<p>Yup, S laughed at the iron. I knew he'd never use it for day to day stuff, but I still made him take it for things like semi-formals and job/internship interviews. I don't think he used it once freshman year. Any interviews were phone interviews, and apparently he got the gf to iron his clothes for formal occasions. But sophomore year he actually did iron his dress shirts for on-campus internship interviews (gf was studying abroad, lol).</p>
<p>Surprisingly, S sent those storage crates back home at X-mas. For me they were essential items, but their dorm rooms are larger and have better storage space.</p>
<p>S also did not really eat the snacks I sent. His school requires the students to spend a certain percentage of their meal plan bucks at the campus convenience store (I hate that policy), so he uses that money to buy snacks.</p>
<p>S2 is a complete slob, but he'll use his iron. He will be in Army ROTC and will have uniforms...and they have to be pressed. This makes me smile. :)</p>
<p>I think I will move this question over to the college life forum -- but parents here might want to see if the campus has a recycle club. Our kiddo's campus does -- so students departing in May donate a lot of goods (like fridges and phones) so that incoming students in September can get these things at a good price.<br>
As to quantity, my hubby conducted his PhD research overseas and lived two years out of a backpack and duffle bag. It can be done -- one truly doesn't need a rainbow set of post-its and a label maker and a swifter-duster. Everything we buy, we must also ship/take and then store/secure. There just has to be better ways to show our love and concern. . . .I hope!</p>
<p>Good luck timely, my NROTC S quickly ditched the iron when he found a laundry/cleaners near campus that would launder and press the uniforms fairly cheaply. S claimed he never could master the pleats on the back of the shirt.</p>
<p>D uses both an iron and a drying rack. Had to replace the iron from last year - the faceplate broke and we didn't even bother bringing it home in May. Just got her a nice one with a retractable cord on sale yesterday. I bought her two (didn't like the 1st really cheap IKEA one) of the tabletop ironing boards, but she has decided to get a full-sized one this year. She hang-dries a lot of her shirts/blouses and this year is taking dance classes, so leotards will be air dried, too. She irons almost every day (I think she got that from me - LOL!)</p>
<p>At boarding school:
Used: printer!, extra paper, pencils!!, snacks esp. caffinated drinks, bookshelf, quarters
Not Used: 2nd set of sheets (and yet my mom still insists I need them), books (yes my parents sent me books...they're weird), the extra extra schools supplies, extra extra bathroom supplies</p>
<p>My son wanted almost nothing beyond absolute essentials: one set of sheets (actually just the fitted bottom sheet was fine with him), a couple towells, a few clothes. The only extras he wanted was a small table fan and a drying rack. ;)</p>
<p>Now, the drying rack is something he will use constantly. He is a swimmer and has learned both from my browbeating, but also from his own nasty mildew experiences, that damp towels and suits MUST not be left in a heap on the floor (like everything else he owns). He is an absolute slob in every other way, but I have to give the boy credit... he will always hang his towel and suit out somewhere to dry. Sometimes it's over the back of a chair, sometime the shower curtain rod, sometimes the back seat of the car... not always great places, but always somewhere. I don't doubt he'll use the drying rack. I just hope he uses the trashcan and the laundry basket occasionally!</p>
<p>MiamiDAP, the point of this thread is listing stuff that got packed that the students never used. If you're interested in saving money, NOT buying items that won't be used is less expensive than buying them at home and sending them off to school where they are totally unnecessary!</p>
<p>On the landline phone: My daughter had one, and it was used a lot. Cell phone service in her room was dreadful, so we called her on her landline all the time. I noticed when we moved her out that she had taped on the wall a list of her friends and their landline extensions, so clearly kids did call each other that way (probably because of the service issues). Plus, when she lost her cell phone, she used the landline.</p>
<p>Now, she never used the tool box -- but I figure she'll need tools at some point in her life. The duct tape was used, by lots of people in her dorm (and she needs a new roll). She didn't pack a dryer rack initially; she asked me to bring one up for her parents weekend. She definitely had too many office supplies -- the post-its notes were never used, same with most of the paper clips, staples, etc.</p>
<p>My daughter ended up never needing a printer. Her school had a printing allotment that was sufficient. She did use her second set of sheets........not because she regularly remade her bed but because occasionally someone spilt on the bed at a time that she did not want to do laundry. She took a small television her first semester that came home at Christmas. Because she was at school in NYC she had many visitors so the Aerobed she brought got a lot of use.</p>
<p>Stupid stuff that I made her bring? A Swiffer. WHAT was I thinking.</p>
<p>My D didn't use the required laptop lock. Also said she wasn't taking a printer second year. Found out it was easier to use the printer provided in the dorm when software issues kept causing problems with hers. Never ironed anything either...but then again, I seldom do either!</p>
<p>fireandrain, interesting about the tool box. I made daughter take one -- she was appalled -- and it was used within 30 minutes of getting into the dorm. (To put together some shelving/furniture.) D did admit the following year (as whe was using the tools during move-in) that the tool box proved very useful and all her suite-mates borrowed it. </p>
<p>That said, there probably doesn't need to be more than one tool box per room/suite.</p>
<p>I don't think S uses his printer much for printing, but it has a scan function and he uses that quite a bit. Why buy stamps and WALK ::eek:: to a post box when he can scan a document and email it?</p>
<p>D1 uses her drying rack and so do the rest of her suite mates. There is a school iron in each laundry room but is kind of gross...it spits gross steam so she won't use it any more. Uses extra sheets, extra towels, extra everything! She takes way too many clothes because she won't buy them in Iowa because they have sales tax on clothes. Uses her own printer. Her room is very much like home. :0</p>
<p>I confess I am sending orchestragirl off with a toolkit (she is appalled, but "humoring" me). I had great fun putting it together last week. But then I'm the woman who got excited when my H opened me a store account at an old fashioned hardware store when we were newlyweds...</p>