them to bring their coupons when we pick-up/pay for the items.  I love that BB&B allows expired coupons and multiple coupons.

[Jenny in Florida]

A small (in terms of physical size, although not in terms of the price) addition to my son's pile-o-stuff today: We too advantage of tax-free weekend to buy his laptop. 

 

All but one of his books have arrived, too.

 

We did take a look at my Scion xB a couple of days ago and realized that there is no way we can fit the existing stuff PLUS three people and a dog (the student, my husband and I who are doing family orientation and my dog who will be boarded near the college in order to minimize the amount of time she has to spend in a kennel) PLUS a mini-fridge and microwave in my car. So, we are now trying to decide between taking two cars -- not a terrible hardship, since the school is only 90 minutes from home -- and trying to buy or at least pick up the fridge and microwave after we hit Tampa. 

[Sunshine State Sue]

Sue, look at Campmor for that jacket. While Golden is not as cold as here, it's still cold. Look at Columbias, where he can zip out the inner part. 

 

Will do.  I see they have XLT sizes.  That's helpful.

 

[LanaTron]

We have towels.  

 

That's it so far.  Just towels.

 

Guess we'd better get busy this week, as we are leaving on August 14th to take ds to Ohio.

[J-rap]

We're pretty laid back about it, but then again, my daughter will be at a college with about 25 relatives within five miles, (including two sisters with cars), so it's not like she's going far away with no family around to help.  August is a busy month for us, but we plan to spend an afternoon packing at some point.  :)  I did get some good ideas after reading everyone's posts though!

[Laura in CA]

We still need to get dh a hanging toiletry bag. Did get him new running shoes!

:) Got new running shoes today too!

 

Found out his roommate last night & they're chatting about what to share. :)

[ma23peas]

Okay...only putting this out there because I've honestly forgotten what I still need to get...uh, my first born son would go with a napsack...he has no clue what all his sisters and I have pulled together :) We drop him off in 2 weeks and plan to set up his room for him...whirr whirr whirr helicopter mom complex :)

 

Pillow, comforter, personalized throw that has pics of the family (Groupon deal), two sets of sheets, mattress pad, mattress cover, bedside organizer (to store his phone/etc.)

 

Power strip protector, pen holder for desk, file holder for drawer, over the chair organizer,

 

rain jacket (sale at Sierra Trading Post), rain hat, waterproof running shoes (he's an athlete and apparently it rains a lot there)

 

grooming tote (has a hanger to use in community bathrooms) shampoo, body wash, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, floss, mouthwash, toenail clippers, unibrow shavers (he will use these! :)) hand salve for blisters

 

towels (three), washcloths (he will NEVER use these, just wait!), shoe organizer

 

clip on lamp for his bed, notebook paper, folders, pens, pencils, calculator (financial one since he's taking Economics courses) mini-stapler, no remover he'll just have to rip those pages apart. power cords. stamped addressed self envelopes so he has to write us once a month :)

 

Air conditioner (medical excuse), laundry hamper, waste basket, laundry detergent pods, 4 under the bed storage bins (one for winter clothing, one for towels/miscellanous, one for extra school supplies (if they don't fit in desk), one for extra sheets/bedding)

 

Push pin board, that special cloth tape to make frames for pictures on his wall, Command strips/hooks to hang damp towels to dry.

 

I think I'm just done...he can wing whatever we have forgotten :) OH and some arrow thing that I got at Pottery Barn Outlet, has about 10 hooks on it, figured he could always hang a hat or medals or something on them...done done and done!

[ma23peas]

Will do.  I see they have XLT sizes.  That's helpful.

 

 

FYI, I just received my son's Columbia Rain jacket from Sierra Trading Post (XLT) he's 6'3 and it will rain where he's going...I used a special 40% additional off and it only cost me about $20! :) Always check there but always use a code, they will mail it to you if you join their site or check their FB site...also bought waterproof running shoes for those wet days :)

[Susan in TN]

I am so tempted to just run out to BB&B to buy stuff. I think ds *wants* to choose his things, but there are so many options and he has no idea if he will like jersey knit sheets vs a cotton poly blend. They both feel fine. And then there's the backpack. He can choose the perfect pack for backcountry Smokey Mts or the Grand Canyon easy. But something to hold a laptop and books? It's like the mystery of the ages.

 

Sigh. We will get there eventually. :D

[Miss Marple]

I decided to try to organize this process.  I have 3 heading to college late next week.  The oldest is easy, though, because he kept his apartment over the summer so he just has clothing and disposables (mostly toiletries) to take back.  The other two will be starting off in the dorms.  I have 3 Braums paper shopping bags sitting on the dining room table.  So far there is a box of Kleenex in each bag lol.  I hope to add things today after a trip to WalMart.  We need to purchase XL sheets and one hanging toiletry bag.  I think that's all.  I've got parking permits ordered, meal plans ordered, and Pike Pass accounts set up.  

