Granny_Weatherwax Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 For those of you with recent BTDT experience, can you pass along some ideas? I checked DS's school's residential life page and trunks are not allowed to be stored in the room. Cinder blocks are not allowed to lift beds. In the majority of freshman rooms the beds are required to be lofted. I couldn't determine if things are allowed to be hung on the walls but in my past experience (20+ years ago) hanging shelves, etc was discouraged. What types of things are your boys doing for storage and decor in their rooms? I have been searching pinterest but some of those designs are quite extreme and require hanging things off the walls (i.e. Ikea floating shelves and towel rods). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I am definitely following this thread. I am confused by my incoming freshman son's college restrictions on lofting and need to give them a call. On the dorm's Facebook page, a student asked if the beds could be lofted to different heights. The answer from an RA was "yes". But, when I look at the college website on the Residence page, it links me to a service that does the lofting for the school. The pictures show the lofts that are almost touching the ceiling. Good for getting a desk/chest of drawers/bike underneath, but bad for sitting on the bed (my son loves to read in bed). I am just not sure what ds is going to be dealing with, therefore what we need to buy for clothes storage. They do have a suggested "bring with you" list on the website that recommends the 3M Command hooks (they have all different sizes). Most of the rooms have hooks on the wall for bikes, but I am not sure how that works with a lofted bed. Ds' room is going to be minuscule. Smaller than what I had in the early 80's. I was hoping to get the "over the door" hooks for the closet door for a towel, jacket, robe, etc. Unfortunately, it looks as if there is no door on the tiny closet area. This is going to be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I made my ds an afghan, but that was the beginning and end of any of my decorating input. We shopped with him for a small, cheap throw rug, a box fan and a lamp or two, made sure he had those terrific 3-M command strips for putting posters on the wall, and that was it. (The command strip hooks might also make for a good place to hang towels -- I haven't been in any of his dorm rooms since fall of freshman year, so I don't know where he kept his towels.) The dorm is HIS, the experience of living there is HIS. We left it up to him, his roommate and the resident life staff to loft the beds, which was only necessary the one year he had a broom closet sized room. As for storage, I bought my ds those rolling duffel bags sold at LLBean, one a carry on size, and one basic suitcase size, which squish down flat when empty so they can slide under a bed or behind clothes in a closet. He also has a few big boxes which he breaks down and stores during the year so he can reuse them for packing in prep for summer break. Now the kids who live within driving distance to the campus brought a ton of stuff, but they have mom and/or dad to help haul the stuff and the family car to take back what ever didn't fit, and to take everything back each summer. Some people had futon couches and tvs and mini fridges and the whole nine yards. We flew in, picked up the rug and lamps at the nearby Walmart, and my ds hasn't felt like he ever suffered a too spartan existence. You can order stuff through Walmart or Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond and pick it up at the location closest to the college campus. You can also easily return whatever you don't need at the same store. The Walmarts closest to big state schools get fairly cleaned out during move in weekend, so consider that, too. The little pod clothes washing detergent/softener are a college student's best friend! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 My son took an extra folding chair, like we use on the sidelines at soccer. He hung his Real Madrid flag. His bed was lofted. He has one of those hang anywhere hammocks that he puts under his bed sometimes to read in or program in. He has a large whiteboard on one wall for homework. He has milk crates that he uses for bookshelves. He has an area rug. First year he had a dorm fridge and microwave, but now lives in a suite with a full kitchen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 As for storage, I bought my ds those rolling duffel bags sold at LLBean, one a carry on size, and one basic suitcase size, which squish down flat when empty so they can slide under a bed or behind clothes in a closet. He also has a few big boxes which he breaks down and stores during the year so he can reuse them for packing in prep for summer break. The little pod clothes washing detergent/softener are a college student's best friend! The duffel bag idea is great! I was wondering where he was going to put his suitcase - duh. My ds is heading to