<p>When you do go to select things, you can go to Bed Bath and Beyond in your local area, select everything- they give you a hand held gizmo that tracks your selections, and then pick them up at the store near her school. Make sure you start saving Bed Bath and Beyond Coupons, they never expire. Then when you get there, they will have your oder ready and in a box for you. The coupons will save you 20% off of everything if you have enough coupons.
If you don't have Bed Bath and Beyond near you, maybe when she goes for accepted student day you could select things. It really makes the process easier.</p>
<p>First-CONGRATULATIONS to your daughter and You. That is quite an accomplishment. CC will prove to be a wonderful resource. We have just one D, and i did not have a clue as to what to do...my parents drove me to the airport-and I was on my way-husband attended local UC....Now that DD is a freshman.I can share "my pearls of wisdom"....good idea to save the bed bath & beyond coupons. You actually 'shop" at a local BBB, each item in the cart is scanned and loaded into their computer. You then get a list and confirmation number for your 'order". When you get to your DD school--you can pick up the items at the closest BBB-they will even tell you which store is closest. Take your coupons and receipt. They had DD items in a storage locker-brought them out with her name and order number. We could make changes while there if we saw something "better' or put something back on the shelf.
XL sheets---are Twin XL---most colleges don't use twin mattresses, they use Twin XL---so when you are looking on-line-be sure they are XL Twin.
I bought DD down comforter for like $30 on Overstock.com--she loves it!
I hope this helps.APOL-a mom..</p>
<p>Thanks all for great suggestions. We will start FIRST with the clothing! The heaviest coat a highschooler here needs is their varsity jacket.
I had NO CLUE for all these years that Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons never expire!!! It pains me now to think of all of those I've thrown away!
Thumper1, she is going for SURE. She got a four year full ride through Questbridge, and it is binding. Those who got chosen were notified Nov. 30th, and it's like "early" ED!</p>
<p>Every time I see this thread I wonder if we are talking about Christmas shopping! Congrats to your daughter and enjoy Massachusetts!</p>
<p>What wonderful news! You must be deliriously happy!</p>
<p>Obviously there is a consensus to wait on certain items til she has a roommate, HOWEVER, since there will be endless purchases to make it will be nice to them out a little and make some Xmas presents if that is relevant. </p>
<p>People have mentioned hoodies, comfy sweatpants, (all from college), etc. We used Ivysport for some purchases prior to DD's departure. A little more expensive with shipping but nice for gifts. One item DD loves are her funky rain boots. She uses them a lot and her long, very warm parka. </p>
<p>I would also start to buy extra toiletries as you shop this year. If you pick up extra shampoo, or contact lens solution, etc., each time you shop it won't seem so expensive in August. </p>
<p>Anyway - enjoy your daughter's success. I am sure it wouldn't have happened without your support!</p>
<p>Congrats to your D. I'm in South Alabama, and my D relocated to NH, so I know a little about how expensive it can get. </p>
<p>Don't buy too much expensive outerwear this Xmas - that's for next Christmas's sales. She doesn't know yet what the other kids wear, or what she will need. Also, kids up there put off wearing what we would call "winter clothes" as long as possible. My D only wears her parka to ski and in Jan/ Feb. I doubt she's had it on yet.
