Hello All,
What do the kids do with their stuff during Winter Break? Do they leave them in the dorm? Or do they need to move them out and back in at the end of Winter Break?
They just lock the door and leave and then return in January. It’s not as if they turn off the heat during the break.
Of course, they will need to bring more stuff home for Winter Break than they would for the short breaks. Even though you probably have a washer and dryer at home and therefore they can do laundry frequently, they will probably need at least three or four changes of clothing, as well as outerwear and footwear for different types of weather.
Remind them to throw out any food in the fridge which might spoil and empty all trash cans, or they could come back to a very stinky room.
Listen to @mamag2855 …my daughter told tales of her friends that did not empty the refrigerator before they unplugged it (they were asked to by the school to save energy)…
If they must unplug the fridge, they may also need to defrost the freezer, since many of the dorm type fridges do not have frost free freezers. They just need to leave it open with a towel to catch water, or can speed up the process with bowls of warm water put inside. It is also a good idea to leave the door cracked open, if empty, because even the smallest amount of moisture left sealed inside can cause mold to grow pretty quickly.
Students should not assume no one will be in their rooms during break. Some schools use this time for maintenance or room checks. So not a good idea to leave things that shouldn’t be there in the first place (alcohol for example). I’d bring laptops and tablets home, maybe game systems depending on how long the break is.
My college turned the heat way down for Christmas break. I would not leave any musical instruments or anything that can be damaged by cold behind.
At some schools, you’re not supposed to leave opened packages of food in your room even if the food does not require refrigeration. This is because they fumigate the dorms during break, and food shouldn’t be exposed to those chemicals.
Another point: If your kid has moved off-campus, it may be necessary for the kid to arrange to have postal mail held or forwarded. Fortunately, this can be done online. Unfortunately, young people may forget about it because postal mail isn’t something they think about much.
Thanks everyone. Appreciate all the comments. Will pass them on to my student.
Thank you T26E4
Our neighbors stopped their mail on line and it’s still coming every day. Luckily we are feeding their cat so it’s no problem to bring it in. I’ve had the same experience. Going into the post office and filling out the yellow card works. Internet not so much!
My kids’ schools would always send out an email prior to the longer breaks with all the pertinent info on what to do and not do and RAs would reiterate it and ensure it was complied with. In addition to emptying fridges, it is often required to unplug them.
Students can leave all their stuff in their dorms over winter break. However, leaving valuables is not wise.
There have been several cases of burglaries of student dorm rooms during break periods including some in suburban/rural colleges like the one I attended.
And if one’s campus is in a particularly high crime area like some colleges located in parts of Worcester, one must be extra careful and even then it may not be enough.
Knew a couple of students who transferred out of WPI in the early '00s because despite the high security precautions and measures taken, their dorm/off-campus apartment was broken into multiple times. Both finished up their educations at BU.
Also if they have a kitchen as part of your housing, please remind them to wash and put away the dishes and utensils. My younger d had the extremely unpleasant experience of returning from semester abroad to special interest on-campus housing that was a former frat house on campus. The students left for winter break leaving unwashed dishes in the sink… and when she moved in not only did she have to see unwashed dishes but the dead rodents they attracted. Gross!!
Your student’s dorm will have instructions- such as a requirement to empty refrigerators. When son had an apartment he forgot to take out his trash- the first thing he did when he returned was to move that smelly bag he had left beside the door! My experience has been that with final exams students usually bring home a lot of undone laundry they had no time for. One winter (cold climate thankfully) it was three guys’ stuff in an suv, each had a different type of container to be dropped off.