The Stuff Factor

<p>Housing directors all over — and not just in places that tend to attract wealthy students — are reporting an increase in the number of belongings students bring with them to college. Carloads, they say, are becoming the norm.
From inside higher education: <a href="http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/08/22/stuff%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/08/22/stuff&lt;/a>
(These people are obviously not housed in triples!)</p>

<p>Thanks - an interesting read!</p>

<p>We are just starting to really pull things together with a depart date of Sept. 1 - I'm telling D to take things out of the packing materials BEFORE we go.</p>

<p>I have to chime in on this one. Reading other threads on this board, I am fairly astonished at the amount of stuff that people are bringing to school. I am at the age where I am trying to get rid of stuff, so maybe my perspective in skewed. But, I think fondly of the days where I could move from place to place with one large suitcase, a backpack and my guitar case. </p>

<p>Since we had to fly to my d's school, we are now in the process of doing her shopping at the schools location. But, I am talking about things like warm clothes, laundry baskets, towels and duvets, not large screen TV's or any TV for that matter.</p>

<p>The whole idea is to get out of your room and out of yourself!</p>

<p>Judging by the teensy lttle pile of stuff on my son's floor, probably two cubic feet, I'd say he will not be joining the too-much-stuff crowd. He leaves in 48 hours, so maybe he will get around to adding a couple pairs of boxers to the pile soon.</p>

<p>I, too, have been astounded at all of the things that parents on CC have listed as being essentials for their kid to bring to college. Many people seem to have forgotten that with the possible exception of Deep Creek, there's no college in the U.S. that's in the middle of a desert. You don't need to pack enough soap, duct tape (something I never used in college), and other things to last a kid for a year. That's what local stores are for.</p>

<p>S brought a large suitcase, a small suitcase, a backpack, a small box, a small refrigerator, and a laptop, and 2 pillows and pillow type back rests. We unpacked the car in a flash. One he had unpacked his room, he realized he had forgotten to get a wastebasket, and also could have a microwave in his room, so we went to Target (which was virtually empty despite it being move-in day, and it also was a 10 min. drive from campus) and within a few minutes, he had what he needed. </p>

<p>He also picked up a surge protector at the school store. </p>

<p>In addition, he had packed himself, and he had bought his own linens and other supplies. Just as was the case with his older brother, S took a lot of pleasure in packing his stuff and buying the supplies that he needed. I remember packing my own stuff for college, and the only thing that upset me was that I didn't have the pleasure of selecting bed linens and towels because my mom had bought them. Unfortunately, the colors and designs she picked were things that she thought were lovely, but I happened to dislike. I got rid of those and bought my own the next year.</p>

<p>ZG is bringing a ridiculous amount of stuff. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by it, to be honest, and she's really not going to school in the middle of nowhere. The amount of bedding is completely out of hand, but she needs(?) the egg crate, a mattress cover, sheets comforter, multiple pillows, curtains, etc. Then we have the office supplies. I've come to wonder if there's an embargo on pens, papers and folders in the state of Pennsylvania. Anyone have any information about that? As far as electronics, she's bringing the laptop, the cell phone, the iPod and that's it. The roomate is graciously bringing TV and fridge. Oh, and the candy. An entire bin of candy. I hope her dormmates like poprocks.</p>

<p>A bin of candy is nothing. My son's RM arrived last year with cases and cases of softdrinks. The amount would have taken up my entire trunk without any clothing packed in it. We stopped at a nearby store to buy some of that after my son's belongings were unloaded, which took us all of a few minutes.</p>

<p>Also, a friend of mine has a D who enjoyed the benefits of her RM's bottled water. She arrived with massive gallons of spring water, and then had some delivered. That was a new thing in a dorm room that I had never heard of before. My friend told me that she let her D know that she won't pay for it, since they drink tap water at home.</p>

<p>My son is flying off to school taking 2 suitcases and a laptop. He will buy disposables such as shampoo, laundry soap, and office supplies out there. His move-in will take just minutes!</p>

<p>"My son's RM arrived last year with cases and cases of softdrinks. The amount would have taken up my entire trunk without any clothing packed in it."</p>

