Quick! How much did it cost to outfit your student's dorm?

Parents Forum
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<p>Haven’t read through the whole thread. For D, about $600 for dorm room, but $200 was on a down comforter (originally $500) that will last her 10 years. Glancing through the thread, I saw a lot about towels. The grandparents ordered her monagrammed towels (she was horrified at first that they looked dumb) 2 bath sheets, two bath towels, and 6 washcloths. She uses 1 each bath sheet and towel for each shower, and they are heavy so she needs the two sets to allow drying. She says the washcloths were a waste, she uses a loufa in the shower. She hangs her towels on hooks on the side of a metal storage tower that we got at BB&B. It has shelves that hold stacks of jeans on one, stacks of sweaters on another, etc. It doesn’t take up much space and is multi-functional. She loves her drying rack for girly things as well as sports stuff like under armour that needs washed/rinsed and dryed daily.</p>

<p>She loves her strands of X-mas tree lights. She has them in her room as well in the common room of her suite.</p>

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<p>@notrichenough: I just spent fifteen minutes replying to all your “comments,” but decided it wasn’t worth it.</p>

<p>I replied to another poster’s comment regarding my post and included my list to answer said question.</p>

<p>I did not ask you to criticize my list. </p>

<p>I will bring what I want. And that’s that.</p>

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<p>Well if we’re not allowed to respond to each other and- <em>gasp</em>- discuss your choices, why post it? This is a discussion forum not a post an answer and never interact forum.</p>

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<p>^When all my choices get torn apart repeatedly by multiple people, it tends to get old really fast. </p>

<p>You know? Forget I said anything. I just won’t post anything in this thread anymore. Obviously, I have problems with my dorm choices.</p>

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<p>I brought a few of the things rixs is bringing and notrichenough’s suggestions would not be practical for me or are based on personal experiences which are not relatable to mine, but they might be for someone else. For the first month of school I would have literally been ill from the heat if I had only had a tiny desk fan to cool the room, and in the winter I FROZE MY ASS OFF for months and had a sheet, two blankets, a comforter, and a sleeping bag just to shiver myself to sleep anyway. Playing DVDs on the computer only works if you’re watching alone, which isn’t what I use my DVDs for, and constantly being under fluorescent lights is really not good for ones mental well being-- why would the point NOT be to recreate the comfort of your bedroom at home if you can manage it with something so simple as a floor lamp? </p>

<p>I do seem to be the only one that uses a bathrobe, though! I didn’t until I got to college. I didn’t like walking down the coed hall to the bathroom in the flimsy tank tops and shorts I wear to bed. I just feel weird parading around in front of complete strangers in my sleepwear. I never knew most of my neighbors, my dorm was huge.</p>

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<p>We spent about $200 on D’s dorm room for her freshman year. Our family members wanted to contribute to the cause so we hosted a “dorm shower” the weekend before she left. Had everyone over for dinner and games. We posted a Google-doc list of odds and ends for everyone that wanted to pitch in. They updated the list as they purchased items, like you would a wedding registry. Things on the list: hot chocolate mix, ramen, microwave popcorn, gum, clorox wipes, febreeze, ziptop bags, batteries, post-its, reuseable water bottles, etc. Everyone had fun with it. Most of the other items were scavenged from our house.</p>

<p>This year she has decided she would like to upgrade some of her items, starting with her cell phone. She purchased the iPhone 4 32 GB. She has budgeted about $1000 of her own summer earnings to do this. I think she under-budgeted based on our trip to Best Buy today.</p>

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<p>There is certainly a wide range of “needs” and “wants” from one student bringing a duffle bag and the next packing a minivan with a roof rack. I’m wondering if some of the variety isn’t just personal preference but also the difference in climate/dorm furnishings at different universities. No one where I live can imagine a dorm room without central air (or any other building that people would spend time in) yet many parts of the country have such things - along with a great variation in what one might consider adequate heat during winter. Down quilts, fans, larger dorm fridges may take up a lot of room - but the benefit cannot be assessed out of context. At one of the schools that my daughter applied to, cost could have been cut considerably by cooking in the dorm (hence the need for a bigger fridge) while the school she chose required a meal plan that leaves little need for anything other than a beverage cooler. </p>

<p>I think it would be wise for students planning and packing to check with the in state kids at the school where you’re going (especially if they’ve had the opportunity to visit the dorm). We have visited my daughter’s dorm twice and revised our list after both visits, my daughter took pictures of the room and sent to out of state roommate/suitemates along with measurements and dimensions. Even so, we will probably find that some of the things she’s planned don’t work/fit/function quite the way she’d envisioned.</p>

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<p>I want to say this… dorm rooms get cold and when they get cold its hard as hell to get them warm again. I stayed on the 4th floor (top) in the dorms at my school and despite having the heater on full blast, it still only got to about 60ish.</p>