a school about 6.5 hours from us. We have a big F-250 truck with a cover on the back, so we should will be able to fit his stuff in there. He will not be finding out who his roommate is until Aug. 1, so we will need to discuss the fridge, microwave, rug, and fan at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 He has a large whiteboard on one wall for homework. Was the whiteboard provided in the room already or did he hang it himself? If so, may I ask what he used to hang it with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 DS19's room had a half-height cabinet sitting on top of a three-drawer dresser for clothes. He also had a desk, chair, bed and two shelves installed above the desk and bed that ran the length of the room, so no lofting. His duffle bag folded flat and went under the bed, along with heavy winter gear (boots, snow pants) when he wasn't wearing them every day. Mini fridge tucked into the space at one end of the bed (barely) and doubled as a night stand. Small lamp and all his computer gear/printer on the desk. Books on the shelves. I sent him with clear plastic boxes (shoe size) for his school supplies so those sat on the shelves as well. Those heavy command strip hooks were a life saver. He put those up to hold his towel, heavy jacket and snow pants so they would actually dry between being used. he command hooks were the only decorations he had in his room - unless you count the cafeteria schedule he had taped to the inside of his door..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Was the whiteboard provided in the room already or did he hang it himself? If so, may I ask what he used to hang it with? It was not provided. It was hung with string from hooks already installed on the walls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Many dorm rooms now have furniture that is designed to be lofted. They often do not allow "homemade" lofts due to safety concerns. Most of the info about what is and is not allowed in the dorm was published on the college website under housing. Neither of my kids wanted much for decor. If it wasn't functional and really, really useful, then it wasn't necessary. Cheap area rug purchased from the local hardware store ($15), box fan, small clip on fan, plastic 3-drawer organizer bin, clip-on light for reading in bed. A camp chair was nice to have to sit on to offer a seat to others. Many schools don't allow microwaves in the rooms so that was one less thing to purchase (they had them in the floor lounge for everyone to use.) One essential we found was a bed-caddy. Since most rooms don't have nightstands, they needed a place to put their phone (which doubled as an alarm clock), water bottle (since the room can get very dry due to winter heat), tissues, book to be read in bed, etc. Oh, and some lofts were really tall, which makes it difficult to get out of bed since it is close to the ceiling, Some are modular enough that they loft only half-way, which allowed for under-bed storage, but not more floor space for seating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 DS didn't do much. The boys didn't want to loft their beds (I'm not even sure it was allowed in their dorm). Their beds were made so that they were fairly high off the floor anyway, so that there was lots of storage space underneath. I got DS a couple of the flat, rectangular Rubbermaid type storage boxes meant for keeping under beds. They had a few drawers and a small closet each, so the containers worked well for extra storage. I also got him some over-the-door hooks but apparently he never used them. I bought DS a queen sized comforter. Sounds weird, but it worked very well for his bed. Since the bed was raised, the queen sized comforter fit it well, hanging down far enough to cover the storage boxes underneath. I went with that so that he'd be able to use the comforter when he moves to an apartment and presumably will have a larger bed. Neither DS nor his roommate cared much about decorating. Roommate hung an American flag and they called it good. They were allowed to put things on the wall using small tacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I made my ds an afghan, but that was the beginning and end of any of my decorating input. We shopped with him for a small, cheap throw rug, a box fan and a lamp or two, made sure he had those terrific 3-M command strips for putting posters on the wall, and that was it. (The command strip hooks might also make for a good place to hang towels -- I haven't been in any of his dorm rooms since fall of freshman year, so I don't know where he kept his towels.) The dorm is HIS, the experience of living there is HIS. We left it up to him, his roommate and the resident life staff to loft the beds, which was only necessary the one year he had a broom closet sized room. :) Yes!!! Yes!!!! 16 Years ago, my husband was resident director of a men's dorm, and since we were married, I like to say I lived in the men's dorm as well. :) At any rate, watching the freshmen arrive