Ideas to reduce dorm stuff/clutter?

<p>Limabeans, I’d love to have a hammock. However, depending on the size of the room, one may have to put the desk/ dresser under the lofted bed so that everything fits. Also, lofted beds may be very stable vertically, but not so stable laterally. It might be better to set up the room first, and then figure out if the hammock would work. </p>

<p>Fogfog, I’ve also seen beds placed on a “stand” to be lofted. It’s hard to have crazy contraptions these days due to “fire” and “safety” regulations.</p>

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<p>Why would it be inappropriate? D’s school has cable in every room, so obviously they’re assuming most kids will have one. She took a 19" LCD and her roomie knew in advance - neither of them are TV junkies but D likes to watch the news and a few shows/movies. They often had a roomful of friends over a few times a week to watch a favorite show together because the lounge TV’s were taken over by sports fanatics or people just left messes in there…I know because she’d call me from the stairwell asking how to politely send them home so she and her roommate could get some sleep. Anyway, guess I’d rather have the girls watching a TV show, or playing a video game together, than some of the more inappropriate pastimes I’ve witnessed, lol!</p>

<p>If you lift the bed enough to put bookcase and dresser underneath, and put the long side of the bed along the wall, you have space behind the bookcase and dresser. This “deep, dark storage” is a good place for things like luggage, flattened cardboard boxes from move-in, skiis, tents, backpacking equipment, etc, that won’t be needed for months.</p>

<p>If there is a Bed Bath & Beyond near your school, you can order things online and arrange to pick them up at the store near your school when you get there. This helps if you want storage bins/drawers, etc., and don’t have the room to transport it. You don’t have to worry about looking for everything when you get there.</p>

<p>The BB&B hints are helpful. We have one at home and get lots of coupons. I think one near college too - will check that out at Orientation in July. </p>

<p>I am confident we will be able to get everything to the dorm ok, even if some of it goes in dribs and drabs as needed. I’ve become much more concerned with the hassles at the end of the year. </p>

<p>I also like the hints about checking into storage companies that come to pick up the stuff. Son’s college is a city campus where no friends will have a car. Even if expensive, storage compay pickup would make more sense than parents flying to college to rent a car to help get stuff to storage (I’ve heard stories of such). If I’m going to pay for an airline ticket, I’d prefer it be for a midsemester visit.</p>

<p>C-mom, check and see if your son’s school has zip cars…I think students over 18 with licenses can rent them by the hour pretty reasonably</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.zipcar.com/agencies?&return_url=/find-cars[/url]”>http://www.zipcar.com/agencies?&return_url=/find-cars&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;