I would suggest for this year's sales- rain boots - funky, cute and waterproof, lots of hats gloves and scarfs (you will find plenty in Ga, they get stocked, but don't sell well), hoodies, sweaters (they wear AF, H&M, American Eagle, lots of thrift store stuff, Kohl's, pretty standard teen wear) get what she likes and she'll be fine, and a black fitted car coat length coat - The Gap or H&M - that coat is a must, it will probably be enough until she comes home next Christmas and you can buy a parka then.</p>
<p>This refurbishing of the wardrobe was our largest expensive by far. My D wore uniforms to high school, so she had few regular clothes, and almost no winter clothes. </p>
<p>Also, I recommend shipping her sweaters home to store, D's prettiest sweater was ruined during summer storage by moths, depite lots of moth balls.</p>
<p>All the major stores from Bed Bath & Beyond to Target have major sales in July and August for dorm supplies. Wait until then, because many items probably won't even be available until then, like XL sheets or the selection will be greatly limited. Others like hampers and shelves and a myriad of other things you never realized that you child would want, will also be in much smaller selection. Wait.</p>
<p>I am copying this from a post (thanks, ClaySoul!) that I read under my D's school back in June. This is just to get started. We began shopping early in the summer and so that it did not get too overwhelming, went back a couple of times (BB&B, Target, Ikea, etc.). I also agree with those above saying to order a sweat shirt or two from the school's bookstore. That is really fun! Of course you want to begin. But unless you have a big house or a big garage or other storage, you will be swimming in stuff before long! I also respectfully disagree with the above poster who gave his/her student "old bedding from the basement." Your student will be beginning a brand new life and should pick out the things that will make him/her happy. I felt that all new stuff was just fine. Of course, we didn't buy the most expensive stuff, but D picked out everything herself to make it all her own. It made her happy. Actually, the very first thing to go into the shopping cart was a pack of 100 straws. Random... Later in the spring your school will probably be sending you things you may and may not bring, and you will get all kinds of lists sent your way from bedding suppliers, etc. Have fun, and congratulations!</p>
<p>-XL sheets (I personally don't recommend the jersey ones but that's just me, a lot of people like them)
-Bed risers
-Under-the-bed storage totes
-A fridge (having one is cheaper then renting every year, and it's super handy)
-A bedside table
-If you have a ton of clothes you can get a portable hanging rack thingy (the clothes rods in the closets tend to be small)
-A shower caddy
-Shower shoes
-Bath towels and hand towels
-school may provide a pillow but one of those if you want
-A TV, computer speakers, and a comfy chair if you really want to pimp it out
-Food like crackers, bottled water, chips, etc.
-One of those tall plastic drawer units
-An area rug (really warms up the room...tile floors are icky and you never know what's buried in existing carpet, if there is carpet...but I think most rooms are tile) (There are some people who sell carpet remnants on campus during orientation and the beginning of the school year, and for much less than it usually costs to buy an area rug. That's what I have. Area rugs are expensive)
-Posters / Tapestries, Art, Wall hangings
-Pictures from home
(very important) a large piece of plywood to put under your mattress and a foam pad to put on top. If your mattress is abysmal, which it may be, you can get a different one from Facilities (I didn't know this my frist year)
-Desk lamp
-Desk accessories (pencil holder, etc)
-Floor lamp, depending on how much light you like
-Throw pillows or nick knacks or decorations that make you feel at home
-Depending on where you're from you may already have a down or down-alternative blanket, but if not, I recommend getting one. They are comfy and it gets cold...
-If you plan to do work in a chair or your bed, then a lap desk
-Those hanging things that store sweaters or shoes, or some other kind of shoe organization stuff if you have a lot of clothes / shoes.</p>
<p>Do NOT buy XL sheets until you find out whether the college dorms have XL beds.</p>
<p>One of my kids attends a college that has XL beds in the dorms, but the other attends a college that has regular twin beds. Wait until you find out what size beds the dorm has before buying anything.</p>
<p>Thanks Marian, sheets are one thing I am going to start looking at as the college website does indicate all beds are XL.</p>
<p>XL sheets go on sale in July/August for very reasonable prices at stores such as Target, BB&B. No need to stock up now. Bedrisers, rugs, etc... are best purchased after one knows the housing situation. S's bed cannot accommodate bedrisers. He's bunking and risks bumping his head against the ceiling as it is. The carpet in his room is brand new. The school allows only mini-fridge/MW combo, and that can only be rented from the school. There's no room for a bedside table. In other words, buy only if you know the exact housing options your student will have. No generalization are possible from S's experience as it seems every dorm has its own quirky space configuration.
