I’m surprised kids rent fridges. Mini fridges are about $100 at Target. But I hear you can get used ones from upper class ones for cheaper.
My D1 got on FB to meet her roommate the first year. Coordinating what to bring is a good idea.
Some colleges have a move-in “sustainable sale” of clean, usable stuff in good condition left behind by graduating seniors. You can get a mini fridge cheaply there.
I passed a dumpster outside the dorms last week at the place I work. It was overflowing with discarded rugs, plastic crates, mirrors, beanbag chairs, and other junk. I don’t advocate dumpster diving but I was just shocked at all the garbage left behind. Keep your dorm room simple. You’re not going to want the stuff when you leave.
Items not allowed that surprised me… streaming devices (Roku, Wii, many gaming consoles). Well, they were allowed, just weren’t compatible with the school wifi. Something to do with bandwidth and security. Laptop, fine, as the device could be secured. The others, no. Parents of big time gamers were advised to call the local cable company for accessible internet for those devices. There went my plan to get the kid a Roku!
I would concentrate on your child’s personal items–bedding, clothing, decor for her wall only. The most coordinating we did was to ask the roommate what color her comforter is and then my D chose a carpet for between the beds that had both her roommate’s main color and her own main color. I also bought my D a vacuum cleaner and fridge. We live reasonably close and the roommate had a plane ride so I offered the fridge, carpet, etc. and I also had in mind that my D would keep these things for her 4 years whether she kept the roommate or not. I wouldn’t want to split costs of big ticket items for that reason. If it’s a rental, that’s a different story. You can inquire if the roommate wants to split the item for the year. I remember as a student myself my roommate insisting I buy a big ticket item since she was bringing a microwave and I remember feeling resentful of the insistence. I didn’t want or use her microwave. I remember a thread here where someone was wanting the roommate to bring a keurig and I also find that invasive. If you want a keurig, microwave, refrigerator, or whatever, bring it yourself. Things don’t have to be split down the middle. They are going with the owner in the end anyway. Incidentally, the roommate is staying the summer and we are more than happy to have her “store” the refrigerator, carpet, fan, etc. for us in her summer room. It saves me a trip and lugging! They will room together again! Also, be mindful of how much floorspace your stuff takes up before you get to know the person. It isn’t fair to take up too much without asking the roommate first. My D uses the refrigerator as a nightstand (and of course the roommate is welcome to put whatever she wants in it). They can always add things later.–you don’t have to get EVERYTHING up front. If you show up with season appropriate clothes, some notebooks, a computer, shower stuff, and bedding, it should be enough to get started.
My daughter and her roommate chose each other through her school’s freshman Facebook page. Some brilliant person came up with a much better questionnaire than the one provided by the housing office, so lots of excellent matches were made this way.
They spent the summer coordinating who would bring what and were already friends before they met in person
My son didn’t bother to see whether his school had a similar student-run selection process, so he let the housing office assign him a roommate based on their questionnaire, and it worked out fine. The roommate told him he was bringing a fridge, and my son got a fan and dust buster.
Oh, and what @NJSue says is spot on. I don’t know anyone who coordinated on bedding, and most rooms are too small to bring anything but the basics. People do bring illegal things like electric kettles, but check the culture of your school before doing this.
My D and her roommate have been chatting since they matched up. They were both thrilled to discover that they had the same exact color scheme in mind. They have a Pinterest or something. At least they like the Target stuff and not Pottery Barn!
They are not allowed microwaves, but the dorm has several. They ARE allowed fridges-not sure who’s providing that, or if they’re splitting it. Neither games.
Read though the residence life website and the room contract and figure out what your particular school allows. D1’s school allows a mini fridge that meets certain requirements but if you want a microwave it has to be a fridge microwave combo rented from some particular place. Electric teakettles are fine, anything with an exposed heating element is not fine. It’s going to depend on the school.
D1 found her roommate by making one post on her school’s freshman class Facebook page. They’ve roomed together for two years and are planning on a third. It worked out great. They coordinated bedding and such to the extent of determining that they both like bright and cheerful. They ended up with a bright and cheerful but not matching room. Roommate was local and brought the fridge, which I think was a hand-me-down from an older sibling. They have free printing so no printer needed at all. She watched Netflix on her laptop, no tv. Definitely uses the electric kettle and a few mugs for hot cocoa to share with friends.
We are beginning the plans for D2’s dorm room this fall, so I asked D1 what she’s used and what she hasn’t.
Not used: the desk lamp–she doesn’t think she ever turned it on. It landed on the giveaway table at move out last week.
Definitely used: the giant pillow (one of those floor pillow types) for sitting on the bed and leaning against the wall. She said that’s about worn out after two years. Also the first-aid and over-the-counter medicine supply has been appreciated.
“where someone was wanting the roommate to bring a keurig and I also find that invasive”
So true. Some don’t like the environmental impact of keurig type coffee machines.
My son got a good match from the housing survey. They weren’t friends but they got along fine. They had single bedrooms in a suite which helped I’m sure. They were both terribly messy.
Not sure if my D, starting college this fall, has her roommate yet, or how she’s doing it. They give you the option of finding people in the FB group or doing a survey. Crazy week here and we haven’t actually seen too much of her. She will be in an honors living community that’s not very big so either way it’s a limited pool and hopefully somewhat serious students.
Her school also only allows microwaves if it’s the rented fridge-microwave setup. A family friend said he was planning to give D a mini fridge as a gift so she will probably bring her own. There are microwaves on every floor so it shouldn’t be a problem.
