“stick one in the inside of his jacket pocket with one of those kleenex pks”
I could picture my kid washing the jacket with the kleenex and chapstick in the pocket. 
Not a problem as I don’t think my kids ever wash their jackets.
Nail clippers.
Raincoat with hood AND an umbrella (kids who are used to driving can get by with one or the other, but a 10 minute walk across campus in the pouring rain makes both seem worthwhile).
“Nail clippers.”
One of my kids met a former significant other when the other student was in search of nail clippers to borrow. Gets back to what someone said a few pages back about meeting people through borrowing things/community.
My daughter did ask for an umbrella her first semester. I don’t think she ever used it but she did ask for it.
My other daughter took a really nice rain jacket with her to London. I think it is a Marmot, I paid $7 full price at the thrift store and I’m sure new it would have been $75. She has it on in every single picture. It is slightly oversized so she could put it on over a bulky sweater or hoodie.
Her other jacket is a Columbia 3-in-1, with a fleece jacket and outer raincoat. It was also purchased at the thrift store for about $10. It is a little heavier so D preferred the Marmot.
Kids with smartphones can load up insurance cards and any other docs they need access to. Or, they can be stored on google drive and shared with the family so can be DL’ed as needed.
I didn’t know myself until my college roommate went to the health center and came back a bag of about 200 condoms. It became a running joke as to why they’d give him 200. Something about the way he looked? Who would have time for classes and studying? 
A year’s supply. 
Yes, we sent D1 of with a box of condoms. Within the first few days, she sent me a pic of a large box, in the ladies room closest to her room ( whch happened to be on an all female floor.)
A Luci lantern! I got three when she went off to a third world country. Love how light they are, how flat they pack, compared with other models.
The cheap ponchos- they saved me when I backpacked around Europe, since the back flap will cover over a backpack. My girls never wore theirs. I don’t think they find them fashionable.
My kids report condoms (at their non-religious schools, not true at Notre Dame!), are available all around school. One of mine suggested that if you are paying for condoms, you are doing something wrong.
But I threw a box into the cart on our Target run anyway. I’d rather that they are already in his room, by his bed, rather than available for the taking somewhere else.
Lots of command strips in all different sizes
If kid will have car at college, AAA membership card. Otherwise, gift cards for some supermarkets, drugstores, and discount stores close to campus. You can often get e-cards using bank-card reward programs.
Asked my daughter who went to a large college in a big city. She said condoms were only free during sex week when the RAs had them in baskets in the dorms.
“Sex week”?
@Ynotgo :)) :)) :))
Yep, her school did have sex week. It was pretty toned down - not the crazy/controversial stuff I see on the internet when I google college sex week. The highlight was the condom couture fashion show. I saw pictures of that - the students used only condoms (and their wrappers) to create clothes and then modeled them. (It was a fundraiser for some charity).
My son called and ask me to send up hearing protection. He’s a theater major and he said that the shop where they work and build things is much noisier than he thought it would be.
Sports equipment for club/intramural sports and fitness classes. I was just asked to send yoga mat, foam roller, cleats, mouth guard, shin guards.
Cold medicines like DayQuil and NyQuil (gel tabs) were the best items I sent with my son. Anything else could be purchased as needed, but no one wants to walk blocks to a drugstore (or student store) to find medicine when they’re sick.
Save some stuff for the care packages. My daughter asked for pre-wrap (athletic wrap) and I sent her a case as that was before I had amazon prime so needed to qualify for free shipping. She hasn’t asked for more. I sent rainbow assortment and haven’t seen her wear the bright pick yet.
I often send a new toothbrush, cough drops, deodorant, candy, etc.