mamato4 Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 We went to pick up ds today from school and many other students were also moving out. DS told me that the lounge area is where people put stuff they are discarding. I also saw the custodian putting stuff in there. She said those were items from empty rooms that she just cleaned. Since dd is starting college in the fall, I knew I would have to shop for her dorm necessities this summer. Well, in the lounge, I managed to find (in very good condition): a waste can, a shower caddy, 2 large plastic drawers, a power strip, a hair dryer, a LED desk lamp, and tons of sturdy plastic hangers! I think I just saved almost $100. :thumbup: I told dh if I had known about the discard pile being such great pickings, I would have picked up ds tomorrow instead! (At first I was hesitant to take the items, but the custodian encouraged me to take them. I think they do eventually donate any items that are usable but it seems they get a ton of stuff being left behind by students, especially by those who have to fly home.) 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 We ditched a couch and a working air conditioner, and picked up a floor lamp. I'm glad to see more schools setting up specific "donate" areas, which make this kind of swapping more legit. The local residents near our city's Ivy call move-out time "Christmas in June". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 This is common at my guy's schools too. They've gotten plenty of free things in their years there - all appreciated. I think it's great that this sort of FreeCycle exists. On a different note, it sometimes amazes me what some students will leave behind (really nice stuff), but I suppose if you can't fit it into your luggage and you're leaving town (sometimes for good), that happens. Mine store their stuff over the summers. Perhaps not everyone does? Or if they're heading to a Study Abroad it might be less expensive to buy back later. Or maybe they have enough extra $$ to just want different decorating options next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Our local college has a huge two day tent sale every June selling all the stuff college students left behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Our local college has a huge two day tent sale every June selling all the stuff college students left behind. This wouldn't bother me if it were to the public after students had a chance just to pick up stuff themselves first - then the money went to something decent (scholarships or housing budget, etc), but I wouldn't like it at all if it replaced students being able to freecycle among themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 We went to pick up ds today from school and many other students were also moving out. DS told me that the lounge area is where people put stuff they are discarding. I also saw the custodian putting stuff in there. She said those were items from empty rooms that she just cleaned. Since dd is starting college in the fall, I knew I would have to shop for her dorm necessities this summer. Well, in the lounge, I managed to find (in very good condition): a waste can, a shower caddy, 2 large plastic drawers, a power strip, a hair dryer, a LED desk lamp, and tons of sturdy plastic hangers! I think I just saved almost $100. :thumbup: I told dh if I had known about the discard pile being such great pickings, I would have picked up ds tomorrow instead! (At first I was hesitant to take the items, but the custodian encouraged me to take them. I think they do eventually donate any items that are usable but it seems they get a ton of stuff being left behind by students, especially by those who have to fly home.) Honestly, I think the school should provide (or at least leave in place the left behind) of some of these things. A waste can, power strip, and hangers are things that all those rooms should have. They aren't personal items. Every student who uses that room is going to need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Our local school has disallowed picking through the discards & collects everything themselves & sells it on a certain date to the general public:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 My son was the last to leave his suite (6 guys total) and came home with a lot more towels than he started with and some sheets, a shoe rack, and more. He had to empty the rooms and bathroom completely. He was not happy that he was stuck with that responsibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 (edited) This wouldn't bother me if it were to the public after students had a chance just to pick up stuff themselves first - then the money went to something decent (scholarships or housing budget, etc), but I wouldn't like it at all if it replaced students being able to freecycle among themselves.It's after all the students have left and whatever they leave behind is sold. They leave school in May. 20 tons of items are left behind and the money goes back to the school and funds various student eco friendly groups. Edited May 21, 2016 by gingersmom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 We were at Kansas University for the SSAR conference last year at the end of summer session. DH commented that some of the discarded furniture was nicer than some of the stuff we had at home, if we'd only had a way to get it there! We also were at UNR for a program for pre-college families last summer-and apparently the faculty have figured out that a great way to freecycle books and materials they don't need is to put them out in the hallway of the buildings being used for classes :). Again, if we hadn't been flying, we could have brought home quite a library of gently used textbooks and resource materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato4 Posted May 21, 2016 Author Share Posted May 21, 2016 One of ds' friend is renting storage from the school to store his refrigerator. The outside storage fees were just too much money. We are storing his bedding for him. If our house was bigger, I would have gladly stored all his things for him. Ds found this same friend's lamp in the giveaway room, so we brought that home and will give it back to him in the fall. Growing up in a third-world country, I really find it hard to discard things, much less those that are still in great condition, but I guess this keeps the economy going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato4 Posted May 21, 2016 Author Share Posted May 21, 2016 Honestly, I think the school should provide (or at least leave in place the left behind) of some of these things. A waste can, power strip, and hangers are things that all those rooms should have. They aren't personal items. Every student who uses that room is going to need them. I agree that those things should already be provided. But I can also see why the schools don't. There are quite a number of students who don't know how to take care of things, or value things. I can already imagine the school constantly repairing or replacing those items. It would add up to a lot of $ for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 I believe that one of the local thrift stores picks up TONS (not exaggerating) of left behind usable items after move out day at our local state university. My daughter's small liberal arts college had a "Free Box" on each floor throughout the year. She would sometimes tell of us her great finds -- school supplies, unused postage stamps, clothes still with tags, etc. I found a few things worth taking when we moved her out senior year. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 One of groups at ds' Uni collects items from designated donation spots in each dorm. They store The items over the summer and then on move in day they host a sale that is open to students and the public. The money raised is donated. Last fall they raised over $24,000. The money went to the area food bank, local Habitat for Humanity projects and student scholarships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 It's after all the students have left and whatever they leave behind is sold. They leave school in May. 20 tons of items are left behind and the money goes back to the school and funds various student eco friendly groups. Awesome. I think that's the way it should be done. Let students figure out what they can use or want, then yard sale the rest with the money going to worthy causes. The trash can thing surprised me. My guys dorms have all supplied trash cans (2 per room). I guess that's not true of all schools... or maybe some want decorative cans vs the basic variety? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Awesome. I think that's the way it should be done. Let students figure out what they can use or want, then yard sale the rest with the money going to worthy causes. The trash can thing surprised me. My guys dorms have all supplied trash cans (2 per room). I guess that's not true of all schools... or maybe some want decorative cans vs the basic variety? DS was provided with a small recycle bin but no trash can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 The dorm I stayed in back in the dark ages had a huge storage room in the basement. The hall's governmental group would store items for a small fee ($5 for smaller items like dorm fridges, $10 for couches) over the summer until it was full. The stuff that wasn't picked up the next fall would be auctioned. All the money went to the hall government for activities. We picked up a great (heavy, pull-out) couch at the auction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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