<p>We're friendly with a family whose S is attending the same school as our D1. We compared move in day notes, and I got such a chuckle out of the conversation I thought i'd share.</p>
<p>D had plenty of stuff, don't get me wrong, but our friends had a much more complicated move in process. Thank goodness their s is on the first floor. The worst of the situation seemed to be the sofa. It was a hand-me-down and happened to be a nice, heavy sleeper one. Then the dad told us about all the power steps and extension cords for the electronics. Evidently, it's quite a room. D thinks it's great and will no doubt be visiting as the only furniture she's got are those bag lawn chairs. </p>
<p>Seems like, at this school anyway, the scenario is pretty typical. The guys have some pretty impressive man caves. And I pity their poor parents on move in day.</p>
<p>I saw a guy waiting outside a dorm with A TON of “stuff”. I felt sorry for him. He is quite a few years older than we are and I am not sure as to whether he is the father or grandfather of the student that was moving in. Regardless, he looked so worn out! He told me that what I saw was not all of it. He mentioned that he had a sofa on the top of his car and he was so worried that it would put a hole through the roof of his car as he was driving! Fortunately, that did not happen.</p>
<p>My S and his roommate are the opposite. In fact, his roommate is from out of state and we brought all his stuff back home with us for the summer (except one suitcase that he took home with him) in the same carload as all of our S’s stuff. I’m sure it’s fun to have a well-appointed room, but I’m glad we don’t have to move all that stuff in and out.</p>
<p>DS moved 3 times this summer without any help from us. Most recently, got everything into a zipcar with 3 people in it. Clothes, books and few ramen packages, I think. Only ‘furniture’ is a fan.</p>
<p>That may have more to do with individuals and whether the students have parental help with the move-in/out. </p>
<p>Then again, I knew no one in my dorm who moved in extra furniture as the dorms/lounges had ample furniture, there were some restrictions on what one could bring, and at my LAC…bringing lots of stuff…especially extra furniture was disdained as “bourgeois” and “materialistic” by most students when I attended. </p>
<p>Also, back then…female students tended to bring more stuff than male students on average…though that’s gender gap is narrowing considering how it seems everyone is bringing more stuff than students in the '90s. </p>
<p>Nowadays when I see students moving into the dorms at nearby colleges/universities, I’m astonished at the sheer quantity of stuff most move into their cramped dormitory spaces.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, in some dorms (my son’s included) you can loft your bed, creating an area underneath for a chair, large floor pillows, a TV, your microwave/mini fridge, etc. </p>
<p>I also was amazed by how much stuff kids brought, but I disagree that it’s more than their parents hauled to college. </p>
<p>We had GIANT speakers, a turn table, a receiver, TONS of records (remember them??) big typewriters oh and these weird things called BOOKS. Some people had TONS of those too.</p>
<p>Definitely the opposite for us. Our daughter has tons of stuff (mostly clothes, shoes, etc…) and even has a huge tote of just “costumes” for the various “themed” parties she goes to. She has something for every possible scenario and our SUV is full to the brim when we take her to school. Our son, on the other hand, practically looks like he is going away for the weekend. His dorm room wouldn’t have room for a sofa anyway, but he definitely travels very light.</p>
<p>We flew my D. We had 4 suitcases (I was able to check them all in free on my airline), 2 carryons (one containing just hangers), and picked up most of her bedding at the local BBB and a bike at Target. I shipped 2 packages, one her printer and the other containing some bulky items (like her robe) and backup toiletries that weren’t critical for day 1. It all fit amazingly well and it didn’t feel like overkill at all. I would have brought the winter coats etc at parents weekend, but D really wanted it all there at once.</p>
<p>Katliamom-- you are so right, and I remember a lot of girls (myself included) had trunks! I kept all my mid eighties preppy sweaters dutifully folded in my trunk, along with cords of every color. We also slept in Lanz nightgowns, which were bulky to store.</p>
<p>S is only an hour from home so he has now spent the last three weekends driving home and filling the truck back up with stuff. Plus he always comes home for the summer with tons more things than he left with??? I have 13 bankers boxes full after cleaning out his room last fall, and probably will fill another 5-10 this fall with the leftovers.</p>
<p>D is 5 hrs away and had two hatch backs full, 3 people, 2 trips, 1 hand truck (plus a trip to walmart & lowes) and done. Other than clothes, I’ll maybe fill 5 boxes tops with her leftovers.</p>
<p>I think guys like their “toys” and “things” and the girls tend to be more practical. Not all…one of D’s friends took CRAZY amounts of items - like 10 bath towels, futon, etc…</p>
<p>I limited D1 to 3 bath towels, as she is the type to use a clean towel every day if one is available, because the prior day’s is on the floor still wet.</p>
<p>DD just left this morning on the 17 hour drive! Everything has to fit in her Honda Civic or it isn’t that necessary. No couches, chairs, tv, but the 2 computers & scanner were necessary!</p>
<p>Oh, it’s definitely the space created by the lofts that allows for a sofa. Hard to imagine anybody calling those things bourgeois, though. Think 1972 orange velvet or that lovely green and yellow floral design, you know the kind of thing people put out by the curb with a “free” sign on it.</p>
<p>Our experience with our D last year was much different. We had to rent a small UHaul to pull behind the SUV for all her stuff. Once there, we purchased a fairly big plasma tv and stand and a large wardrobe. (Her dorm was old and only had one small closet for both girls. These two are very fashion conscious and most of their clothes needed to be hung rather than folded; hence, the Lowe’s wardrobe.) My DH, D, and I hauled it up 3 flts in pieces (about 200 lbs). Then, we put it together in an unairconditioned dorm. (Ugh!) I will say their room was transformed into something worthy of a HGTV before/after show, D was pleased, and had a great first year.</p>
<p>I actually was one of those rare kids 25 years ago with a small black and white TV (we watched MASH and Letterman on it – Letterman was so cutting edge then!) but I like the idea of having my kids watch TV communally with other students in a lounge.</p>
<p>The calling things bourgeois is mainly unique to the LAC I attended when I was there. Compared to more mainstream campuses, most Obies IME had less stuff during move-in day than what I saw at NYU and Columbia as a NYC resident before college and afterwards. And the quantity has only increased since the '90s. </p>
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<p>Funny. Actually had a heated argument with one aunt because she insisted I “needed” a TV when I was adamant about not having one. Didn’t want something I wasn’t going to use taking up space in the dorm, wasn’t really going to have the time to use, and figured I can always watch TV in the dorm lounge or more so…at home if needed. Also didn’t want my room to become party central after seeing what happened to some older cousins who turned their dorm rooms into such. Academic suspensions/near-expulsions are not exactly things to aspire to…after all.</p>