<p>Every dorm at VT is a little different, and I'm wondering if anyone can clue me in to what a room in Lee Hall includes, so we have a better clue about what sorts of items to bring. In my old dorm (Monteith ... no longer a dorm, I don't think...), each room had 2 closets with no built-ins (just a bar), two desks, and two dressers, plus the bunked beds. DS stayed in WAJ for orientation -- the dorm there had a big wardrobe with two drawers, but no separate dresser, and a desk for each person. So in a dorm room like that, the idea that you'd use the top of the dresser for a printer or microwave or whatever no longer works, and if you want extra horizontal surfaces, you have to bring them. Anybody have any info? Thanks.</p>
<p>And if I may add a question, are they carpets in the rooms in Lee Hall?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.housing.vt.edu/halls/hall_list/Lee.html”>http://www.housing.vt.edu/halls/hall_list/Lee.html</a> </p>
<p>@LaureenMT, thanks, but that doesn’t really help, since it seems to be a stock photo that appears with lots of different dorms. Maybe they are really the same, but I have to wonder, which is why I was asking specifically. For example, they show the same picture for my old dorm, Monteith. While it is possible that they modified Monteith to look like that, it seems unlikely. </p>
<p>@jhoelscher - the info from RHF about the carpet sale doesn’t have Lee down as a dorm that is already carpeted. So I would say no, no carpets in Lee.</p>
<p>My S lived in Lee Hall his first year and WAJ during his second year. The rooms in Lee are slightly larger than WAJ. His room came with 2 beds, 2 dressers, 2 closets, a sink and towel rack. The dressers were smaller than the wardrobes in WAJ and were small enough to put it in the closet, if a student wanted more space in the room. There is enough room in Lee that both beds can be placed on the floor (no lofting or bunking). In WAJ, at least one bed must be lofted or you have to bunk the beds. We purchased two standalone wall units and stacked them so they reached 6 feet. This really helped with maximizing the space. We used the shelves to hold the TV, microwave, and printer. We put the refrigerator on the floor and the shelves over the refrigerator. Also, if you do loft one of the beds, you can place the shelving unit near the head of the loft bed. We put a tray on the top shelf and the student in the top loft had a firm place to put his cell phone, eye glasses, etc. There were no rugs in Lee Hall and I did not think they were needed. The rooms were very comfortable. The upper floors stay warm. Also, VT does not provide vacuum cleaners for the students. Our S took a small broom and dust plan (they connected to each other) and that was fine for cleaning the floor. You will find that you have more flexibility and options for furniture arrangement in Lee than in WAJ.</p>
<p>@GradandMom - Thanks! That is so, SO helpful!</p>
<p>Yes, thank you!</p>
<p>My son put the dresser in the closet, and then put the TV on top of it. Saved lots of room. (Obviously, he didn’t need much closet / hanging space though)</p>
<p>My twins both lived in Lee and then one moved to WAJ. Lee rooms are definitely bigger and more versatile. The wardrobe in WAJ is much smaller than the closet and dresser in Lee. Also, there is a built in storage area over the closet in Lee. The dresser is also deceptively big. My son could get all of his clothes in the dresser and only had a few nice outfits and coats to hang up in the closet. They both kept their dressers in the closet and put additional little storage drawers on top of one side of the dresser. We also bought cheap area rugs for the room, and they both said it made the room feel more “homey”.</p>
<p>Are there vacuums to borrow for the rug?</p>
<p>We asked about vacuums during Orientation. Someone suggested waiting to see if someone on the hall had a vacuum and bringing one only if you find out that none are available (if you are going to be able to go home). You can also get a bus to a nearby Target/Walmart to buy one if needed. My daughter will be at WAJ, so we plan to conserve space by bringing as little “extra” stuff as possible!</p>
<p>One suggestion that made a lot of sense: don’t bring clothes for all seasons at once! Leave the winter stuff at home until needed. (Maybe one warm outfit, just in case.) Switch out for each season. And I’m not sure why anyone would bring a TV, since so much can be streamed on the laptop or watched on the TV in the commons room.</p>
<p>My daughter had a vacuum and shared with her hall mates. My son borrowed one from someone on his hall. Switching out clothes is a great idea. Just remember, Blacksburg can get pretty cold in late October (usually snows at least a little before Thanksgiving) so make sure your student has a warm jacket and some pants on hand just in case.</p>
<p>Okay a couple of questions. One how far is the bus ride to Target/Walmart? is it easy to hop on ? and free right?
Also, wouldn’t it be worth bringing a TV for gaming? Is there a Commons room in Lee hall with a TV?</p>
<p>@GradandMom, when you mention getting two standalone wall units for your son’s dorm room, are those the wooden ones we got a mailer about? If not, where did you get them? My daughter will be at WAJ, so we are looking for ways to use the space well!</p>
<p>@jhoelscher Target and Walmart are about a 15 minute drive from Virginia Tech. There is a bus that goes out there, but I believe that bus only comes around every hour or so. </p>
<p>There is a TV in the common rooms but most people I know had at least one TV in their dorm. I’d recommend picking one up. </p>
<p>Thank you! We actually already bought a TV, I was making sure we didnt make a mistake.</p>
<p>LaureenMT, we waited to purchase the two stand-alone wall units after we moved most of our Son’s stuff into the room. The units are a white metal and can be broken down for easy storage. We were not sure how much space we would have for the units, which is why we waited. There are several big box stores in Christiansburg that sell them. My S used them in both Lee and WAJ. Now he is in an apartment. Rather than purchase a dresser for the apartment, we purchased 4 large baskets to hold his clothes (boxers, socks, tee shirts, and shorts) and put one basket on each shelf and the other two shelves are holding “stuff.” </p>
<p>The bus runs all day, is free, and has many on/off stops. My S told me that he needed to allow several hours for a round trip, including shopping time.</p>
<p>Good vacuums are difficult to find in the dorms. At WAJ, we did not realize that there were no vacuums available to borrow. My S and his roommate did not vacuum the room all year! When we were trying to get him checked out in at the end of the Spring semester, we found out about the vacuum situation. We tried to borrow a vacuum from several students. All were either broken or had no suction. We had to drive to a friend of his who lived in an apartment to borrow a vacuum. </p>
<p>The TVs are not just for watching TV. I have seen the students playing games and using the larger display for preparing/editing PowerPoint slides, etc. </p>
<p>Regarding the clothes - Fall Break weekend is a good time to take home the summer clothes and bring back winter clothes. It is Oct 12 this year. </p>