<p>I live in Texas and will probably be going to University of North Carolina next year.
My dad asked me if I wanted to rent a van, drive there with him, and then have him fly back. The idea is very comforting because well.. I have a lot of stuff. (I love clothes, have A LOT of them, and would love to bring them all!) But then I am thinking that I will have to bring the stuff back and that my dorm is probably very small. </p>
<p>So, how did your son/daughter (especially daughter - i always notice how guys get buy with a lot less stuff than girls) ship her/his stuff to an out-of-state school. Should I just bring summer clothes and then bring the winter clothes during fall break? What else should I bring other than clothes? What should I buy there?</p>
<p>Leave half of them in Texas, and take the other half with you to NC. That way, you don't have to move stuff back and forth. During the summer, you can store the NC half in a commercial storage place or in your sorority house, if you join one.</p>
<p>Except for a party dress or two, don't bring any clothes to college that have to be hand washed or dry cleaned. You won't have time to do hand laundry regularly or room to dry it, and you won't want to spend money on dry cleaning. If you bring stuff that isn't machine washable, it will end up taking up space in your closet without being worn because it's too much trouble to care for it properly. </p>
<p>You may want to see whether you can ship things to yourself at college and have them arrive in your dorm room before you do. You could send yourself bedding and some of your clothes. </p>
<p>In addition to clothes, bedding, toiletries, and your computer, you need several rolls of duct tape, a tool kit, several extra power strips (the things you use so that you can plug six things into an outlet instead of two), and several extra extension cords. You will use some of this stuff in your own room, but its main purpose is so that you can lend it to other people in your dorm. It's a good way to make friends. There will be dozens of people wandering around the first few days, whining "Has anybody got an extra power strip?" If you can say yes, you're a hero. Heroine. Whatever.</p>
<p>My D goes to school about 600 miles from home--too long to drive for short breaks but ok for beginning and end of school year and Christmas break. When she moved in her first year she drove in her car with my husband--she kept her car at school. I drove down in my car with extra stuff and my husband adn I drove back together. It's true space is tight in dorms but it's also true that girls seem to have a lot of clothes and find a way to fit them in. </p>
<p>It's hard to bring winter clothes back by air because of luggage and wieght restrictions--better to bring them with you when you move in, if you are driving to school with your father in a rented van--any additional items can alwyas be sent from home (old) or ordered online for delivery at school (new). I think a lot of parents do that drive-fly combination--it is a good compromise.</p>
<p>My sis went to Wake. North Carolina tends to have ice storms from time to time, but most of the time it's pretty warm, obviously. I wouldn't bring every piece of clothing you own. Your school-provided dresser won't fit it all, and there won't be room for large plastic dressr units that you can get from Walmart or Target. You won't need sweaters or coats until after Christmas, so don't even bother with them in August, they'll be a waste of space. If you're into flip-flops, that's what you'll wear at least 75% of the time. I'm no expert on the area, but I do know a bit about what it's like and I definately know about the small space, as a college freshman this year. </p>
<p>Do you really need a rented van? I wouldn't want to do that, because it will stand out on move-in day. Also, your roomie is not going to be really excited to se that you've brought your entire life into the tiny room that you'll share with her. I'm a girl with lots of clothes and things too, and I think that (if your dad is willining to do it) you can fly by yourself with a carry-on bag and one or two large duffle bags with clothes, and then he can drive to and from campus in the car with the rest of your stuff. I'm confident that you'll find a way to make it work and your family can save the expense of renting a van.</p>
<p>My D went from KS to NY, we did the one way rental of a van and I thought it worked great. She brought too many clothes but says she's worn them all, she is at an isolated area so there wasn't the Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc around. We put boxes of stuff under her bed of her winter stuff, which she did need before too long (you won't). I think it was a better drive than I thought. I should mention, however, she wasn't with us. She was at orientation week and her Dad and I drove out!</p>
<p>Followup: You will be in touch with your roommate before move in day and the two of you will work out comforters, lamps, whatever isn't part of the room's schoool-provided furnishings. </p>
<p>Dont' worry about a rented van or SUV looking our of place--people do whatever works for them on move in day.</p>
<p>Don't be so sure you won't need warm clothes before Christmas break. It could be beautiful all through November or it could be 40 degrees or less and gray and damp. Knowing what the "normal" temps are won't do you much good if you are there during one of the atypical periods. For example, it was hat/glove/scarf cold in Charlotte for several days in mid February this year--way below normal. Also, I would think coming from Dallas you may not have that much winter stuff--you may be going to a climate cooler than you are used to, not warmer.</p>
<p>Once you are sure you are going to UNC and have specific information about your room you can figure out what/how much to bring, but transporting stuff by air is a real pain so I stand by the suggestion that you bring stuff with you when you drive. That is what many people do. (And you will probably end up making a Target run to get some of the giant plastic boxes for sweater storage and such--and having a dad with a rented van will be very useful.)</p>
<p>I think a rented van is overkill. Unless you have a complete frame for bed riser, what could take up so much room? I tend to fill whatever space I'm given so if we rented a van, I would just keep adding stuff until it was full. Once at the dorm though, you will discover that there really isn't room for much more then a closet's worth of stuff, bathroom essentials, bedding and electronic stuff. If there's only two of you driving won't all that fit into a car? </p>
