<p>I notice that they sell eggcrate foam mattresses on the linen site, and I notice that the mattresses in the dorm are quite thin, so it would be a good idea to get those foam mattress?</p>
<p>we are international so s will need to get a cell phone when he gets there, do they sell cell phone packages at the Bookstore? or where can he get one? and what package would you recommend?</p>
<p>how many fans would you recommend?</p>
<p>where does one store valuables, such as passport. I know one parent suggested safety deposit box at the bank and UV, do they have them at USC credit union?</p>
<p>My two cents-
S#2 (freshman in New) has a foam mattress on his bed- we got it at Costco. </p>
<p>He and his roommate each have a tall thin tower fan that cost $50 each from Lowes they say work well. </p>
<p>S#1 (5 years ago) rented a safe available through housing they installed in his dorm closet. I think it was about $50 for the year and we set it up before he moved in. S#2 just hides his valuables in his room. He doesn't know anyone who has had anything stolen.</p>
<p>As for the cellphone, I am not sure if the bookstore has phone kits but there are certainly shops near campus. Students seem to be pretty happy with either AT&T or Verizon Wireless. When it comes to the plan, you'll want to consider how often you will be in and out of the country.</p>
<p>If you won't need the phone during holidays or the summer, then a pay-as-you go plan might be cheaper because it won't require a contract or commitment. However, if you're planning on getting settled in the U.S. for a few years, a contract with a phone company will mean lower rates and a probably a free phone.</p>
<p>when we were asking questions at Explore, neither housing or safety guy mentioned anything about renting a safe that can be installed. they said that we can buy one from the bookstore but those won't be able to be installed and thus useless. he also said that there is a locked drawer on the desk? </p>
<p>i guess I'll check up some plans online and see what I find.</p>
<p>bmom- I was like you checking everything out ahead of time (I still think it's a good thing to do!), but a lot of these little details will be figured out after they move in*. The kids will see what others are doing as far as arranging their rooms and making them comfortable- they'll experiment, and they'll come up with something that works for them. Mine has rearranged his room several times- bunking, risers, hanging the beds from the ceiling (just kidding!) and every other possibility until they found something that works for them. The engineering students love these building challenges; the art students add their creativity, the film students set up their projection units; and the business students figure out where to get the stuff (for free from Craig's list?!)</p>
<p>S#1 had a cable that locked his laptop through the desk (no one will carry the desk out of the dorm), but I don't know of anyone who has had one stolen. It's not a bad idea to set up an online back-up file (like iDisk on a .mac account) or back-up important documents/projects on a cd regardless of a security system. </p>
<p>Wish I had more cell phone info for you. We have AT&T and I agree it is pretty expensive, but we have a family plan so it's free to talk to family. </p>
<p>Yes, there is a Radio Shack in UV.</p>
<p>(*I've been thinking about GroovyGeek's comment about us hovering parents and I'm "thinking" about backing off a little more. But in some ways, this forum kind of releases some of that pressure so we don't put it directly on our kids!)</p>
<p>bmom, from what we saw on the housing tour, the bed heights can be adjusted. (At least in IRC and A/H, but this is probably the case in all residences)</p>
<p>I thought I read that the beds are extra long at USC. If this is the case, buying an extra mattress topper in the extra long size makes sense. Once your child knows which dorm s/he gets, I would check on the bed size before buying anything.</p>
<p>The idea of renting a safety deposit box for a passport is excellent. The vast majority of students have never had to deal with the complications of dealing with replacing a lost/stolen passport. In my opinion this would be a small amount of money well spent.</p>
<p>all the beds are extra long. ikea doesn't have extra long mattress topper, right.</p>
<p>Seqouia, are those new buildings (IRC and A/H)? the old ones might not have adjustable heights.</p>
<p>cc411, i'm thinking it'd easier for us to buy everything at home since we won't have time in aug during orientation and move in. Also, it's my way to still feel needed and to alleviate my anxieties of the unknown. better to bug cc than my kid with all these details. besides, s does ask me if i've learned anything new on cc. </p>
<p>i admit it, i AM a helicopter parent. i'm trying to let go, give me time!</p>
<p>Is it best to come a few days early to LA and buy everything there, mail stuff from stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, or bring everything on the plane. Also, how should my son send his custom built computer?</p>
<p>I have heard you can select and buy items at your local BB & B and order it to be picked up at a BB & B in L.A. That way, you have done all the time-consuming shopping and deciding, and can have it all waiting for you when you arrive in town for move-in. I have heard there are shuttle buses to take the kids--or you can rent a car in L.A. Anyway, the scoop is that there are 20% off BB&B coupons in the Sunday papers that have no expiration date (I haven't checked this lately) so save a few and you will be all set.</p>
<p>Buying linens and the basics is helpful (my S is pretty clueless on what is even required) but I expect he can make his own plans for how to set up the room and such.</p>
<p>but isn't it better to wash all the linens before using?<br>
if i can't find extra long stuff here, i'll have to order online or something. we have no BB & B. Or I can order from the USC online linen place but they can't send it to my house since it's not in the States.</p>
<p>Did you try Amazon.com? They have free shipping for orders over $25. but I don't know if it is free for international mail. Type in extra-long sheets in the search box and press go to see what they have.</p>
<p>Now you've lured me into online shopping - yikes! If you want to mail order, check out thecompanystore.com. They have Canadian shipping. In the clearance section, there are some very good deals on cotton jersey sheets. It looks like you would buy an XL fitted and a regular twin top sheet. (If anyone knows somebody starting at UCLA or Cal, there are some adorable yellow and blue bold-striped sheets on sale really cheap!)</p>
<p>But if you want to have them sent directly to the dorm and don't care if they're on sale, there will be loads of online options in August. Target, Kohls, BB & B, etc. all carry the XL twin items.</p>
<p>"For kids with laptops, do they lock them to the desk or something?"</p>
<p>Actually, their anxious mothers buy them cable locks but then they never use them. On the other hand, my D had an amazing experience with the insurance policy we bought for her dorm room stuff. I learned about CSI (College Student Insurance) here on CC. We were surprised to figure out that she had about $8,000 worth of stuff in her room when we counted up the computer, stereo, camera, and general household goods/clothes. Very shortly after buying the insurance, her newish digital camera got broken and with a minimum of hassle, all of which she handled herself, they sent a check to replace it. We were very pleased and recommend them highly.</p>