<p>Wow. Just Wow.</p>

<p>We don't get a year's supply of stuff (like NSM refers to) and the kids get consummable goods throughout the year. However, I will admit that our large SUV is packed to the hilt to move our kids into college. In fact, we can't get rid of the car as it is our "moving van" several times per year. From May to August alone, we will have completed six trips with a jam packed car. Maybe it is a girl thing. I happen to think that most of what they bring, they truly do need. Some things are also bulky....such as a piano, piano stand, guitar, massive amounts of books including music for one of them, several pairs of ski equipment and all the related paraphenalia, printer, fridge, bedding, rug, lots of clothes, lamps, storage units (under the bed and in closet or rolling drawer sets), microwave, fan, air filter, etc.....some of those things are pretty big. For one of my kids, we may be moving some furniture items as well for her living room. Other D is moving into fully furnished apartment.</p>

<p>Nope, no embargo on the stationary supplies here in PA, you'll find plenty. But Ithaca NY did run out of printer paper last week - I think every freshman brought up a printer without the paper. We stuffed the SUV and roof carrier with bedding supplies as well - and I can attest that the nice fluffy bed and piles of pillows warmed up the dorm room immensely. I am parent-non-gratis, however, as I would not allow Igglegirl to take a TV with her. If she's got time for that, she'll have to watch socially in the lounge and not confined in her room. FWIW I'm sure there are lots of shows over the internet . . . Good luck with your moves, parents - the Igglenest is officially empty.</p>

<p>Igglesfan, too bad your student isn't rooming with S, who deliberately didn't bring a TV, and is hoping his roommate doesn't bring one either. S doesn't watch much TV, and said he'd prefer watching it in a lounge instead of in his room because it would be distracting and could hinder his meeting others.</p>

<p>My kids rarely watch TV either. They don't have the time. If some major event is on, they might...such as the Tony Awards. DVDs can be watched on their laptops. I suppose a TV could be useful if you want to watch a DVD with friends as the screen is larger. My younger D did not want a TV freshman year (she really doesn't watch TV) but later in the year, we brought it for their common room (dorm was apartment style) to have for friends over to watch a DVD together.</p>

<p>NSM - it's a good thing they're not together- I'm not ready for the coed dorm rooms yet - but your son might be on the same hall!</p>

<p>Igglesfan,
At S's school, they have a small dorm that does have co-ed bathrooms. It's the diversity house. The students tell me that they are very comfortable with this situation. Their parents are the ones freaked out. S isn't in that dorm even though he wanted to be. The reason was its higher cost (all single rooms), not the co-ed bathrooms, which he thought sounded fine.</p>

<p>Same here, NSM, with regards to the TV.</p>

<p>Many years ago, when I was a college freshman, my parents sent me with a small B&W TV for watching the news. My roommate was a real dodo, and ending up watching it constantly. I couldn't stand it, so I gave the TV to friends of mine, who then got my roommate every evening. Lost a lot of friends.</p>

<p>When we were helping S move into dorm, we rode up the elevator with a young woman who was toting the largest shoe organizer I've ever seen- it must have held 36 pairs of shoes (6X6). I joked, "boy you sure must have a lot of shoes." She said something about guys not being as organized with their stuff as girls, and I said, "well when you only have 3 pairs of shoes...". Like NSM, there are stores if he needs anything else.</p>

<p>I'm telling you.....girls are different from boys in this way!! Even I have way more shoes and clothes and use up more of our walk in closet than my husband. Just getting him to BUY ANY pair of shoes which he desperately needs is a big deal. My kids have a bunch of shoes for different situations, weather, sports, arts, etc. They have something to put the shoes in at school as well. It may just be a basket (has been up 'til now but just got a hanging shoe thing for one D's new apartment which has massive closet unlike she had in dorm).</p>

<p>Most of the boys will start out with lots of stuff (courtesy mom) and in no time flat they're down to a large bag, a TV and their laptop. :)</p>

<p>Son has 3 pair- sneakers, flip flops, and dress shoes. If any of those get broken or lost, he'll be making a trip to the store.</p>

<p>Older son has one additional pair- "topsiders".</p>