I’m really excited for class at Deerfield and being able to experience dorm life for the first time. I know that a lot of you are also probably excited as the date is coming closer and closer that we must go back to school!! Below please tell me how you plan on taking your clothes, snacks, and bins to boarding school, what you want to do the first day/week, and other things related to the topic of first days and such.
Is this thread only for incoming/new students or can returning boarding school students give their advice as well?
ok so I asked a bunch of ppl, but i may/may not b able ship my stuff to choate bc I really want to bring my fatboy from home. field hockey tryouts for jv are on the second day and i’m becoming progressively worse at dribbling so I’ll prob spend some time practicing on the turf if possible. idk if I’m supposed to bring my stick w me or if they’ll lend me them, so i’ve got to figure that out. clothes-wise i looked at the historic temperatures for september & apparently it’s like low-70s until october, so I’m only bringing t-shirts and light jackets and stuff. i’ve got to buy a backpack and school supplies too. i love snacks so i’m definitely going to go to target (also to get room stuff) and loading up on snacks. i actually made a list of snacks that i’ll probably get:
-oreo thins (classic flavor)
-sour patch kids king size
-hershey’s cookies and creme
-pretzel crisps & hummus
-pirate’s booty
-thin mints knockoffs from whole foods
-ramen [chicken, low sodium)
-annie’s mac and cheese
-microwave popcorn (and seasoning)
-roasted almonds
-sea salt and vinegar cape cod potato chips
-green tea kit kats if i can find them
-these chinese chocolate filled panda cookie cracker things
-good humor ice cream sandwiches if i’m allowed to bring them/find a freezer
-stacy’s pita chips (the normal kind)
-goldfish, cheddar blast
Haven’t you kids heard of the freshman 15???
So true! @Korab1 Boarding school can be quiet at times and so people tend to gather together to just eat ;)) Almost every new student I know experienced the freshman 15 (freshman 17 for me!)
@Korab1 @cababe97 While admittedly unusual, my kiddo LOST weight last year which makes a mom feel very guilty. I’m hoping to do a better job with stocking the dorm room with snacks that strike that fine balance between appeal and decent nutrition.
@applejuice007 I admire your planning! But you might want to scale back on the snacks until you move into the room to see what your space constraints are and assess the available kitchen, and maybe even wait until a few days after classes start so you have a sense of the rhythm of your days.
Don’t count on storing refrigerated or frozen food…not that there won’t probably be a fridge, but food placed there will be considered community property by some of your dormmates. And make sure you have room and sealed plastic bins for all the snacks.
At Choate, freshman dorms usu have a fridge in the common area or basement in each dorm. You label what’s yours, but I think since it is in a common area, people can and do take things that are not theirs. I remember my daughter couldn’t keep ice cream from walking away. I think you still might have to earn the privilege of using a microwave which is usu given second semester.
@twinsmama - isn’t that the truth - can you imagine how long ice cream sandwiches will last in a community fridge regularly prowled by teenagers?
Your supply list should tell you what you can and cannot have in your room as far as food and storage. My son’s list includes “food” and a sealable plastic bin, and roommates can have one mini-fridge in the room (which they can rent at school). I plan to stock the bin with snacks (which he can replenish as needed with his spending money), and I’ll make sure both grandmothers know where to send cookies and care packages. I think there is a small community kitchen as well, but since junk doesn’t survive in our household of 2 boys, I don’t think it would be safe in a dorm full of hungry boys.
Random word of warning to parents: as you begin to send items from you regular e-tailers to your kiddo at BS, be sure to select the correct shipping address when you place your orders. This past winter I ordered 3 pairs of knee-high boots for myself but they got sent to my kiddo at school (I like to order a few pairs at a time to choose from and send back what doesn’t make the cut). DC called from the mailroom to ask: “MOM, what did you order???” “Nothing, I haven’t ordered anything for you.” “Well, there’s a huge Zappos box here addressed to me.” “Oh. Oops. Sorry!” It was a first-world fiasco with my kiddo lugging the huge box back to the dorm where it sat until I came for a visit and sent the boots back (sans the pair I kept ;
) . I’m pretty sure it henceforth ruined the joy for DC when receiving package notices at school.
