<p>There is a video of the dorm rooms at The Commons that shows what they come with:
[The</a> Commons ? Double and Triple Rooms - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>The farther away Targets do not get swamped and are not very far away. Nashville is not a huge city.</p>
<p>You can ship stuff in advance from home or from stores like Amazon or Bed, Bath and Beyond and pick them up the day before move-in in a big tent set up on the lawn at the Commons. I don’t think there is a limit on the amount sent ahead. </p>
<p>My son is a senior and lived with three members of the Marching Band sophomore year in a house with ten singles. What great people! The Vandy Marching Band has its own fun. They work very hard but no matter where your son ends up re social circles and academic major, the MB will be a warm, friendly place for him on campus. Coming to school early is a great way to start out with a place. The Vanderbilt media programs you see at insidevandy.com also by the way for readers…recruit leadership and ask them to come in early for a couple three days for training each summer. (Our son applied and was not selected…but ended up writing for the paper regularly anyway…those selected had significant high school paper experience in general and he did not.)</p>
<p>watch for the email inviting new students to apply to come to Vandy early for training in media and apply, Philovitist. Otherwise, if denied…write and submit. They always need new talent willing to stay on top of things and able to meet deadlines.</p>
<p>Vandyswim–I meant the bookcase style faux wood shelves (my daughter was given some hand-me-down ones that we made work for the space–I thought the narrow rather than wide ones were good but I’m just the mom, not the one in the room). She used the shelves for books, extra reams of paper, coffee mugs, alarm clock, etc. Can’t recall if she put her printer on top of the shelves. Little organizer boxes inside the drawers for holding make-up etc. were also helpful. I liked the suggestion on here for wire (or plastic) shelves/bins for the closet . This year D invested in one of those short revolving shoe racks from the Container Store to put in her closet.<br>
I understand Pancaked’s point about not buying until you see the space but I’m the kind who didn’t want to risk not being able to find what we wanted so I bought early, packed it into the car and hung on to the receipt. I also foolishly thought that if I was organized enough ahead of time we could avoid making any trips to Target or BB&B while in Nashville–ha ha–I didn’t anticipate enough power strips or some sort of cables and things I don’t understand for the laptop & printer. I also echo the desk lamp and a variety of those 3M command strips (although D learned the hard way, if you don’t follow directions, they will damage the wall board if removed incorrectly )</p>
<p>We raised our D’s bed up about three feet off the ground and put two sets of plastic drawers underneath it. We also put the two-drawer piece of the provided furniture beneath the bed to increase floor space in the room. Because the bed was raised up, we bought a small storage cube from Target for her to use as a stepstool for getting into the bed easily. It served a dual purpose, since the top comes off and you can put things inside. If you do plan to loft the bed, be sure to get some sort of stepstool.</p>
<p>Shortly after moving in, our daughter asked for a small vacuum because hair was turning up everywhere on the tiled floor. You’ll also want some type of fairly large rug for the floor of the room, but you can get that once you see what the roommate has. Our D brought an iron but we ended up getting her a steamer, which she used much more. She also uses Downey wrinkle-release spray quite frequently–much easier than ironing and equally as effective on many fabrics. We did get her a printer, which she used until it broke (then used her roommate’s). Must have a small fridge, and we ended up getting a microwave, too, so she could heat up frozen dinners from the Munchie Marts and make tea when she was sick. I’d advise getting some paper plates, bowls, and plastic utensils, because there is no kitchen on the floor and no good place to wash dishes.</p>
<p>Pancaked, S was on the staff of The Hustler his first 2 years. I got some pretty strange looks when I told friends about his involvement. They seemed not to hear “The” in front of Hustler! I bookmarked the website and read the paper throughout my years as a Vandy parent (which was a long stretch from '03 - '11). Like you, I have always thought of it as an overall good campus paper.</p>
<p>Yes, there are some triples. They are real triples with 3 closets, 3 sets of furniture. But they are just square rooms, not suites or anything as far as I know.</p>
<p>How did you raise your daughter’s bed the 3 feet off the ground? That sounds somewhere between lofting and not lofting? My daughter is extremely tall, this could work very well for her. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your experienced viewpoint.</p>
<p>vandyswim, the beds that furnish the commons are identical and have more than one option for raising. In old school dorms you buy these dumb looking conical feet to get a small enough lift for under bed storage. In the Commons, the bed does this for you as an option. Some kids are reluctant to loft as they like sprawling on their beds, so they opt for below bed storage. </p>
