Hi.Our daughter joins first year of college this August.We have been sent a long list of furnishings by college which need to be pre-ordered .Wanted to know from other parents whether -(a.) are extra mattresses really required or is the basic mattress provided by college , sufficient? (b.) Stuff like iron,fan and lamp etc., are they available for sale on campus ?It seems like an overkill to order such electrical items over the internet in advance.(c.)Is there any chance of a small safe/vault being provided along with the wardrobe by college ?
Any tips on what one must buy and what is unnecessary(especially for international students) would be greatly appreciated.
When you talk about the “long list” that needs to be “pre-ordered,” are you talking about this list? http://residentiallife.vassar.edu/procedures/personal-property/useful-items.html
I don’t remember receiving anything else when our son started a couple of years ago. I do remember there was some pretty aggressive marketing by the so-called “Vassar Linens Program,” which actually isn’t a part of the college but rather an outside company. While it might be convenient to use them, we found that it was much cheaper for our son to figure out what he needed after he saw his room and just buy it at Target (which is in the mall that’s on one of the Poughkeepsie bus routes that are free for students), or order it from Amazon and have it delivered to the college. And, I have no idea why anyone would need an extra mattress!
A mattress topper (basically, a piece of foam) is often appreciated by students, but I have never heard of an extra mattress on a ‘what to bring list’!
Is it Vassar your daughter will be attending? (knowing which college makes it easier to give specific info).
In general, the list you get from the college will be long and full of options (is there any hope your child will actually iron? what about Wrinkle Release?). Most essentials are usually on sale on campus, but with less selection and higher prices) or at least locally. I would not count on there being a vault or a safe in the room.