We and S did arrive first, but he was very polite and asked his room mate about what he wanted and they were able to work everything out nicely. Neither boy brought a ton of stuff and easily fit their things on “their side” of the room. S did buy a printer/fax and the room mate bought a TV. The dorm supplied a fridge/micro combo. They worked everything out nicely and became friends, if not best buddies. D started school in Jan, so the other 3 girls were already moved in and had lived in the suite for a semester (one girl had moved out). She got along OK with them and it worked out. The following year, she lived with friends from HS. Everyone was pretty considerate.
what I meant is that over relegating fairness isn’t what college aged students need. It’s a good learning experience to learn self advocacy and to fight their own battles and negotiate as well as having empathy for others.
If the schools care that much about absolute even distribution, the school should just assign a bed, desk, and dresser. My daughter’s school did, and most of the rooms were identical but one was at the end, one was across from the bathrooms, etc. Having them assigned (A, B, C, D) solved all bickering.
Moved in last week…my daughter and wife kept on buying more and adding stuff until it took all of my creative packing to put in the van (silly me thought initially that I would have plenty of room to fit the bicycle in the back with all of her stuff and not have to use the bike rack, but I’m a male!) I drove off to school worried that my daughter would be the othergirl in the initial post, and we would be bringing half the stuff back. But I WAS WRONG (there, I said it!) All of the stuff fit and their room looked beautiful. We even made trips to Lowes and Walmart and Target and BBB to add more stuff before we left.
Only hitch was her roommate had arrived first and arranged furniture so that her bed and desk took both windows, and my DD was left to fill in gaps around the room, and the microfridge was placed where there was no outlet. We unpacked and waited for other family to leave the room so we could talk to our daughter. She did feel that she should be given a chance to suggest rearranging the furniture. So with parents out of it, she texted her roommate, they agreed, and we moved the furniture. Other dad was hesitant to move anything, both both girls like the new layout better (or said they did), so it all worked out!
Girls had arranged colors ahead of time and my wife and daughter bought a large rug to match. I thought it was overkill, but I must confess that this simple addition make their old-school dorm room (small double, no lofting or buildups allowed) much nicer, and also made them the room to visits because the floor is so comfortable!
So my lesson to dads is this. Roll your eyes, but also roll up your sleeves, and carry that stuff up the stairs, because maybe your daughter’s van-full of stuff is just right.
I am dying to know why the pineapple. It just does not tie into the decor scheme… could it hold the remains of a beloved pet? Just kidding. What was the weirdest item your or your kid’s roommate brought?
My daughter brought her pet fish. It was a great ice breaker and people kept coming in to see him.
I recall that I was able to pack all of my college belongings in the back of a Datsun 240Z, and that included a stereo system (tuner, 2 speakers, and turntable). I also brought nice teacups, a teapot, and an electric coffeepot. And a typewriter.
I fit my stuff in a Chevy Citation, including me, my mom, my sister and a refrigerator.
Ditto on the typewriter. Although that was the year my school introduced this radical concept called a (true) floppy disk you could carry with you that magically had your 3 mb of schoolwork on it. =))
@Consolation: Insert VW Scirocco and we have the same story…and my college stereo from Junior year forward was kicking!
Mazda GLC! Everything I owned! Am since I didn’t own the car, Mom drive it back home!
Everything I brought with me to the dorms fit into a backpack and a large suitcase as that’s all that’ll fit on a commuter flight.
Family didn’t have a car(common among NYC residents) and even if we did, they couldn’t have afforded to take off time from work for the 9-10 hour drive each way.
Also, a lot of things I hear students are now allowed to bring like microwaves or coffee makers were officially banned by the dorm housing office. However, in practice, students had their ways of concealing them from periodic mandatory RA inspections.
Is there a photo of the highly decorated dorm room from OPs original post?
Click on the OP’s profile to see “OP changed their photo” - there are several snapshots in there. The Carpe Diem towel tower, the lofty bed, the Anna Karenina dressing table aka dorm desk, and the futon. Eek.
Finally saw the photos. OMG…way too many pillows and throw blankets!!! My prediction…within one month they will become a pain in the butt all over the place and all of these items will be smashed into a closet somewhere, or shoved into a hefty bag and she will be begging her Mom to come get them and take them home. I have never seen a standard double with enough room for a separate futon couch 
Hahahaha!!! The two decorative shams that I fought hard to keep on our bed… generally sit in a chair next to the bed. Occasionally, I would pretty up the bed with them. Can’t imagine straightening 22 decorative pillows daily!
Oh for pete’s sake! I just saw the pictures and it was worse than I had even imagined! My condolences to OP’s daughter for having to maneuver in a room overflowing with her roommate’s extras. Hope some of that goes in a closet or home and not all over the floor.
I have to admit that we brought a futon couch S’s freshman year. He and his roommate shared a 3-rm double: each had a tiny private bedroom, separated by a little common room. The common room had no furniture at all, other than their wardrobes, and I thought it would be nice for them to have the couch, because we already owned the futon. I bought a nice frame for $50 on Craigslist, and a mattress protector, cover, and a few pillows at BB&B. It was cheaper than renting one for 3 terms. They actually liked it. Roomie brought a rug and a picture to hang, they bought a $25 used fridge at the used stuff sale on move-in day.
This meant that we had to rent a van to move him in in the fall and out in the spring. Otherwise we could have fit all of his stuff in the car, just barely. One violin, two guitars, and an amp were the bulky stuff.
My daughter went to school in the VW bug and there was hardly anything in it. She just reported she bought a $10 fan at the yard sale held at the school the first week of classes. She has a single at the sorority and although it has bunk beds, she only brought one set of sheets and one pillow so it probably has that prison cell look of an empty mattress waiting for the next prisoner.
Oliver Twist probably had more than she has.
The entire electronics my roommate and I had in our dorm room (and then later in our sorority house room) in the late '70’s consisted of 2 clock radios.
We survived. Heck, we even had a great time.
Back in the Stone Age. I moved back to college with the help of a friend and his family. My friend was a guy…and was moving into a single as part of a suite of six guys. His dad rented a UHaul trailer…really! It had the fridge, and a large stereo, and god only knows what else.
They took me too…and everything I owned fit into my little foot locker…which was then used as a table in my room.
I need to ask him what was IN that UHaul!