<p>Keep in mind also that out of town kids liberally use the local storage locker companies…usually share them. It really is cheaper than driving stuff home every year like little refrigerators and lamps and soft chairs for corners in the room. During the summers we didn’t rent a unit, son farmed these items out to friends…when he went abroad. Over the summers, of course. Since we visit once an academic year, we often return home with the summer or winter excess clothing. But you really can get by without coming with so very much clothing or with shipping boxes home.</p>
<p>As Faline described, we just used the provided furniture and placed the materess frame on one of the highest “pegs” possible. The beds are designed to be lofted as high as bunk beds and, if you don’t arrange them that way, you’ll have some extra frame pieces that you’ll need to stow behind the bed or in the closet. We used one of the extra pieces to serve as a sort of headboard so that her pillow would not fall off the end of the bed. I’ll see if I can pm you a photo.</p>
<p>Hi Mom of three boys. Our son was raised in a sort of traditional corner of VA where men tend to dress a bit preppy. However our son is a non Greek. So except for taking a couple of girls to sorority events at their invite, he didn’t use his tuxedo/blazers in his four years for dating or parties as much as Greek students might nor was he at semi formals etc. --like his Duke bro who went Greek. </p>
<p>What I will say is that I would send one suit and one blazer, casual and formal ties and a pair of dress shoes and a pair of casual dress shoes. I think every guy needs one business casual and one formal business look. The reason I say this is that our son applied for about four or five things freshman year that required interviews. When this reality hit, he actually thanked me for pushing him in high school to apply to colleges that required interviews or he would have been “Not Ready.” He got a couple positions and was not selected for others. examples would be Honor Court, or a committee position for a campus function or trying out for debate teams or taking public speaking and having a presentation to make or hosting a campus event…which he has done many times. Every year, seniors fade out and they bring in new blood. Freshmen and sophomores must enter the fray and try new things and be articulate. At the same time, the business dress I mention can be modest. There is no need to buy for Wall Street. Perhaps your son will go to the Career Center and will look into interviews for summer internships or jobs. Perhaps there will be things to do in Nashville. </p>
<p>Our son’s freshman roommate is now an RA (honorable choice since this pays his room and board for his "rents). He was from Southern CA and arrived without enough warm clothing. His Mom and sis went through our son’s closet, then ordered things online and mailed them to their Cali son. The weather in Nashville is a lot like that of VA but it is wetter and there tends to be more soaking rains and more risks of tornados. Therefore girls and guys need not slippery rain shoes that dry quickly for warm and cold weather…</p>
<p>Son does like his ugg sort lined water proof short snow boots but they really aren’t necessary. A good pair of gortex half boots or the like will do it in winter. Nashville used to get a lot of snow. Now perhaps two or three a year. </p>
<p>I really like a windbloc jacket for most winter days. Polartec layers to mix it up. a Goretex or waterproof something with a hood to get across campus no matter if the rain is cold or spring warm. </p>
<p>Our son is usually a flannel shirt boots jeans type and leans toward casual wear. Nashville is very eclectic with artists around near campus. He likes a thin windbloc vest a lot that he can throw on and is enough on fall days. Ditto some pullovers from places like Patagonia…he does favor things like that but dress is quite varied at Vandy.</p>
<p>Thank you for the info Faline. This is a little overwhelming as this is my first to go away to college. If you think of any other tips, I am all ears! Thanks again </p>
<p>Vandy is a cozy urban campus. From the Commons to the main campus is a bit of a hike or trot or run depending on how on time you are, and if you are in Blair for classes, you might be hopping the shuttle bus or VandyVan. Autumns and springs are long and glorious but the most important thing in my mind is shoes for slippery wet stairs (I fell down my steep college library staircase with a load of books once) and layers for wind blocking so you don’t have to lug around actual coats and things can be stuffed in your backpacks. This is not a campus famous for “if you leave it on a table it will still be there in two hours” because of the honor code. Duke Vandy Emory are major regional hubs and they don’t cut themselves off from the native citizens and there are stragglers around the public parts of the university. Things will disappear. Bikes get stolen. So get a small backpack for your laptop and electronics and a couple of books for mornings when you don’t have a lot to do that requires books and a bigger one if you don’t plan to return to Commons and you have a lot of books to lug.<br>
If you want to rush, you will want to have a bit of variety in your closet re nice casual shirts, and kakis for sure. I raised an Oscar and a Felix. One ironed shirts on big nights for his fratty friends, the other is rumpled and casual. I suggest the extra ten bucks for no iron shirts and pants. Your laundry facilities are better than at most colleges. Your food is better than at most colleges. Your housing is better as well.<br>
Son has run out of cards with his name on it for stationary twice. That is right. A lot of people to thank right there at Vanderbilt. The faculty and staff is there to serve and their efforts mean writing brief notes of appreciation.</p>
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