What could be bought now, assuming that the student knows where s/he will be attending: cold weather gear (much harder to come by in August), unless the student wants to find out what others are wearing. </p>
<p>If you're beginning to stock up now, you'll need a basement or attic.</p>
<p>For Amherst, boots are a must! There are webchats with Amherst students scheduled, and perhaps she can ask about boots or other cold-weather gear (or get the e-mail of a student who's on the chat and ask off-line). My d, going from Massachusetts to upstate NY, just got a great pair of Northface boots - waterproof and warm! (Yes, and expensive, but they'll last for years.)</p>
<p>Also, fleece is your friend! They don't have to be the Northface jackets; fleece is warm and light and can replace bulkier sweatshirts or wool sweaters. You can pick up nice ones at Kohl's or similar stores.</p>
<p>Things for the dorm you could purchase (that I purchased for the holidays before we even knew where d was going): iPod pillow (pillow that she could put her iPod in and rest her head on, so she could listen without disturbing roommate and without needing to wear headphones), bulletin board, picture frames. And I second the idea of getting her the college sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc. She'll love wearing them to school!</p>
<p>Congratulations to your D; Amherst is an awesome place!</p>
<p>The selection for dorm stuff will be much better later in the year. If you buy a bunch of linens, comforters, furniture, etc. now, you may regret it later when you see stuff you like a lot better. Right now may be a good time to buy "wintry" stuff, though, which you won't be able to find come May. And any items with school logos make excellent presents, as well as college "guidebooks".</p>
<p>Ummm. I'd missed the part about your D going to Amherst. Congrats to her! And cold weather gear is definitely a must. Some can be purchased now or after the Xmas sales: boots, Northface parka, fleece hoodie, hat, scarf, gloves. The snowstorm did not quite materialize yesterday but I was glad of my down coat yesterday.</p>
<p>A big CONGRATS!! The practical thing to do is wait until your D gets her room assignment and roommate, but she needs a celebratory gift NOW. Why not get her something (sweats, sweater, boy-shorts, t-shirt, ) with Amherst on it. </p>
<p>Again congratulations. :D :D</p>
<p>I relate!!! It's hard to wait because you are so excited. I disagree on the "wait until next Christmas" school of thought for winter clothing. The northeast has already been hit hard by winter weather this year.</p>
<p>Really good socks are wonderful. I swear by Smartwool brand. They are expensive, as socks go, but you may be able to find a deal online. They last a long time and are truly warm, soft, and comfortable. Now they come in cool colors and patterns. Mittens would be fun, too.</p>
<p>Lounge wear (sweats) would be a great gift, and fuzzy warm slippers! </p>
<p>Layers: essential. It will be freezing outside and overheated inside. Fleece is a good bet, as mentioned above.</p>
<p>you will have tons of fun, but you should probably make yourselves wait until she can communicate with her roommate for most "room" stuff. Warning: gender stereotype to follow: It seems that many girls tend to care more about coordinating their rooms.</p>
<p>Ah, Mafool, I feel compelled to defend myself! ;).</p>
<p>The main reason I counsel waiting for the most expensive outerwear is that I'm assuming that cost is a consideration, and that you and she don't have a lot of practical experience with buying warm clothes and warm clothes styles. She does need one coat - no doubt, and hats,scarfs, Smartwool socks, gloves etc., but save the boots and other coats for "up north".
When we moved D inot Dartmouth, we made some mistakes. We bought her a parka and waterproof hiking type boots for snow. She rarely wears the parka, although when she needs it it is a necessity, we would have gotten a different type with some guidance. The boots we bought in NH at EMS with the help of a clerk - they weren't on sale or cheap, but they are what she needs. By Christmas freshman year she knew exactly what she needed, then after going through spring (mud) made even better choices for soph year.</p>
<p>ANother thing is that they have a much better selection of winter things up north than they do where we are - although if you are in Atlanta you will have more choices than we do.</p>
<p>I think a cute present would be a nice shower caddy full of stuff - lotions, loofahs, etc. Maybe even one of those cool hair towels. You could go to Bath & Body Works or probably even Target to fill it with nice stuff.</p>
<p>cangel-
We are actually in agreement! I only wanted to make the point that it gets cold before Christmas, so being prepared is a good idea. Doing the "bulk" of the shopping (and I do use the word "bulk" deliberately!) for the big stuff once you're there and know what you need makes good sense.</p>
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Doing the "bulk" of the shopping (and I do use the word "bulk" deliberately!) for the big stuff once you're there and know what you need makes good sense.
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<p>This works for dorm stuff provided that the student and family have access to a car (in your case, presumably one rented by the parent after you fly to Massachusetts). If the student is flying to college alone, having to use public transportation to go to stores while also coping with Orientation could be too much of a burden.</p>
<p>This does NOT work for winter clothing. It isn't in the stores yet when the academic year starts.</p>