<p>Bed Bath & Beyond has a good list but it’s a bit overkill:
[College</a> Checklist - Bed Bath & Beyond](<a href=“http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/BTC_checklist.asp?]College”>http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/BTC_checklist.asp?)</p>
<p>From Tufts Residential Life website as to what to bring: <a href=“Residential Life & Learning | AS&E Students”>Residential Life & Learning | AS&E Students;
Also, from your Tufts Connection 2016, go to Student Life and What to Bring and there is a list.</p>
<p>The things they won’t let you have in a dorm room list is pretty funny when you realize that some student must have brought each of those items at some point. I’d love to hear the story behind including motorbikes on the list. 
Part of me would love to help expand the list, so that next year when ResLife includes “drill press” and “pet ferret” on the list, D1 can roll her eyes and say “yeah, that was my parents’ idea…” 
;)</p>
<p>Keep in mind
–orientation will include a trip to a nearby Target;
–you’ll get at least a trial Amazon Prime account where 2-day shipping is free;
–anything you leave at home and realize you want can be shipped; and
–there are stores in Medford/Somerville. :)</p>
<p>Second of many questions before start of school! Can anyone tell me about the T Pass? Is it worth it for freshmen? (from San Diego so she wants to see Boston a lot, but can’t imagine she will have much time as a new freshman) and do Tufts students get a discount? Which one do people get? So many- so confusing when you don’t know the area! Thanks!</p>
<p>I’ve never heard D1 mention getting a special T Pass–I think she just tops up her Charlie Card on an as-needed basis, but I’m not sure. They all seem to figure it out once they get there. Even if your D isn’t going into Boston proper on a regular basis, it’s only two T stops to Harvard Square, a common destination.</p>
<p>Okay- what is a Charlie Card and how do they get one?? I was sort of hoping to get it for her for her birthday Tufts bag o’ goodies! And now I see elephants EVERYWHERE!</p>
<p>T pass = Charlie Card</p>
<p>There are other kinds of T Passes - but most Jumbos just have a Charlie card. My D1 uses the T to head into both Cambridge and Boston an a pretty regular basis. I am not sure you can buy one on-line, but you get it at any station and can keep adding to the balance as needed. BTW I think it is named for the Charlie of the famous song who gets on the T and “never returns” and “wanders forever 'neath the streets of Boston”. In reality its a pretty easy system to master…so no worries about real-life Charlies.</p>
<p>^Charlie wasn’t lost, at one time on the outer lines you had to pay when you got off the train as well as when you got on. He didn’t have “one more nickel”. Since his wife in the song hands him sandwiches I could never understand why she didn’t give him the nickel too!
Lyrics and history here: [MBTA</a> > About the MBTA > History](<a href=“The History of the T | MBTA”>The History of the T | MBTA)</p>
<p>I know there is another short thread about this- but do all your kids bank at B of A? It seems easiest- just hate the monthly fees. I hear that if you do all your banking ATM, there are no fees- but is that feasible? Thanks- you guys are the best!</p>
<p>I don’t think you need B of A. Many local banks have free checking and free debit cards with MC or Visa logos. My DDs never use an ATM. They pay for everything with their debit cards - even the $2 fro-yo. If they need cash they just get cash back from a purchase. In general they carry very little cash - a point of contention with M & D who insist they have at least a twenty stowed away somewhere when they are out in town.</p>
<p>Next up…textbooks. Rent? Worth it? Buy used and sell back? From who? Any great web sites for purchasing cheaper or do you buy from bookstore? Thanks!</p>
<p>D1 uses Getchabooks dot com to find the best prices and does a mix of used and new. She generally buys books in her major new - but has done used for many of her distribution requirement classes. Amazon Prime provides free express shipping, and even the associated used book sellers seem to be pretty fast. Most everyone seems to buy books the first week of classes and not before. Most profs seem to understand that not everyone has the books right away, and occasionally DD has found there is something on the published list that she does not need.</p>
<p>Just a caution about renting books. D rented a book from the Tufts bookstore. When she went to return it, they wouldn’t take it back and charged her the remaining cost of the book, claiming it had water damage. The book did not have any damage. She sold it back on Amazon and it qualified for the “excellent condition” price. We won’t rent again.</p>
<p>So the 2016 FB group is abuzz because somebody figured out how to see room assignments on SIS. Although there has been no official communication regarding roomates,etc. the dorms appear to be listed on-line.</p>
<p>You can find the room assignment on your Tufts e-bill.</p>
<p>My son found roomate through Tufts profile housing survey. Once his roomate accepted him, he tried to contact him through facebook just to touch base and talk about who’s going to bring big items for the dorm room. The new roomate never replied. He tried to contact him again through fb and again no reply. Is this normal? My son is going to be freshman so I’m a little nervous since he’s my first and I never went away to school so this is all new to me. Do all roomates talk before getting on campus or boys just don’t care. My son is not giving it another thought. Am I being a crazy mom?</p>
<p>I don’t think all roomates talk before move-in. Also, I think many kids spend big chunks of the summer out of etouch (traveling, working at summer camps, etc.). It took my D1 and her roomate several weeks to connect a few years ago. D2 has already friended and chatted with her roomate on FB the night they were assigned. The big dorm room questions are shared things like printers, refirgerators, TVs, rugs, etc. But it can all be decided during orientation week if they do not organize in advance.</p>
<p>I’m amazed how organized these kids are! If you look at their Tufts 2016 FB page, they have a doc listing all dorms with room numbers and kids are filling in where they live so they can see hall mates etc. Hill Hall kids created a private FB page where they are all meeting and talking. My daughter (girls!) and her room mate (they chose each other) have talked a ton on FB and coordinated their room stuff already. BUT I do know a lot of kids are traveling this summer and may not have access to FB yet- so don’t worry! Everything will be all right in the end…if it is not all right, then it is not the end!</p>
<p>Parent of two boys - oldest never talked to the roommate, youngest did barely at the last minute to arrange fridge.</p>