List of important things to bring to college (boys)

Parents Forum
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<p>All the “boy moms” are on the same page here! We went out tonight to “window shop” for dorm stuff and I got an answer something along the line of - why aren’t you just getting this stuff for me, why do I have to pick it out?</p>

<p>So, I’m online at BB&Beyond and noticed a satchel type thing they sell (called a “Kangaroom Bottle Holder”) under their “bath - shower caddies” link (currently on the last page) - it is a canvas bag, with drain holes and plastic liner that holds bottles and has hooks for over the shower rod or closet rod, etc.</p>

<p>Now, my boy would just lose this AFTER it got wet and crammed into some corner and turned into a giant ball of mold, but maybe someone else’s kid would do better…</p>

<p>I guess this is why he was saying “a what???” when I kept looking for shower caddies in the store tonight. Thanks for posting about boys and shower needs, maybe we won’t get a caddie at all.</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t do anything expensive or remotely expensive (above a buck or two). A lot of teenage boys have a lot on their mind and can be forgetful. I know I lost about three things to put soap in freshman year.</p>

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<p>Quarters!</p>

<p>A pair of mandals for the shower – guys’ bathrooms are a great place to score various foot fungi. Don’t worry if he swears he won’t wear them; his sophomore pals will convince him otherwise.</p>

<p>Tylenol, Neosporin, and Campho-Phenique. Insert your family’s common first-aid items here, but those are the three things mine has actually used or requested.</p>

<p>One set of the clothes he won’t normally wear – a button-down shirt, a pair of slacks, a belt, a tie. He’ll probably need them on short notice at some point. A needle and thread can be handy too, but are optional.</p>

<p>About 10 days’ to 2 weeks’ worth of socks and underwear – enough to get him through midterms without a mandatory load of laundry. He’ll say it’s too much, but he won’t re-use between washings. :p</p>

<p>A pair of swim trunks.</p>

<p>A very small stash of food for when he misses a meal – say, a couple cans of fruit and a couple cans of soup, the kind you can nuke in the can.</p>

<p>Ant bait traps.</p>

<p>Something to deodorize small spaces. Like a carbon diaper pail disc (unscented!), or a bottle of citrus spray.</p>

<p>A water filter (e.g., Brita pitcher).</p>

<p>A pump bottle of Purell.</p>

<p>A screwdriver with standard bits (#1 and #2 Phillips and flat head) and a pair of pliers. A pocketknife is very handy too. A Leatherman or Swiss Army knife is bliss.</p>

<p>A power strip is handy in most environments, though it was superfluous at Mudd.</p>

<p>The things my son took with him after Christmas or asked me to send to him:

  • a heating pad
  • an umbrella
  • his tux</p>

<p>The things my son brought home unused at Christmas:

  • a laser printer with all accessories and paper
  • half his t-shirts and a few pairs of pants
  • a skateboard/roller skate carry strap
  • a small oscillating fan</p>

<p>And the things that were rejected outright on move-in:

  • drawer liner paper
  • a shelf unit that fits around the bed (his bed was lofted)
  • a second set of sheets
  • a small decorative accent pillow
  • a mesh “shower caddy”</p>

<p>Oh, and he begged me to stop sending food. :D</p>

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<p>Most schools have lists of what to bring that you can modify based on your son’s specific habits/preferences. I sent basic clothing, bedding, towels, personal care items, medical care items, laundry items, cleaning supplies, tool kit, dining items, office supplies, recreational items, and various appliances/electric/electronic devices plus cables and surge protectors. Other than his laptop, the one item he could not live without is his smartphone.</p>

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<p>Quarters (for laundry) are from years ago…most or all colleges today you swipe your card for laundry.</p>

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<p>geek_mom, I am impressed that your son owns a tux. We have been reluctant to even invest the $$ buy our son a really nice suit just yet (6’2" and still growing). </p>

<p>To all parents: how necessary are portable fans, based on your students’ experiences?</p>

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<p>Fans are great for drowning out sounds you don’t want to hear in the dorms.</p>

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<p>"Quote:
A laptop size safe with touchpad lock (to stash cash, emergency credit card, and laptop if he goes away for the weekend, but the dorm room stays open).
Wouldn’t they just steal the safe?</p>