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<p>First searched the home for things we could use…then went to Marshalls and TJ Maxx for comforter and towels. Great quality for less $$$…but buy when you see it because the selection is lower than BBB. Be careful not to overbuy…I have read so many stories of unopened purchases coming back home. I would start out basic and then add as you go along if you can. You just never know the exact set up of the dorm room and it will change year to year. Be conservative…especially if you have a son. They are more interested in the electronic set up than the decor…</p>

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<p>Borrow a “turtle top” for your car if you don’t already have one and also pack casual clothes in garbage bags for easy stuffing.</p>

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<p>Post #116 asked why floor lamps are not allowed. Halogen floor lamps get very hot and can easily start fires. I guess it is easier to say no floor lamps than no halogen floor lamps.</p>

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<p>Wow this thread has been an eye-opener and very helpful. D is flying from Texas to NY. Here’s how we will handle her move-in: She is flying alone, most likely, and will take 2 suitcases, duffel and backpack. She will have a small metal cart/bungee thingy to make it easier to transport. One smallish suitcase already has set of sheets, 1 blanket, 1 towel, and other stuff like that and is ready to go. Other suitcase will be clothes and shoes and toiletries. Duffel will be books/plays she had to read this summer, maybe a few odds and ends. Backpack will be her laptop and just a few essentials like medications. She will nest the suitcases and they will fit under her bed. Our plan is for me to ship several boxes for arrival the day after she moves into the dorm with more clothes and shoes, her comforter, other bath items like her shower caddy, a few kitchen odds and ends like her coffee pot and crock pot, microwaveable foods etc (she will rent micro fridge and dorm also has common kitchen), laundry supplies, textbooks and other books she feels she must have and desk accessories. She will take a shuttle to Bed Bath and Beyond on move-in day to purchase pillows, fan, bathroom set (shower curtain, rug etc) and maybe a few decorative things she and her roommates agree on. Then throughout the year I will send seasonal clothing and she will ship back a box for every box I send. She will have tape, etc there and there is a service that offers free pick up for packages. D has a huge wardrobe and more than 100 pairs of shoes. She knows she can’t have it all there at one time, so we thought this system would keep her wardrobe fresh without overloading the room. Also, as she sees what she really wears the most, I can send the most appropriate things. Plus why send a heavy coat, winter boots etc with her in August when what she will really need is a fan in her unairconditioned dorm!</p>

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<p>

Don’t know if this is common at other schools, but at S’s school you can ship boxes early and they will securely store them until you arrive. They didn’t go out of their way to promote it, I found it buried in their web site.</p>

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<p>NYU says not to ship anything to arrive before the student. Wish it were different, and maybe we will get some additional info from the dorm once it for-sure. Dorm assignments are still tentative at this point. One good thing is that with just a bit at a time getting there, she will have time to unpack as it arrives.</p>

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<p>One additional thing, back to the original question of the topic. D’s dad spent about $200 on bedding and a few other items. I will spend a like amount on kitchen and bath items. Microfridge will be a shared cost for the roommates and the new laptop was on top of that. She is buying any clothes she wants (does not need) out of summer earnings beyond her expected contribution to tuition.</p>

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<p>I agree that climate and dorm type may determine a lot of what you bring. We are in Missouri. It is already almost 100 degrees plus the heat index this morning. A lot of August will be the same. Our dorms are airconditioned, so don’t really need fans. </p>

<p>Our dorm supplies your beds, one dresser per room, 2 desks with a shelf/hutch & bulletin board attached and a dry erase board in the hall by each door. These rooms also have a bathroom shared with the next room. One vanity on each side, with a stool & shower in between. We’ll have a cabinet for storage in the bathroom for all those towels ! :)</p>

<p>Our school doesn’t have a refrigerator rental program. That would be nice. Roommate has one from his sister, so don’t have to worry about that.</p>

<p>S’s particular room is on the top floor and has 2 windows. It could be quite chilly in the winter. There is a thermostat for each 2 rooms - your controls could be next door. No telling what they’ll have it set on. Could go either way. Our winters are below freezing most days late December through March. Some days will be 0 with wind chills. I am sure S will need a blanket at some point. It’s winter in the midwest. Common sense there.</p>

<p>I do have a cargo rack on top of my Envoy, although have enver used it. I could probably borrow one of those topper things. How do they hook on?</p>

<p>S has a mustang with a trunk full of stereo equipment. That only leaves his very small back seat to put things to move. Most of the load will have to go with me. </p>

<p>I know the rooms are small. The “less is more” approach will make it less crowded. However, this is where S is going to live for the majority of the next year. This is his new HOME. Why not make it ‘homey’ or comfortable? I can’t imagine sending enough stuff to ‘get by’ for a year. Why just ‘get by’ ? How miserable. I think it is ok to bring whatever you want or what makes you feel at home.</p>

