<p>Also-double-fan for window, 3M hooks for hanging things, wonder hangers, ethernet cord</p>
<p>Don’t get the need for a tool kit…dd got 3 for her 2009 grad and we regifted all of them to this year’s grads!</p>
<p>^^^things break, come loose, require assembly…you never know. I just know that our student said it came in handy!</p>
<p>Extra storage, the stackable plastic drawers, under bed storage with flip lid, milk crate type cubes with handles (used for storing toiletries, cleaning supplies etc. These took up space in the car, but really helped to organize the room. Of course, you can do Pack and Hold at BBB or get those things at BBB or Target once you are there and know better what you will need. We got them ahead of time since we had the room and I was a little concerned that they’d be gone or the banged up leftovers by the time we got there. </p>
<p>At some schools you’ll need desk lamps and an extra floor lamp or two - dorm rooms tend to be dim.</p>
<p>Don’t forget something to make the mattress more comfortable - fiberbed or similar. They make all the difference in the world.</p>
<p>Also, an entire sticky thread in the Parent Cafe on this subject:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/53990-last-years-shopping-checklists-bedding-threads-7.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/53990-last-years-shopping-checklists-bedding-threads-7.html</a></p>
<p>I’ve already sent a shirt he forgot, then some extra t-shirts, both along with candy, gum and snacks. As for move-in day, we didn’t have an ethernet cable, but his dorm has wi-fi anyway.</p>
<p>Note: Packages of M&Ms, trail mix, mini-candy bars, etc. make great packing material in those boxes of forgotten items. The USPS flat-rate boxes are your friends.</p>
<p>Timely article in today’s Boston Globe in response to OP’s question. (too late for many of us!!!;)</p>
<p>[Seven</a> things college students don’t need - Boston.com](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/gallery/dontbringtocollege2010/?p1=Upbox_lead]Seven”>http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/gallery/dontbringtocollege2010/?p1=Upbox_lead)</p>
<p>S’s dorm wasn’t wireless. I brought a 12 ft cable from home, but it turned out the port was on the other side of the room. I had to run out and buy him a longer one from Best Buy, and got totally ripped off on the price.</p>
<p>So if you are going to bring one, make sure you bring at least a 25’ cable. You can get one on eBay for < $4.00 shipped, instead of $35 at Best Buy.</p>
<p>D just told me that she wants an extra chair for friends to sit on because she doesn’t want everyone lounging on her bed. I think I saw some foldup chairs at BBB.</p>
<p>^That was the number one thing on my list for my second year. I hate having company sitting on my bed.</p>
<p>Second the lamps recommendation. Most dorm room lighting is pretty awful–the overhead and that’s it. A desk lamp is a must and frankly many of the rooms we saw at both D’s and S’s schools had an additional floor lamp. Those are great since they take very little space.</p>
<p>Extra power cords (long ones) are important plus surge protector. And although this may seem frivolous, may be a couple of posters. Those dorm room walls look pretty bleak but as soon as a couple posters go up, the room seems cozier, more personal, and looks like a college dorm room should!</p>
<p>Another suggestion is to have a small table/cube that can be used as a nightstand.
Or if the bed is lofted, some kind of tray that can hang off the bed to operate as a nightstand to stow eyeglasses, bottle of water, cell phone. D used a set of plastic bins that stood on top of one another. It worked fine.</p>
<p>A hang-over-the-door rack can be used for lots of things–towels, clothes, hats and can often be hung from the foot of the bed if it doesn’t work over the door. Both my kids had these and used them all the time.</p>
<p>S had a great laundry bag that I think came from Ikea…it had a long strap on the side to carry it like a backpack. It looked kind of like a duffel but had a plastic piece you could take out that helped it stand upright in the closet. He still uses today, 5 years later.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, the cables!! Buy them at home–cheaper and you can always return if you don’t need. The dorms are notorious for having the outlets on the other side of the room from where you need them!</p>
<p>Definitely recommend an “egg-crate” for the bed. Dorm mattresses are mostly pretty bad and this helps. Of course, you can get a really nice tempurpedic pad like my niece just got, but the eggcrates are cheap and disposable at the end of the year.</p>
<p>For both kids we ended up buying a taller wire shelving at some point during their dorm experiences. At least at their schools and dorm buildings, the only furniture was a small dresser and desk. The shelving was used for TV or fridge, plasticware and other odds and ends. They really noticed there was a lack of dresser-tops, places to set things on.</p>
<p>However, depending on what comes with your S’s dorm room, that may not be necessary. The key thing is if you have room in your vehicle, it is better to bring some of this stuff then depending on buying it where you’re going.
