@dennehy
Much appreciated!
Actually told my son he should get a few pairs of long underwear and he said, “what’s that?”…
Houston we have a problem! I suspect my kid will learn the hard way to respect east coast Mother Nature! Good call on wet hair.
Same situation here - my son is transferring from Australia (we live where yesterday’s mid-July = WINTER temperature was 86F!) to Chicago in 4 weeks.
Thankfully we have been skiing in Canada before and have a vague idea of some winter gear he needs but I know it will be a shock to be living there rather than being on a ski vacation for a week!
Get wool socks! They are warm and keep your feet from getting sweaty. We don’t own any long or thermal underwear. Layers are good, and a hat, scarf and gloves are a must for cold winter days. North Face and LL Bean are good brands for winter coats. LL Bean winter boots are popular too, but there are a lot of good brands. Check out REI.com.
I don’t know if it qualifies as checklist, but make sure your children keep a track of school loan…some people don’t even know it til graduation
I shipped a load of bedding and linens, sewing Kit, tool kit bathroom items to a friend who lives near my son’s school; I paid extra for 100% cotton, and i found a discount code which brought everything down to I believe $140, which seemed a good deal at the time. http://www.ocm.com/ If you can send items to the dorm or to a nearby friend it was easy and efficient. I was afraid Target and Bed Bath and Beyond would be stripped bare byt the time we got to Chicago.
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dennehy - that is exactly my fear as my son is coming from Australia.
I ordered everything online through Target last week and had planned to pick up when we got there just before move-in - but unfortunately they only hold it for 4 days maximum so am out of luck. I rang and explained the situation but “that’s the rules”.
I will just try again 4 days before we arrive and hope that the stock is still available - but am very worried! (And we don’t know anyone there to send it to, so that isn’t an option!)
@ReedsMom BedBathAndBeyond will ask you for pick up date and have it ready then. When you place order they will let you know if items won’t be packed by the local store if they are out of stock. Did our ordering today and it was very user friendly. Don’t know if it’s as easy for international folks but give it a try.
Confused about XL Twin bedding. Do duvets and duvet covers come in XL? Or do we just get a regular?
We did the order and pick up at BBB for D15 because she was out of driving distance. It worked like a charm. They had everything ready to go. You pay at pickup and they took all the 20% off coupons we had. We even were able to refuse a couple of items she decided she didn’t need.
We did the same thing as mtrosemom. BB&B isn’t my favorite store, but they were great for college items. We ordered it here and were able to decide there which items she really wanted before paying for it all (and those 20% coupons really helped).
@ReedsMom, since Target has that 4-day policy I would suggest switching to BB&B or another store. I wouldn’t wait until 4 days before move-in to see if they have what you want. Another thing we did was send things directly to the college via Amazon Prime and other online retailers. My D’s college gave us a shipping address and a date (about 2 weeks before move-in day) that they were ok with receiving items for incoming freshman.
Hope this helps!
One thing I observed through our experience last year we arrived at school in an über with our bedding and suitcases, we were flying from LA and didn’t want to rent a car. We saw people moving in rugs, and full length mirrors, huge TVs and gaming systems, huge wall art, furniture etc. My son had to completely empty his room at the end of the year himself; we weren’t available to fly in and help and we were so glad that there wasn’t that much stuff for him to pack up, he was able to do so quickly and it was manageable. Bear this in mind, that even if you student is returning to that same room, they may have to completely move everything out. Before school we got him only what he needed and as the year went on, if he needed something else, we could ship it to him through Amazon. when he came home for holiday breaks he brought back what he didn’t need.
Get winter jackets that are 3-4 interchangeable pieces. LL Bean, Eddie Bauer etc. Make will teresapip3@gmail.com gear that has a vest that zips into a fleece that zips into a weatherproof shell with detachable hoods and maybe even an interchageable down option.
As far as storage, I know someone that rents a small self storage room for $85/month. Their son puts all his stuff there for summer and does not have to lug it home.
@whatthewhat - just regular twin is fine. You have to XL the sheets or they won’t fit but the comforter/duvet in twin will fit.
Regarding winter clothes for CA students: I’m wondering if it would be best for the students to purchase winter apparel after they arrive on campus and see what the experienced Northeasterners are wearing. Most students like to wear what the other students are wearing. It seems like it would be a good way to meet people, to ask around during the first week in the dorm, “Hey, you’re from Massachusetts? Can I see what kind of winter jacket and boots you have?” I bet the kids would love helping him out. It could be a “dress the kid from LA” activity." LOL. Then he can order online.
Yes that is what we did for my California kid going to Chicago; it’s very hot there in August so we got him as needed when needed. He had Doc Martens and when they weren’t enough we upgraded.
I would agree with the assessment of buying the winter clothes after being there. The student won’t need winter gear for a few months, and it is good to see/hear what “local” wear. We live in a hot western summer climate but a cold snowy winter climate. My kids never need as many outer layers as I think they should wear. We have a lot of North Face, REI, and Patagonia technical gear thanks to outlets and Sierra Trading Post.
Do send them with some moderate winter gear or buy soon after arrival though as when I moved to Chicago from CA we had a snow event in mid-October that came up pretty suddenly.
Sometimes, my child calls me and she is shivering, lonely, and very very sad. So, as a an excellent dedicated dad, I sent her a stuffed animal. All better. nice. Pack a stuffed animal for ur child.
Roadside Assistance!!
I wish I would have thought of this months before my D went to a college 1200 miles from home. Two months into the first semester and she called to tell me she was 40 miles from the campus and had run out of gas. Her roommate had offered to bring her gas in a gas can but the roommate needed money for gas (for her car), money to fill up a gas can, and money to buy a gas can. After over two hours, talking on the phone to two girls, trying to figure out how to transfer money to the roommate, and a giant migraine my D made it back to her dorm. The very next thing I did was look up roadside assistance programs. I found one that was just $20 a month and had unlimited towing, gas service and flat tire service.
^ good point. We keep the basic AAA for minor stuff (gas, battery, tire) and our car insurance add-on for long distance towing (it’'s a lot cheaper than AAA’s gold service)