Cliff notes: Pack only what kiddo needs to get by until parent’s weekend. Pack nothing else, except maybe some clorox wipes, trash bags, and a stick vacuum that only you will use on parents weekend.
She conveniently leaves out the part that ChoatieKid had more computer crap on his desk than a CIA analyst. 
5 Likes
Yeah, sometimes it did look like NORAD in there:
(This is home, but similar setup at school. Never enough screens, right?)
7 Likes
It’s definitely easier with boys than girls - fewer decorative items and I had to fight with my daughter about how many giant, heavy sweatshirts she truly needed for school in California. The toughest part for me is having my son keep inventory of his diabetes supplies and restocking those regularly! Ask your school what storage options they provide in the summer, if you are from flying distance, it’s nice to store bedding, etc. and just bring home clothing. I’ve told my kids to just give their books away each year to younger kids. I told my son I’d rather him give away his mini fridge after graduation and buy a new one than haul it home!
1 Like
The school should have a list.
Note: most of the advice is pre-Covid.
What BS during Covid has taught us: pack light and/or be ready to pack up at the drop of the hat. From what I’ve read on here, it was a nightmare last year - very few people were prepared for not returning after March Break.
My kid is on her 3rd room - as a freshman. Fortunately, she packed as though she could have to move home at any time. She’s always been like that, though.
1 Like
Girl or boy? If girl, normal ish size? (Like not super short or tall)
I’ve found that the girls share clothing a lot.
Don’t pack anything that you’d be miserable if it got ruined by the laundry service.
1 Like
Girl. And there is a dress code, which involves purchasing types of clothing she doesn’t normally wear and we have no idea how kids adapt to this dress code. So thinking she will be ordering some things online when she gets there.
Is it dress code like “no jeans” or dress code like “girls have to wear blazers?”
Also, give her access to Amazon/Sephora/cvs account so she can order snacks and toiletries.
Both. Sephora is not necessary. We have never shopped there. We are pretty low maintenance.
My DD is going from uniform to dress code. Right now, she either has uniform or sweatpants. So, we are having to get a new wardrobe.
Other than that, we are getting the same essentials minus the window fan (her dorm has a/c) that DS brought. Foam mattress topper, collapsible hamper, closet/hanging shelves, collapsible carpet/floor sweeper, a few disposable Tupperware containers and over the door hangers for towels, belts, etc.
1 Like
OMG! I think our kids were separated at birth. Here is the pic my oldest sent after he returned from spring break and unpacked his room (they had to completely pack up their rooms). When he doesn’t have to pack up every break, it get’s pretty complex. I’m surprised they don’t charge us extra for electricity.
4 Likes
Is his room single or double? What dorm is it? We saw a dorm room in Memorial for both single and double. They were tiny!
Right, I was just giving examples, not meaning to imply that your daughter couldn’t live without Sephora.
Looks about right. Kiddo has that, without the chest of drawers (there’s a big armoire, no closet), a lofted bed above the desk, and a roommate. For him it is heaven.
When he is home our electricity bill skyrockets. Between that and the food bill, bs tuition doesn’t seem nearly as bad.
1 Like
That’s a single in one of the newer dorms. Mem rooms are variable in size, though I believe most would not be considered small. That said, my son had one of the two smallest Mem singles (below, on arrival). It was a shock to him at first, but he very quickly adapted and loved his room, his floor, his dorm and his friends the whole year. Flexibility is taught at BS in many ways.
1 Like
@Altras, that looks about right. Freshman year, ChoatieKid had one of the smallest rooms in Mem House – third floor corner under the eaves. It was his favorite room even though the armoire was narrower than his wingspan.
(This was before his screens began to multiply, and that keyboard looks to be in its infancy.)
Today, ChoatieLT’s home office has raised-floor tiles for his racked servers:
2 Likes
At least he recognizes which QB is the GOAT. 
2 Likes
While we’re rambling on how much to pack and how small those dorm rooms are, I thought I’d share what this looks like for a service academy.
First, packing is easy. This is it–not one thing more:
Once you get to school, your clothes are issued to you, and you only need a small space to store them (perfectly):
There is a bit more storage under your bed:
And, of course, a rack for your weapons:
In your barracks (dorm) hallway, there may be a memorial to a fallen classmate that you’ll pass every time you go to shower with 40 of your closest friends:
But don’t be depressed. It’s not all gloom and grind. You get to blow stuff up!
Eventually, you graduate:
And the military owns you for a few more years. Fun, right?
12 Likes
My dad went to the Naval Academy (class of ‘66), he arrived with one suitcase, which the Navy mailed back to his family with his civilian clothes once he was issued his uniform.
3 Likes