 

One thing I wish we had done differently with DS1 but we started it last year with DS2:  begin getting credit established.  We got DS2 and DS3 a credit card in their own name with a VERY small limit.  They will use this for gas.  At this point, DS2 can petition to get a greater credit limit.  DS1 is a fully employed Petroleum Engineer making an excellent wage.  He has had a difficult time getting a credit card (he is married and managing his finances exceptionally well) because he does not have established credit.  He encouraged us to get the other boys credit cards to make it easier for them.  Our kids are great with money in general so we don't have any great worries as far as that goes.  We have also set up online access so that we can watch the card and either pay it off or remind them that they need to pay the bill.  DS4 was denied a card which is odd because DS3 got one and they have basically the same stats.  I think it is the age - DS4 is just 18 and DS3 is almost 20.  We might have to wait a year for DS4 to have a card.

[Pawz4me]

One thing I wish we had done differently with DS1 but we started it last year with DS2:  begin getting credit established.  We got DS2 and DS3 a credit card in their own name with a VERY small limit.  They will use this for gas.  At this point, DS2 can petition to get a greater credit limit.  DS1 is a fully employed Petroleum Engineer making an excellent wage.  He has had a difficult time getting a credit card (he is married and managing his finances exceptionally well) because he does not have established credit.  He encouraged us to get the other boys credit cards to make it easier for them.  Our kids are great with money in general so we don't have any great worries as far as that goes.  We have also set up online access so that we can watch the card and either pay it off or remind them that they need to pay the bill.  DS4 was denied a card which is odd because DS3 got one and they have basically the same stats.  I think it is the age - DS4 is just 18 and DS3 is almost 20.  We might have to wait a year for DS4 to have a card.

 

We made DS an authorized user on one of our credit card accounts.  Our credit union person assured us that will build his credit score just as if it was a card in his name only.  She said she's seen plenty of young people with credit scores well into the 700 range who've had no credit other than being an authorized user on a parent's account.  We would have preferred getting him an account of his own, but they offered no option for that.

[Lori D.]

The other two will be starting off in the dorms.  I have 3 Braums paper shopping bags sitting on the dining room table.  So far there is a box of Kleenex in each bag lol.

 

:smilielol5:  Probably because I have had so much on my plate to take care of this summer, but this picture made me weak with laughter.

 

 

Slowly reducing the slow-moving tides of "stuff" that were engulfing us here. DH took his pile and is gone for the week at his MFA residency. And we got the giant mounds of furniture, dishes, and home supplies that were in the bedroom/back porch moved into the apt. for our friend (details in my post up-thread). whew!

 

Now I am down to the dorm pile in DS's room, and a mound on the back porch from DS and I de-junking 12 years of stuff out of his room all last week. Now we can actually go through the dorm pile and figure out what, if anything, is missing for going away to college… I actually think we are just about there! The main thing is to remember to give him cash for meals for the 4 days between move-in day and the start of the meal plan on the first day of classes…

 

 

Now on to de-junking younger DS's room with him this week…  :leaving:

[Hoggirl]

Oh, my word. I just spent two hours at Walmart buying all manner of nitpicky items. Stuff for the medical box (and the box itself). Stuff for the go-to box (but didn't find a container I liked), and all manner of desk supplies - three-hole punch, paper clips, stapler, pencil holder, binder clips, scissors, etc. and a drawer tray to hold much of it. True school supplies along with a new calculator were purchased this past weekend during tax-free time. I also bought laundry needs today. The good news is that none of it takes up too much space, but I bought MANY items. Ds would have never survived that shopping trip - he just doesn't have the patience for it. I have to admit it was tiring and, for some reason, stressful. I am now at home eating Nutella straight out of the jar!!

[Sunshine State Sue]

I am now at home eating Nutella straight out of the jar!!

 

I was just thinking how much I want to eat a gallon of ice cream these days...

[Jenny in Florida]

Well, we got a surprise when my son logged onto the school website today so I could make the first tuition payment (ouch, by the way). It turns out he has been moved out of the off-campus hotel and into an on-campus dorm. On the one hand, I'm happy he'll be closer to classes and the dining hall. On the other, I'm not so certain that he'll be better off in a suite with five other guys than he would have been in a hotel room with one.

 

What this does mean for his dorm pile, though, is that it's a good thing we didn't return the twin XL bedding we had already bought (which doesn't fit the queen-sized beds in the hotel) and that I probably need to add a mattress pad to his shopping list.