<p>No, most have a cable (like a good bike lock) that wraps around a metal bed frame or something similar.</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Honeywell 3040D Digital Large Security Box: Home Improvement](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-3040D-Digital-Large-Security/dp/B000WUH73Q]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-3040D-Digital-Large-Security/dp/B000WUH73Q)</p>

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<p>Funny stuff. We have sons and Mom just loved getting herself in a lather about the “stuff they need for college” and how little our sons cared to participate in the discussion. </p>

<p>She bought the obvious stuff and on moving in day I passed each a few twenty’s and told them to buy what they still needed. Worked out fine and with no added expense for wasted crap.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Oh, I get it. they’d just have to cut the cable first and then steal the safe.</p>

<p>(My company policy specifically prohibits leaving laptops in the open even with cable locks because they are so easy to cut. I once had a bicycle stolen that was locked with a 1/2 thick cable.)</p>

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<p>

Not my son’s. :slight_smile: They may have that option, but he uses quarters and hoards them appropriately.</p>

<p>

Better check the rules first. At my son’s college, repainting a room is strictly verboten.</p>

<p>OBTW, bigtrees, the safe wasn’t something mine wanted to mess with, but there are safes that lock securely to a bedpost without a cable. Mine was content to use his footlocker. I don’t scoff at the folks who use them, however, because even a cable lock will hinder an opportunity theft – which most thefts on college campuses are.</p>

<p>

Long story, but the purchase was more economical than renting for HS prom, and geek</em>son’s growth has slowed dramatically. :slight_smile: It’s come in handy for a few events. He has one good suit too, but hasn’t needed it yet. Maybe next year when he might look into internships and the like.</p>

<p>As to portable fans, he had a nice one, very compact, with decent white noise and even a remote control. Didn’t want it, hated the sound of it, never used it, brought it home and abandoned it. There’s a good working AC unit in the dorm room. </p>

<p>Oh, something else he seems to use: Ziploc bags. The paper plates and plastic utensils, not so much, but he uses the bags for a lot of things. I’m happy to report that he also uses the paper towels and the small squirt bottle of Greenworks glass cleaner. :cool:</p>

<p>Also, at Target I picked up some small over-the-door (or maybe over-the-cubicle-wall) hooks. Those fit the foot of his bed perfectly, giving him a place outside the closet to hang his backpack, wet bath towel, and laundry bag. Keeps his clean clothes from smelling like musty dirty ones.</p>

<p>Oh… for those in sunny climes… sunscreen. Seriously.</p>

<p>And one of those cooling platforms with the built-in fan can be handy for the laptop – his gets a lot of use. OTOH, no reason to take a wireless hub; most colleges I know of already provide ubiquitous wireless out to the parking lots, and in at least some colleges you’re not allowed to plug in a hub of your own.</p>

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<p>I feel weird. I’m a girl, and none of this stuff screams ‘boys specific’ to me except the multiple different drills. (What’s wrong with just two screwdrivers? What exactly will he need all the drills for? lol) </p>

<p>I do think condoms are important. Better safe than sorry.</p>

<p>…instead of repainting, you can usually tack fabric to the wall like a pseudo wall-paper. A nice plain color, pattern, or textured fabric might be nice.</p>

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<p>A couple of plastic bowls, plates and glasses AND one of those dishwasher brushes or sponges that hold the detergent in an attached tube. Makes washing dishes in the bathroom sink much easier.</p>

<p>Those cubes you can buy at Target and Walmart that double as storage, footstools and/or seating.</p>

<p>And ditto to the Tylenol/Advil, neosporin, bandaids, and some other OTC medicine for colds and digestive issues.</p>

<p>Several alarms clocks that make a variety of loud noises, placed strategically around the room so he has to get out of bed to turn them off–or roommate who knows how to get himself and his friends up on time for class!</p>

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<p>At the risk of sounding like a commercial, I heartily endorse those Purex 3-in-1 sheets. Pricey, but how much simpler can you get? Anything that makes laundry a little easier for guys is worth it in my book!</p>

<p>We haven’t had good luck with those detergent dispensing brushes; I sent 2 and they both leaked, according to s. I still think they’re a great idea, just need to find the right one. Along with a couple of plates, glasses, bowls are useful, a can opener, bottle opener, scissors, utility knife, Clorox wipes, Febreeze.</p>