(Except for BBB pack and ship–that’s AWESOME). D’s 1st roommate’s parents were a mess, driving all over looking for some basics that were sold out everywhere. Move in weekend at most colleges results in a run on a lot of stuff at the local Walmarts/Targets, etc. I just kept receipts for everything and returned whatever didn’t work out.</p>
<p>We have a Keurig coffee maker at home and my son has already requested one for his dorm room. They use the K-Cup’s to make single cups of coffee at a time.</p>
<p>I think they are ideal for drom rooms because they don’t require messy coffee filters and the need to wash a coffee pot a couple of times a week.</p>
<p>[Explore</a> Keurig Single Cup Brewing](<a href=“http://www.keurig.com/explore/enjoy.asp?mscsid=BJ8SWUS829G89PJFEMQJX1X1WMJXFWVF]Explore”>http://www.keurig.com/explore/enjoy.asp?mscsid=BJ8SWUS829G89PJFEMQJX1X1WMJXFWVF)</p>
<p>
S used the microfridge for this.</p>
<p>
In my college days I used an empty cardboard box turned upside down - it works great. It’s lightweigt, easy to move around, can be used for moving stuff in and out of the room, you likely already have one, and it makes quite the fashion statement.</p>
<p>This question came up at Admitted Students weekend, when we parents got to meet with a panel of current students. They were unanimous about extra seating, folding chairs and such. </p>
<p>Last year, D found she needed a couple of extra mugs for tea and instant hot chocolate (because heaven forbid that the ONE we sent should get washed regularly), and several water bottles.</p>
<p>I bought 4 over-sized plain white mugs for S, suitable for hot beverages, cereal, ice cream…he scoffed, but ended up using them a lot. For Christmas, I gave him an electric kettle and an array of packets of instant chai, hot chocolate, and noodles to go with the mugs. I think that that was when he realized the point of the mugs. :D</p>
<p>Ditto on the 4 over-sized mugs. Ditto on the scoffing. DS is a freshman and he took 1 of the 4. I am betting he takes the other 3 at Labor Day. I am making the list for Labor Day weekend, because I know he will want more stuff then.</p>
<p>Too funny, Bernese! The irony is that <em>I</em> became very attached to those mugs and that kettle when my S was abroad for a term sophomore year. Then when he came back he <em>insisted</em> on taking them back to school! Naturally, I couldn’t find the same model kettle again, or the same mugs. :D</p>
<p>Bring a small basic tool kit (hammer, flat/philips-head screwdriver & pliers or multi-tool) for minor repairs. Home Depot sells an orange screwdriver that has both flat/philps-head. </p>
<p>S2 also brought 3 power strips with different length cords & a couple surge protectors for expensive electronics. Hang onto the receipts & return the items you don’t need.</p>
<p>We found a small clip-on fan at Staples (~$15). S2 clipped it to the headboard of his bed.</p>
<p>Bring a metal knife-fork-spoon set (or 2).</p>
<p>What not to bring: a 235-lb 8-yr old HDTV.</p>
<p>Although not technically for his room, sent him with extra copy of insurance card, selective service registration, eyeglass prescription and birth certificate</p>