<p>D’s college posted a list of things to put in the first aid kit. We used that as the starting base and also included specific OTC meds that she likes for cold/cough. Looks like the basics have been covered, but the school added sunscreen; we added bug spray.</p>
<p>DS had a similar box and used most of it. He still has it in his apt; says it’s easy to find what he needs and can replace when he runs out. Best comment: if Mom put it in the box, I must need it at some point so I should make sure I always have it. He’s 25.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, I’m calming down, just hate that this is making my S apprehensive, first time I’ve seen some nerves from him.
PinotNoir - I’m more upset about the do you “smoke” e-mail(wondering if that contributed to his state of mind when he made the FB posting), I know it’s something they will all have to face in school, but I wish it wasn’t right off the bat.
Dentmom4 - so glad to hear that your 25 year old keeps up his first aid box, hope my S will too. We also got him a starter toolbox hoping it will be something he will hold on to and add to going forward.</p>
<p>elka67- I mean, what upsets you about the email? It’s a valid question, and they are old enough to smoke. Honestly, I would like to know whether a roommate of mine smoked before the start of school. You don’t want to get there and the roommate is lounging around on his bed smoking a cigarette. At least way your S and his roommate can figure out the smoking situation before moving in. Also, at my son’s school, getting to know whether your roommate smoked or not beforehand was suggested in the ‘moving in guide’ they sent to everyone.</p>
<p>As for first-aid, we are giving him advil, band-aids, and some anti-germ cream. He knows where to find/ what to get if he needs anything else. We will probably send some of his father’s tools with him.</p>
<p>Most roommate questionnaires ask if you smoke tobacco (which you have to go outside to do on most campuses, right?). I think elka’s S’ roommate was asking about smoking something else.</p>
<p>mihcal–I like PN’s suggestion in regards to the roommate. Your list of first aid looks similar to ours…just different in some of the needs and products we use. </p>
<p>We now just need to put the chaotic mountain dorm into a moveable less chaotic mountain dorm now!!</p>
<p>It is so sweet…the drama kids have been secretly texting younger S to plan a surprise sendoff for college bound S. When S was telling me in a quiet whisper about the plans, I started feeling pretty emotional. It made me happy and it made everything very REAL.</p>
<p>Re first aid stuff. I’m trying to pack only what he’s taken at home, but that’s not much as this kid doesn’t get sick very often! I’ll try to remember to pick up some Sudafed since it’s hard to get with all the regulations. Otherwise it will be Tylenol, Bandaids, Tums, Claritan, and Benedryl.</p>
<p>Yeah I was assuming roommate was talking about smoking something else. I think only one dorm on S’s campus allows smoking in the rooms? I would have to look again. I sure hope it’s not his. He’s really sensitive to cigarette smoke. But yeah that’s something they asked on the housing questionnaire.</p>
<p>We need to put together a small toolbox for S! He has a few things that my sister gave him in a graduation gift “College Necessities” box, but no hammer.</p>
<p>I’d be shocked if Roommie could get her own room at our hotel. It’s small, expensive, and two blocks from ginormous-state-U. I booked the room in late winter, before admissions decisions even came out. (Per CC advice, I booked rooms at several likely schools, and cancelled the others once D decided.)</p>
<p>I doubt the U will offer accommodations – they are notoriously bureaucratic and inflexible. I’m quite jealous those of you whose kids are attending small colleges that offer a personal touch. </p>
<p>Hopefully, Roommie will find some friend-of-a-friend to put her up. I’ll hold back on having D offer for Roommie to stay with us unless there seems to be no other solution.</p>
<p>mihcal-- I thought you were very sweet to offer accommodation for the roomie. I would have done the same thing. I can see everyone else’s point-- but I probably would have done it anyway! </p>
<p>elka-- yes, the roomie was talking about something else. But I still think it was an okay valid question (just maybe jarring because it came from fb or a text and not a person’s mouth, lol). One of my now best friends (who liked her weed in hs and college) asked her roomie, a very straight arrow, if she like to smoke, the first day they were roomies at Madison in 1979. The straight arrow was shocked and worried. She said no, she didn’t. The other girl said, okay, and never did it in front of her or asked her ever again. They all became part of my wonderful group of college friends (and I never did smoke and still never have). Thirty-some years later— they’re still great friends. I just said goodbye to one of them and his wife after a visit here. That issue does not need to become a horrible one.</p>
<p>mihcal1 - if there’s really nobody she knows near the school, there are bound to be several Korean-American organizations in that area that she could contact for assistance. There are lots of Asian international students attending colleges in that region and she wouldn’t be the first one arriving ‘too early for move-in’. But still, it would be strangers she’s dealing with, just like with you, so she needs to be careful.</p>
<p>I’m kind of curious if she had any kind of half-baked plan to deal with this issue before this late date!</p>
<p>…and I think this is going to be an ongoing saga…</p>
<p>A few weeks ago I posted that my neighbor had received a call from her son’s roommate’s mother basically demanding that he not bring a TV or gaming system.</p>
<p>Well, we just got back from walking our pups, and she tells me that she got an email inquiring if the son intended to remain in the room during orientation/move in, because their high school freshman son wants to stay in the dorm with big brother and so they need the extra bed----so it would be much more convenient if their son stayed in the hotel with his parents…</p>
<p>Chutzpah?</p>
<p>obviously not happening.</p>
<p>And I told neighbor they should definitely show up with the TV and gaming system, and that their son should immediately set up a FIFA or Madden tournament with the other guys on the floor as an ice breaker.</p>
<p>Funny point…my neighbor says her son doesn’t hear almost anything from the roommate. I have a feeling this boy just can’t wait to escape from home! I have a feeling he will be a perfectly fine roommate, maybe a friend…I just hope he isn’t one of those kids who go absolutely wild when he first gets a taste of freedom from overbearing parental units.</p>
<p>The more I hear about boysx3 neighbor’s son’s roomate issues, the better I feel about my S’s situation.
Hawkeyes55 - yes, not talking about cigarette smoking.
The more I think about it, the less I’m worried, my S will have to handle this by asking the roomate to not partake in their room, and hopefully he will comply. Otherwise, from other stories I’m seeing here, I guess my S is lucky this kid doesn’t care about what’s in their room and has no special requests.</p>
<p>Milcah, I had a similar problem. DS is flying in the night before he needs to be there for pre-orientation and there is no on-campus accommodation. No hotel near campus was willing to take an under-18 guest. So he is staying at a hotel at the airport in Hartford and then taking a shuttle to New Haven the next morning. Depending on where she is flying in – SFO or Oakland – I’m betting there is hotel availability at the airport and she can deal with transportation to campus in the a.m.</p>
<p>milcah…
does the university have a Korean language department? They might have a faculty member or grad /upper level student who could help out.</p>
<p>boysx3, please volunteer to help! I think you are in the running for roommate stories, and it isn’t even your S. And see if your neighbor can be the first one in the room. Seems like there will be a strong need to mark territory.</p>
<p>Hee hee…re-reading my last post…that’s what I get for posting without all my caffeine intake–mountain dorm, really should be dorm mountain!</p>
<p>Also, Mihcal–I don’t know if communication is possible with the roomie’s parents, to double check if an offer to share a hotel room is ok or not…maybe that would help?</p>
<p>Boysx3 - ask your neighbor to enquire whether they would like to pay for the room (make up an outrageous number) to rent it so their son can stay at a hotel.</p>
<p>boysx3…all I can say about your neighbor’s S’s roommate is WOW. I think I’d be showing up at movein as early as possible to beat that family in!</p>