I am so glad someone started this thread! I am far less concerned about the stuff, and more anxious about the ‘finding a roommate’ process. My daughter has put a short bio on the incoming freshman Facebook page. She them promptly left the country for a special trip to Poland and Israel so she has not been able to really attend to this. She is hoping to meet someone via social media or at the school’s orientation weekend she will attend. We live 2000 miles away so meeting face so she will only have one chance to meet someone at that orientation in mid June.
I know many kids are successful with the random assignment process (I had mixed results when I was in college) but it makes me a bit anxious. I am having to hold my tongue during this process, and hope that she finds someone she feels she will be compatible with.
In terms of the stuff, she is lucky that that school provides a combination microwave-mini fridge to each room so no one has to buy that. We will wait to find out if she needs XL Sheets and then find bedding she likes. I can’t imagine having an issue with a roommates bedding or decor unless it was somehow blatantly offensive. I want her to have a few things in her room hat make her happy and make it feel a bit like home. She will likely have to pack herself us to come home in !aynso I don’t want her to have too much stuff.
My son flew across country. After a week of orientation, people ended up in a House, and then picked a roommate. Beds were already lofted in his House, and a kitchen was nearby. One borrowed a vacuum from the House. There was a computer room, with printers. There was a lounge with old sofas and TV. So, we just bought bedding. The expensive padding never got used.
When I went out for parents day, son wanted a better desk chair and a large monitor. Down the line, we added a loveseat and a window a/c. The roommate helped me install the a/c. I never brought up money, as I knew the roommate was full financial aid. Oh yes, a bike. Of course, the electronics.
Sometimes it is ok to wait a month or so. Roommates can request a room change early on, the dorm can offer many items, etc.
My DD found her roommate through the Facebook accepted students page. (We also found this page helpful when there were several schools to choose from.) She and her roommate each posted “profiles” about themselves and agreed that they’d get along. The year is now over and they did fine together. Friends, but not BFFs. They were going to room together in a 4 person suite, but the suites were gone by the time their time came to choose a room. So the 4 split into groups of 2 and my DD went with another girl. Again, still friends. I think the similarities you have when you are excited about school and describing your likes and dislikes, eventually give way to personalities. The first year in college is a huge growing and learning period. How each person deals with homesickness, insecurities, schoolwork, etc. will not come out the summer before freshman year.
My D16 got accepted to a residential learning community after she received her initial housing assignment and has now been waiting over a month for the housing people to change her assignment so that she can participate in the RoomSync app through FaceBook. At this point, there’s probably few (if any) people left to match within this community. If there is someone left to match with, hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a neat freak, a country music fan, or an early to bed, early to rise sort of person!
We’re moving D halfway across the country and will probably buy (or pick up) a lot of stuff locally once we get there (about 5 days before move-in). Still not sure what to do about her bike, snowboard, longboard.
Eh, we bought a bike in college area. He sold it in senior year. I think he’s on his 4th bike now, each one more $$$ than before.
Definitely talk to your student about what they expect from their roommates. I know some believe they will make life long friends, but ask them to be realistic and just hope they get along and respect each other. If it ends up more than that, great. Also about items to bring, one thing that is worth its cost (even if its only used one year) is a mattress topper. I slept in the dorms during orientation at two different universities and discovered that this is a must (those college mattresses are thin.) Another item is a desk chair; they spend so much time there, that it is important to have something comfortable. Good luck to all the new freshmen - their first year is so exciting!
My son’s university encouraged students to use the matching process through the school rather than try to find someone on FB, though that was certainly allowed. Vast majority of students did the former and it worked fine.
The school’s matching system, which I’m sure is similar to most, allows students to voice their preference for key criteria (e.g., how late they stay up, how messy/neat, whether room is quiet or social). My son was matched with someone a different, but it was a good match in that they got along well, perhaps both in spite of and because of their differences.
BTW they didn’t communicate at all before arriving on campus, probably because neither cared at all about what color their sheets were etc. The roommate, who in general had a lot more stuff than my son, brought a fridge, carpet and rolling cart. The cart, filled with roommate stuff, was on my son’s “side” of the room but I am sure that neither of the guys thought of it that way. To them, it was just a room with two beds, two desks, and a lot of books, papers, and clothes strewn about, So, I guess another sign that it was a good match.
The fridge was key - we would have got one if roommate hadn’t. I see the benefit to the cart and carpet but my son was completely uninterested. Next year, though, I will DEFINITELY get a dustbuster.
Also, if the dorm doesn’t have AC, big fans are key, Printer was not needed at this school, which has a functioning satellite printer system.
My D’s roommate already had a minifridge so she offered to bring it.
Otherwise they would have rented one from the school. Because upperclass housing seems to provide the minifridge or if you live in apartment housing you have a regular fridge, so you would only need it for a year.
My D found essential a shower caddy, a backrest pillow, 2 sets of sheets, 2 bath towels and several wash cloths, a fleece throw, OTC meds, a mattress topper.
Exactly what @bopper said! Really…that’s all that needs to be discussed beforehand. I suggest letting them work out everything else for themselves.
Will she forget something? Absolutely. Will he bring too much of something? Of course. Will they get along? Probably. Will they be best friends? Probably not, but maybe. Should they get to know each other before they meet face to face? If they want to. There are so many things that you can’t predict, let your kid figure it out. As for stuff, it’s not like they can’t buy something if they need it. D1 had too much stuff, and she’s very low maintenance I think us parents get more stressed out about these things than our kids.
Bed, Bath & Beyond has a convenient program that you can go to a store (or online), pick out want you want, and it will be ready for you to pick up in her new town, provided that they have one there. They even have lists for specific schools as to what is recommended or even allowed. But I think it’s still too much stuff. Also, they usually have single item coupons without a limit on how many you can use.