every August was fascinating. Some would come totally on their own, some would have a bit of help from their folks, and some boys stepped aside while their mothers created their living habitat. We decided then and there that our goal in parenting would be to raise up children who could leave our home and set up a dorm room without us. Please no one on the thread be offended and think I think you are terrible if you buy some nice things for your sons to take to college. I'm just saying I've watched the moms do it and...I've seen the boys. And I see how they live in a dorm. And I think it is a gift to just let them figure out what they need and do it on their own. Give them the gift of letting them figure it out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I'm planning on getting some basic things for him, like first aid stuff, then letting him decide what he wants pick out everything else (towels, sheets, whatever). He will not be allowed to use command strips, only putty. He asked about having a white board and they said he could do it only if he can use putty to hang it. If he wants his bed lofted, then he tells them when he checks in and university staff will do it within an hour of his arrival (they have maintenance people on each floor on move in day just for that purpose). The day after freshman move in, they have a huge "yard sale" and the kids get to shop for everything that students from previous years left behind/donated for that purpose. They told us he will be able to get an area rug, box fan, etc. if he gets up early enough. We think we'll probably buy a new rug if he wants one for his room - just something about not knowing what has been on it gives me the shivers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Stuff (whiteboards and such) can be put up using command strip velcro. Lofts vary by school. They might be half-loft where you can put dresser and shelf under them freeing up space, or fully lofted where you can put the desk underneath. Some schools have it where they can be either. Command strip hooks are also vital. Another space saver is stacking dressers and shelves. Dd's dorm had very sturdy shelves and dressers. We put her shelf on top of her dresser, with the tv on top of that. It was all quite sturdy and stable. (And there weren't going to be any toddlers in the room trying to climb it.) Being male, he most likely won't have long hanging stuff and can put the dresser or a shelving unit in the floor of his closet area. Half-lots have lots of space behind the dresser to store stuff also. Microwaves usually sit on top of the fridge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 :) Yes!!! Yes!!!! 16 Years ago, my husband was resident director of a men's dorm, and since we were married, I like to say I lived in the men's dorm as well. :) At any rate, watching the freshmen arrive every August was fascinating. Some would come totally on their own, some would have a bit of help from their folks, and some boys stepped aside while their mothers created their living habitat. We decided then and there that our goal in parenting would be to raise up children who could leave our home and set up a dorm room without us. Please no one on the thread be offended and think I think you are terrible if you buy some nice things for your sons to take to college. I'm just saying I've watched the moms do it and...I've seen the boys. And I see how they live in a dorm. And I think it is a gift to just let them figure out what they need and do it on their own. Give them the gift of letting them figure it out. I don't mean decor as in matching the rug to the throw pillows or curtains. I am being more practical and am concerned about storage and how to make the room usable. Some of these doubles are 15 X 11 and I was wondering what other boys do with that space. One double in DS's freshman dorm is actually 18 X 7.5 (I've been looking at the specs online). If he draws a room that size, we will need to have ideas of what to do to give him some storage. He's a minimalist so there won't be lots of things but he will have some stuff (clothes, books, tech) etc. He won't have a car and I don't know how far away a box store is so he can go shopping on his own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 My guys are pretty "bare bones", and the one at college really didn't need much stuff to be happy: - clothes / bedding / linens, enough to not have to do laundry more than once every 2 weeks - electronics: laptop/power cord; tablet/recharger; i-pod/recharger; phone/recharger; power strip - miscellaneous: collapsible laundry basket (laundry facility was on a different floor, so a sturdy one with handles is a good idea), desk lamp, small first aid / "sick" box (Advil, Niquil, Benedryl, etc.) - medium trash can (or even a box!) and trash bags - backpack - long board (for getting around campus) - fridge/microwave shared with roomie - paper goods for microwaving/eating - a few kitchen items: microwaveable pyrex measuring cup, spoon, sharp