<p>Oh…forgot about all the shoes ! S will need basketball shoes, regular shoes, 1 pair of dress shoes, and golf shoes. Also, he plans to bring along his golf clubs. I can only assume they’ll go under his bed or stand in his closet. His closet is pretty good sized. I’m sure the laundry hamper & clubs will just about take up all the floor space though. His campus has a really nice course attached with a cheap student program.</p>

<p>A towel dryer/heater is a good idea. Not sure where they’d put a free standing one. We can’t attach anything to the walls. Depending what dorm you’re in, they have set guidelines. S’s dorm is thumbtacks only. Others are 3M products only. No scotch, masking, duct, etc. We are allowed to paint though ?! They even supply the paint, you just go to a certain location on campus & pick up the paint & supplies. You have to paint it back white at the end of the year. (Sounds like a lot of work to me…)</p>

<p>We also have a ‘cube’ footstool/seat from Wal Mart. You can store xbox games inside & gives you an extra seat. We considered a bean bag chair. It can be shoved under the bed until someone needs it. You can also carry it into the lounge or other kid’s rooms. Cheap, easy to store, and portable.</p>

<p>The beds in the dorm are bunkable, but the boys don’t really want to. They won’t have room for a futon like some. The beds are height adjustable though, so you can put alot under them. (Including a taller frig).</p>

<p>Everything is in an extra closet upstairs. Guess we should actually pack it all sometime. The suitcases are good idea - especially since they roll. We’ll have some totes under the bed too. I may go ahead and pack clothes & whatever in the rolling drawers too. </p>

<p>Is the metal rack someone mentioned getting at BBB a ‘slim’ one? I think I saw those. Looked like it would hold a lot. They were around $30-60, right? I didn’t see a hook on the side - did you add that?</p>

<p>I did see the ‘over the bed’ shelf for $80. It’s like the shelf you set over the stool kind of. It was metal. I thought it was neat, but S didn’t want one.</p>

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<p>“I do have a cargo rack on top of my Envoy, although have enver used it. I could probably borrow one of those topper things. How do they hook on?”</p>

<p>Depending on the topper, it will have hooks that clip to you window moulding or nylon straps that buckle over your existing car rack. They are easy to use. We have one of the soft ones that folds into a little bag for storing. I do not know how waterproof the soft ones are, but you could stuff it with trash bags full of soft items.</p>

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<p>We just downsized both of our cars this past spring, so no more minivan… getting both kids home from sleepaway camp (D is a counselor and S is a camper) is going to be a challenge. Then getting D to school. It’s all the same week so I have a minivan on reserve at a local car rental place…think I will have to use it for the camp pick up, but -after reading this thread - maybe not for the school driop off. Thinking we can fit whatever we can in my CRV and then ship some boxes. See, it’s genetic… neither my D nor I can pack light. Even without the winter clothes which she won’t need till after Thanksgiving. But, I would so much rather take my car for the college trip than a rental car. Maybe just invest in the roof rack and thule. I have to decide fast; time is running out.</p>

<p>As for what we are buying for her… besides the laptop (partially a grad gift from grandparents), it was really just the bedding and towels (Home Goods). If she needs desk light, floor lamp, etc., we can get at a Target near school (they were building a huge one when we were there in April; I’ll have to see if it’s open now). When she finds out her dorm/roommate in a couple of weeks, they can work out micro/fridge. I’d just pick hers up at a local Best Buy. She doesn’t have time for tv at home; not providing for college dorm! She always just watches hulu anyway. May help refresh her wardrobe a bit; that’s it.</p>

<p>Need to now compare this thread with the thread about what your freshman took to college and didn’t use!</p>

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<p>I think another difference is the student’s study style and social habits. I am a homebody and most of my socializing goes on in my dorm or in friends’ dorms. I also do all my studying in my dorm, I go to the library very rarely. As a result, if I am not in class or at a club meeting I am VERY LIKELY in my room. It makes sense to think that I would be bringing more “stuff” than the type of student who only uses their room to sleep. I am going to want my room to be more homey and comfortable, with a tv and movies and video games for entertainment, but if I were out of the dorm all the time I wouldn’t really need anything but bedding, clothes, and toiletries.</p>

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<p>People think about their dorm rooms differently - I absolutely wanted my dorm room to be a recreation of a really cozy, nice bedroom. I decorate the room and pretty much go all out. I also study/do homework mainly in my room, so I want the room to be as cute and comfortable as possible (can you tell I’m a girl?).</p>

<p>That being said, I know several people who only think of their dorm rooms as places to sleep. No joke. They have nothing on the walls, no lamps, no posters, no cute bedding, no rug… You get the idea. If surviving with the bare necessities was my priority, I would have a lot less stuff. I would also have a really depressing room. Some people aren’t bothered by it though! I am not one of those people.</p>

<p>On the subject of lamps - I’ve had an octopus lamp in my dorm room for three years. We’re not technically allowed to have them, so my roommate and I hide it in the closet over vacations when our RA does room checks (the RAs aren’t allowed to look in your closets). We use low-wattage bulbs so it doesn’t get hot.</p>