^^DH did the same, although it was food supplements for his elderly father that ended up in a dorm. Who knew that teenagers would consume several cases of Boost?!
I am also super careful when I select the ship to address on Amazon prime. Speaking of prime, the pantry is loaded with snacks and you’ll have them within two days. I would say concentrate on the actually dorm room requirements like hangers, command hooks, a surge strip, extension cord(s), charging cables, school supplies, the expected calculator, a caddy for the shower with all the necessary stuff, a couple of towel wraps (DD said she like she used these), over the counter meds like allergy pills, first aid kit, laundry stuff if you opt out of the service, USB drives just in case. Know the rules about wall hangings such as tapestries and string lights as well as soft good like chairs. Most require that they are cal133 (maybe number not accurate) for flame retardant reasons.
Also weather-wise regarding New England, do not assume that the weather will remain warm into October. You will need layers. Cardigan sweaters for girls are perfect.
I don’t think my DD gained significant weight but she grew maybe 3-4 inches during the year.
@gardenstategal Hmmm…maybe I should “accidentally” send some Boost to help D.C. keep the weight on. This year’s dorm is much closer to the mailroom than last year… >:)
@MAandMEmom has some great advice in her post for practical items. About hangers: we did get the laundry service which meant that items that came back on wire hangers stayed on those hangers, and things that came back folded stayed folded. Consequently, the hangers we bought plus the used wire hangers ended up being piled up on the floor. Not sure what we can do differently this year other than to remind kiddo to deal with the hanger discards so as to be respectful to the roomy. Managing these sorts of minute logistics are the unexpected skills our kids learn at BS.
I’ll just add that kids may want a small supply of personal snacks, but likely this will diminish as time goes on. Kids are fed very well at BS. I mean really, 3 unlimited meals per day, and at my students’ school each dorm has a weekly mug night with more elaborate snacks and a nightly 9am meeting where they have a get together and light snacks, and birthday get togethers etc. Senior dorm parents used to make breakfast occasionally also. They will get lots of food provided.
Additionally, just FYI, if your student has particular nutrition needs, call the dining service and speak with the manager. My student needed lactaid milk, and he bought a supply and told her where it was in the kitchen and just to come back and help herself whenever she wanted some. They treat our students very well, in general when it comes to meals and snacks. Of course, care packages with their favorite snacks are great from time to time, but I don’t think you need to supply large quantities of snacks over time. They won’t go hungry!
what about protein shakes/protein bars for the athletes looking to add or maintain weight? Are those available anywhere on the meal plan?
It makes me laugh to think of the careful preparation and lists and clothing tags and every thing else for the first year of boarding school compared to my lackadaisical attitude for the final year.
I expect to be lackadaisical about getting ready for college, too. Really, it’s just more of the same… (yawn)
Note on snacks in dorm rooms: Keep them sealed in plastic tubs. This advice brought to you by the mom of the child who brought two small, furry, rodent-y, hitchhikers home with him.
@twinsmama, I laughed too thinking how anal I was about labeling all his clothes. Even his underwear and socks. This year I will not label anything. I now know it does not matter as he will lose some of it and pick up other stuff that I have no idea who it belong to. I remember that blazer I paid so much money for last year. By parents weekend it was gone and he had no recollection of every owning a blue blazer.
My mom isn’t even going to bother with labeling things. I’m pretty sure she knows it won’t last…
I wonder if any kids have experienced freshman -15? I have a feeling I’m going to lose weight just because eating never really crosses my mind until either someone reminds me or until a meal is directly in front of me. I’m not huge on junk food either, so my food collection will probably consist of oatmeal (cinnamon apple - my favorite late night food), some source of caffeine, and some type of candy. The only food that I will 100% eat without a second thought is mint oreos. Those things are addicting.