<p>Funny someone mentioned stamps–I was thinking that I must have been drugged or something to imagine D would mail anything. They came home mostly stuck together. The cordless stick vac was never touched–D has allergies/asthma, and was sleeping in a room with carpeting for the first time in years, so I thought she’d need to keep it vacuumed to be able to breathe. Apparently not. A really nice rolling underbed storage box from the Container Store was also never used. D tossed it because she stored all her stuff over the summer and it wouldn’t fit in the provided storage boxes. A clever recharging station that neatly holds a cell phone and iPod was a waste–not sure why it didn’t get used. But D did use her second set of sheets because of her tendency to forget about her laundry and realize it was still wet in the washer when she was ready to go to bed. I applaud her for not simply sleeping directly on the mattress–a common solution, I’m sure!</p>
<p>Moved D in to her dorm with a completely stuffed Expedition. Will be moving her out shortly with an Expedition pulling a U-haul trailer- not even kidding. </p>
<p>Didn’t send a second set of sheets: she just laughed when I suggested them.</p>
<p>Small tool kit: never used by D but used by everyone else in her dorm.</p>
<p>Can/bottle opener combo: She said she never used the can opener side but the bottle opener has seen much use. Thank goodness I didn’t send a corkscrew.</p>
<p>Things she sent/brought home: pleasure reading books. Said they taunted her since she had absolutely no free time to read and it made her sad. Also brought back her paints and art kit, which also taunted her from their storage place under her bed. </p>
<p>The one thing she said we forgot: Duct Tape!! Really?!! What the heck is that for or do I even want to know?!</p>
<p>“The one thing she said we forgot: Duct Tape!! Really?!! What the heck is that for or do I even want to know?!”</p>
<p>Stuff breaks… If you’re going to half-ass fix something, half-ass fix it the right way.</p>
<p>^ I used duct tape to hang up posters in my room, since they kept falling down when I used Scotch tape or poster putty.</p>
<p>I also never used my second set of sheets because I would wash the one set and then put them right back on the bed. I’ll bring them back next year, though, since there’s always the chance I’ll spill something and not have time to wash the sheets before I want to sleep.</p>
<p>I brought a bunch of things for doing hair - hair curlers, a hair straightener, a curling iron - that I didn’t use as often as I thought I would. I didn’t have enough time. But again, I’ll probably bring them back next year, since I did use them once in a while.</p>
<p>Books for pleasure reading.</p>
<p>A photo album.</p>
<p>Stuffed animals. I only brought two, but they kind of got in the way.</p>
<p>I never ONCE used the 3-hole punch I got at Staples. In high school it would have been handy since there were tons of handouts and little assignments that would go in a binder, but in college, everything from one class could fit in a folder.</p>
<p>Binders.</p>
<p>A planner/assignment notebook. The syllabi had all the homework assignments, so it was pointless to transfer them over to the planner when I could just look at the syllabi.</p>
<p>I used binders, a planner, and my three hole punch several times a day. o.O Had to buy a staple remover, too, I hadn’t thought of that and ended up removing them regularly with pliers my first three weeks of school.</p>
<p>I also went through three rolls of gorilla tape. lol</p>
<p>Not really in the same category as above, but still mostly unused: I visited my S once and saw the box of goodies I had sent him for some holilday, sitting opened on the mail-littered DR table (he was in an apt., not a dorm.) The fruit was turning itself into dried fruit, and even the energy bars seemed to be all still there.</p>
<p>??? After I lovingly packed it so he would have some good nutrition. Sigh.</p>
<p>Spent a lot on mattress covers–never used.</p>
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<p>Sent, but when he needed to send a thank you note to his grandparents, he didn’t remember that such things were in his desk. It’s so funny. One desk, one thin drawer - how can things get lost?!</p>
<p>An older lady at church bought him a roll of stamps as part of her graduation present. I assume that would have been a terrific gift when she was in college in 1961…we “bought” the stamps from him.</p>
<p>I did not bother sending either - knowing he’d never use them. Then in March, there was a form I needed him to sign. I actually mailed him a large envelope - which contained a SASE back to me - so that he could sign the form and mail it back. I think I’m an enabler.</p>
<p>Checks from her new account - didn’t send. She has no idea how to make out a check, she uses cash or her debit card, and we figured why send her with something like that if it’s just going to get lost. This was only a problem twice this year; both times for summer applications that needed deposits sent by check not online credit cards. Both times I made out the check, mailed it to her, and then she placed it in the envelope. I guess she found the post office and bought envelope and stamp, didn’t ask!</p>
<p>Next year I think we’ll send the checks, especially since she’ll be in an apartment.</p>
<p>^^I always send a SASE with any form I need a child to sign. Otherwise I am pretty sure I wouldn’t get it back.</p>
<p>My S is at boarding school, he used his stamps and his stationary. We have always had a rule that you can’t cash your check, use your gift card, or anything else, until the thank you note has been sent. Plus Great Grandma was 94 when she passed away last year. When she sent a check a letter went out the same day. S said at her age he didn’t want to take any chances on not getting to thank her. She died a few weeks after the last check she sent him. She loved getting his notes. He’ll be going to college with more stamps and stationary.</p>
<p>I think he still has the same bottle of febreeze from freshman year!</p>
<p>Has anyone tried to send their children to college with large and / or lethal fish?</p>
<p>For some reason, this from the UVA housing FAQ cracked me up…</p>
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<p>[First</a> Year Housing: Frequently Asked Questions, Housing Division, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/housing/faq.php]First”>http://www.virginia.edu/housing/faq.php)</p>
<p>I sent stamps when we delivered D to college. A few months later she requested that I send her some stamps. I told her that there should be stamps amongst her desk supplies and if she couldn’t find them, I suggested she might buy some more. </p>
<p>D asked me where she could buy some stamps?! I reminded her that there was an on-campus post office where she picks up her mail and I was fairly certain they would be happy to sell her some stamps. Glad to hear that we aren’t alone!</p>
<p>Can’t recall if we sent stamps or not- when I needed something returned I was like mommusic and sent the SASE. Most of my family is fairly electronic communication oriented- in fact my mother emails both children pretty regularly. Written correspondence usually means a gift of some type!</p>
<p>GSharpM7- D is just completing her first year. We didn’t try to bypass the non-lethal fish rule–but now I am wondering what exactly a lethal fish is? Or what would be considered large?</p>
<p>Those darn beanbag arm-chair things. They take up WAY too much room and most common areas have enough seating for everyone. </p>
<p>Tupperware. I accumulated enough from Chinese takeout that I just recycled and washed and used again. </p>
<p>Looseleaf. I’m not kidding. I’ve been carrying around the same package of unopened looseleaf for years. Everyone uses laptops or spiral notebooks and folders.</p>
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<p>The only thing that I could think of is someone with a venomous pet Lionfish, Stonefish, Scorpionfish, etc.</p>
<p>D is currently trying to figure out how to bring her non-lethal fish home for the summer. It was a gift from her big in her sorority. Everyone else’s fish has already died.</p>
<p>^^^ Lol…I was wondering the same thing…lethal fish vs non lethal fish…very interesting!</p>
<p>I must lead a very sheltered life…never knew that folks kept lethal fish as pets!</p>