<p>Zip ties?</p>

<p>The over-the-door hooks fit perfectly at the foot of the lofted bed and are so useful for stuff you use frequently (coat) or need to get off the floor (bag).</p>

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<p>Psi - my son owns his tux, too. When he was going to the prom last year, my husband investigated and found out that buying one at JC Penney was only a few dollars more than renting one. He and S2 wear the same size - hopefully, it will stay that way and he can wear it too.</p>

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<p>Just a few thoughts. . .</p>

<p>Some guys use shower caddies; some don’t. DS’s roommate does; DS does not.</p>

<p>Bar soap is messy–DS either uses shower gel for hair and body or uses shampoo for body too. But his hair is <usually> pretty short.</usually></p>

<p>I got him one nice plastic laundry tub that has handles that come together–takes up less room than the ones you have at home, is sturdier than a laundry bag, was helpful for move-in, move-out, and is still going strong most-way through his second year.</p>

<p>I found these little gel laundry things–kind of like the ones for dishwashers you can toss in. He does that (can just throw one per load in his pocket to walk down to the laundry room) and dryer sheets.</p>

<p>He did buy some posters before his freshman year to put up. Particularly for boys, some are more into that than others. This year his walls are pretty empty. I would recommend leaving home anything decoration-wise that’s actually important to him. Many wall hangings do not survive.</p>

<p>I probably way overdid the drugstore-type stuff his first year. Advil/Aleve is good. Boys really will probably not need band-aids! Most other stuff can be borrowed or bought when needed (cold medicine/whatever). I am delighted to say he does seem to be brushing/flossing fairly regularly.</p>

<p>Re: bigger ticket items (mini-fridge, TV, . . .) make sure you coordinate with roommate. We ended up not having to provide much at all.</p>

<p>DS never used any bowls. I hesitate to think what his room would look/smell like if he were eating anything other than granola bars in there.</p>

<p>I did buy a couple of those things you hang on the rod in the closet that gives you more shelf/shoe space. DS has very few clothes that need to be hung, and no dorm room has enough drawer space. We stuck sweaters/fleeces/shoes in there (or at least they were all being neatly utilized at the beginning of the year–most of that stuff is probably now living on the floor of his closet).</p>

<p>Pack about half the T-shirts he thinks he’ll need. At the end of the school year he’ll bring home three times as many as he left with. Not sure why that happens.</p>

<p>I haven’t seen the one set of sheets vs. two sets discussion yet this year. You know your kid. I knew if mine had two sets of sheets at the beginning of the year one would come home unopened.</p>

<p>As a rule, pack light. Can buy/send things the first few days/weeks of school.</p>

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<p>I too am starting to think about dorm stuff. I was at Target yesterday and got 2 pop up yard/leaf hampers (nice size) to use for laundry. They were only $9.99 and had handles on top for easy carry. I was at Bed & Bath to look at the egg crate mattress toppers you really have to get a thick one to make any difference. </p>

<p>I hope son’s dorm room has regular doors instead bifolds on the closet. I would like to get one of those over the door pocket shoe holders. How about those 3M adhesive hooks to hang baseball caps or belts? </p>

<p>I have heard that a clip on lamp is a good idea for reading in bed. So many things to think about…</p>

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<p>For the schlep to the shower, both girls and guys I’ve known have used a simple plastic bucket. You can get them for under $3 at Home Depot or Lowe’s in the paint department. If you may want to drill some holes in the bottom for drainage, or just pour out whatever collects in the shower.</p>

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<p>A tip from my son – buy plain white sheets – his white load of laundry is always small, so he throws his sheets in every time he does whites, which is about every ten days.</p>

<p>Zip ties are like duct tape – lots of uses, straps stuff to his bike, corrals wires, hung stuff off his bunk with 'em, etc.</p>

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<p>Do not send a super-sized laundry hamper, bag or whatever might be used as to hold dirty laundry. Less important to the number of socks, the more laundry it can fit the longer they will go without doing laundry.</p>

<p>I strongly recommend a mattress pad plus memory foam type overlay at least 3" thick. My kid’s back was killing him before this little miracle “changed his life.”</p>