<p>With my son, he drove down by himself for an outdoor orientation a week before his college started and then three of us drove down with our SUV. All he took was his bedding and a backpack (hiking backpack) of clothes. We took everything else and had room for our suitcases and then ended up taking back a video lounge chair that there wasn't room for in the dorm room. He has a pretty large dorm room but when you put two people, two beds, two dressers and two desks, there really isn't much room left for STUFF.</p>
<p>Our daughter went to scholarship weekend in the Triad area a few weeks ago, it was very cold. Most of the students though were running around in hooded sweatshirts and many in flip flops. During one seminar session they specifically said do not tow a Uhaul behind your car (and they have had parents do it) because you will be hauling a lot home...the rooms just will not hold everything. Daughter said if she goes she hopes to get into a mini apt for 2. I guess she plans on storing stuff in the living room. I am sure her suitemate will love that.</p>
<p>Took S to that Other School in Durham in a rented van. He supplied the microwave and fridge for the room. They took up a lot of space. We also took several stacking plastic-crate storage things that were great for holding stuff and also for storing stuff (they fit very well on the shelf in his closet) I don't think he took an extraordinary amount of stuff (though his shoes ARE enormous and he has shoes for several sports), and his dorm has the smallest rooms on campus. Accordingly, we took bed risers and the plastic drawer storage gizmos that fit under the bed. So did his room mate.</p>
<p>He did need his sweaters and jacket several times before winter break.</p>
<p>The local Walmart was pretty picked over during move in week, I heard. The Target was in better shape. One note: you can preorder from Bed Bath and Beyond, and they'll have your stuff waiting for you in Durham. But you'll need a vehicle to get it, of course.</p>
<p>Bottom line: with the transport of the appliances and the enormous shoes (!) we pretty much filled the van. Your mileage may vary!</p>
<p>Even though i am now affiliated with the Devil School, I'd be happy to help! Feel free to pm.</p>
<p>If your Dad offered to drive with you to launch you in college, he might just want to DO that. Please let him. Whatever you do with your clothes, you only have one Dad!
Some girls would kill for that kind of emotional warmth!!!!</p>
<p>DD goes to college on the other side of the country. We flew (two of us) with four suitcases, a computer carry on, musical instrument carryon, and a backpack each. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies without the rocking chair when we loaded up our rental car. We bought a few odds and ends when we got there. I brought two suitcases home with me. She will store everything that does NOT fit into two suitcases when she comes home. I would say that flying and then renting a car will make for a much more re****l trip than driving. There are plenty of stores in NC and you can buy the bulky stuff there (BB and B has a preorder thing whereby you order at home and they have it ready to pick up at the BB and B near your college). What we did was pack three suitcases of clothing and "stuff", and one suitcase of linens including blankets, sheets, towels. DD bought the mattress pad, pillow, lamp once we got to her school, as well as her computer printer (cheapy) and a small TV (even cheapier).</p>
<p>D and I took four large suitcase and heavy carryons on the plane, and shipped a couple boxes. The rest we bought when we arrived. Plenty of stores near colleges, so no need to haul it there and back. D is 1800 miles away.</p>
<p>We live in the southwest and both DS and DD go to schools in northwest (2 days + drive). Both have Toyota Corollas and I drove up to their school with each, which meant whatever they took with them had to allow room for me to sit in the passenger seat. Tight fit but really didn't have to leave too much behind. DS's back seat was filled with stereo and mountaineering equipment while DD had 3 large bags of shoes and her keyboard. We waited to buy bedding/towels till we got to their school. so just packed mostly personal items they felt they couldn't live without.</p>
<p>Frostburg's sis must be pretty tough to do without sweaters or coats until after Christmas! NC isn't that warm. It even snowed during first semester finals during the ancient days when I was at Duke. If you do fly, weigh your suitcase before you leave home. My daughter managed to go 20 lbs. over the limit. (Too many shoes.)</p>
<p>As I said, I don't know too much about the area, just what she said. But, yeah, she says she walked around in her jeans, Wake hoodie, and flip-flops most of the time. If it was colder, then she would break out normal shoes, but she doesn't like to. She also hates coats. This is why grad school in Alabama should be a good fit for her.</p>
<p>My son is at Wake and also only had hoodies at school prior to Christmas. We also live in NC and I haven't worn a true winter coat since we moved here in '88--even when it snows, it doesn't last and isn't very cold. The only time you need warmer things is when you are going to be outside for extended periods like sitting at an evening football game ;).</p>
<p>frostburg and his sister are probably from Maryland. (Frostburg is one of the universities in the Maryland state system.) Compared to Maryland, NC is warm. Compared to Texas, NC is freezing.</p>
<p>I haven't seen this suggested, so here goes.</p>
<p>Drive or fly with a minimal set of stuff: clothes, personal items, computer, & whatever else will fit in the allowable check in luggage or easily in the trunk. After unpacking this short stack of stuff, evaluate room for storage in the dorms and then have mom and/or dad ship whatever else is needed parcel post or UPS. Shipping is easy and not really all that expensive if you avoid express delivery. I'm pretty sure it's cheaper than overweight charges on airplanes, too.</p>
<p>Of course, I have a son that will probably just pack one pair of jeans, socks, undies, eight aloha shirts, a pair of sneakers, a fleece jacket, his Marmot Precip, his treasured Braun electric shaver, and a tooth brush. Oh. And his computer. That's pretty much all he ever uses at home, anyway.</p>