knife, little cutting board, lidded travel mug for coffee - bathroom items (bathroom is in the dorm room): bath towels, hand towels, bath mat, toilet paper, cleaning supplies For clothes, you can get hanging "cubbies" or an underbed drawer trunk to expand closet space. For storage, a plastic multi-drawer cart doubles as a nightstand. Usually a desk is included in the dorm room, and has several drawers for books and supplies. You can also use a desk shelf unit for additional cubby space. You'll want to get some sort of secure storage for electronics and valuables. Dorm Vault has products that attach to the dorm bed and can only be removed with tools. This item hides small valuables in amongst your clothes. For hanging things, you'll have to check the school's policy. DS had no interest in "decor". We sent putty with DS had for hanging posters; he hung one, and only because he bought the poster at a concert halfway through the school year. No nails, screws, anchors, etc. are allowed -- look for the 3M Command removable adhesive mounting products. I recommend going light on stuff. It's a pain to take it and wrestle up to the dorm room... they use very little of it... and it's a super pain to pack it back up and bring it home. DS's freshman roomie had oodles of stuff that his very excited parents brought to outfit the room that never got used -- including a TV, a computer printer, a 3-bag laundry cart, and a small table and 4 chairs in the shared living room (the dorm room was a shared living room, and a bedroom on either side, each holding 2 or 3 guys, for a total of 4 or 6 guys per dorm suite). My guy had no car either; usually there are white boards in the lobby for asking for rides and carpools in exchange for gas money for the occasional trip to a big box store, to the Cost Cutters for a hair cut, to church, or wherever. So even those without vehicles manage to run errands as needed. ;) Just my 2 cents worth from our experience this past year! ;) Welcome to college planning! Warmest regards, Lori D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Check your son's dorm rules closely. DS's stated NOT to use putty or 3M Command hooks to hang things, but that small nails were allowed. They stated that nail holes were much easier to patch and tended to damage the walls much less than the other two things (which in our experience is true). So . . . check before you buy (or hang) anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Check your son's dorm rules closely. DS's stated NOT to use putty or 3M Command hooks to hang things, but that small nails were allowed. They stated that nail holes were much easier to patch and tended to damage the walls much less than the other two things (which in our experience is true). So . . . check before you buy (or hang) anything. I absolutely agree with this idea! 3M causes far more damage. Unfortunately, in my experience, it is what most schools require to be used. Your son's school is smart! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 The day after freshman move in, they have a huge "yard sale" and the kids get to shop for everything that students from previous years left behind/donated for that purpose. They told us he will be able to get an area rug, box fan, etc. if he gets up early enough. We think we'll probably buy a new rug if he wants one for his room - just something about not knowing what has been on it gives me the shivers. What a great idea!!! I'm sure students leave a lot of things behind that could really be useful to incoming students. Kudos to the school for not just tossing the stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Can girls' moms chime in too? My daughter didn't do much, but she had a giant poster that covered her entire wall behind her bed. (It was actually more of a thin cloth, but as light as a poster.) It was of a woods. It just gave their whole room a warm feel. She also had a rolling cart from IKEA. We got it on a whim, but she used it for so many things! It had a top tray on it, with 2 or 3 shelves below. She stored things in it, and could use it for a nightstand too. Oh -- here it is! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30216536/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Orientation and class choices are done. Room was found (this was the big hang up because of her severe allergies). Now we need letters from doctors and supplies for college. Also she needs to register to vote and figure out absentee voting. then is the dilemma of finding her doctors.We are set up with a concierge system but I am going to need to discuss whether we need that for her too. SHe gets to see our doctor here. SHe also has an arrangement with her adolescent doctor to get help online or on the phone. We have to find out if that will work with her phoning in a prescription to TN. Otherwise we have to find her a doctor locally maybe. The school has a Nurse practitioner who deals with things like sinus infections, etc. What I hope is decided by the time she gets her room assignment paperwork (she already has the room), is what dorm she will associate with as a freshman. As a result of her severe allergies, she is in an upper classmen male dorm. It is a single room with a shared bathroom- with an RA, It means she only has to get him to not use citrus scented perfumes, shampoos, etc. Males are much easier to manage that way. The females have hair sprays, perfumes, scented candles, potpourri, etc, etc. that can all cause a potentially deadly anaphylaxis. (She gets the kind where her blood pressure starts dropping to zero). I am hoping she has a mixed freshman dorm that will work as her 'house' dorm for freshman activities that are by dorm. As it is, with her being a physics student, I think she will probably find fellow science students in her dorm. We have already been told that the Physics Student Association is the group that all the other majors should be imitating in initiating interest in their respective majors. They do all kinds of fun activities like star watching with Mars, Milky Way, and Starburst candies as incentives, and throwing liquid nitrogen filled pumpkins off the tower at Halloween. Then there are the decisions as to what to bring. So far we know she is bringing a mini fridge and a little safe (lockbox). SHe is debating whether to bring her desktop or just her laptop. I saw others deciding on book bags and I know her backpack may not fit her physics text, her calculus text and her laptop. I am not sure what she will use. We also have to have her try out a computerized pen. That is what the disability center recommends. FUrthermore she has to try using Learning Ally (talking books) and Dragon Speaking software. Too much to do in too little time as she is also boning up on math and school starts in seven weeks!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Can girls' moms chime in too? My daughter didn't do much, but she had a giant poster that covered her entire wall behind her bed. (It was actually more of a thin cloth, but as light as a poster.) It was of a woods. It just gave their whole room a warm feel. She also had a rolling cart from IKEA. We got it on a whim, but she used it for so many things! It had a top tray on it, with 2 or 3 shelves below. She stored things in it, and could use it for a nightstand too. Oh -- here it is! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30216536/ Where did you get the giant poster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 ... My daughter didn't do much, but she had a giant poster that covered her entire wall behind her bed. (It was actually more of a thin cloth, but as light as a poster.) It was of a woods. It just gave their whole room a warm feel. ... Where did you get the giant poster? I was wondering the same thing! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 In my son's experience, he did not carry his texts to class for calculus or physics. But yes, they're huge books! If he needed to study with them in the library, he'd carry only one at a time. One thing that I noticed was the small size of kids' backpacks, and he's at a very decent school with studious kids...and many carry that across the body type bag, too. Math and science heavy courseloads do require a larger packpack IMO, not necessarily for in-class use, but for study groups and the library. The texts are not only heavy and expensive, but they're thick as well. When we looked for a backpack, we looked for one which could accommodate the laptop as well as two or three texts. This wasn't needed all the time, but it was great to have the room and durability for when it was. If carrying all that weight on her back is a concern, you can get a rolling backpack which also has shoulder straps for when you need to carry it. They are heavier than the regular backpacks, but the rolling function is nice for the heavy texts. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor-products-sea-tac-rolling-backpack.shtml?kpid=90522BLK&gclid=CjwKEAjwtr6sBRDv7uzB492H9XISJADj6aqbwYP74IP0iJexRdNQ4dthhzqvajrndmlOluk6o_6HaxoC1Gnw_wcB As a general rule, I'd check the dimensions and look for ones which have good expandability. The one above is 9" deep and that's probably the minimum I'd look for. Here's another larger sized regular backpack. http://www.eastbay.com/product/model:220358/sku:36710924/high-sierra-access-backpack/crimson/black/&SID=7726&inceptor=1&cm_mmc=SEM-_-PLA-_-Google-_-36710924&gclid=CjwKEAjwtr6sBRDv7uzB492H9XISJADj6aqb_hYqhWtoLuBIUdcRKzNM4gQ7AQVMSoBcQO1BGn0wkhoCyhPw_wcB Not familiar with either of the sites or specific backpacks, but just examples of what's available. Chris, your daughter's dorm arrangement while not conventional will likely be enviable! With the RA next door and the dorm being upper-classmen, she should have a good experience especially as a physics major. Many there will likely consider her as a little sister and be looking out for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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