<p>I know, stupid question, but hoping to hear from the veterans here on the forum.</p>
<p>I’m assuming they just have to bring themselves and their clothes home.</p>
<p>But has anyone not brought things back home with them that they wished they had?</p>
<p>Are there things that you left in the dorm that you wish you hadn’t?</p>
<p>What about the refrigerator/freezer? Of course, you should throw away milk and other perishables, but what about frozen items like pancakes that will be okay in the freezer?</p>
<p>Do the dorms turn off the power, thus causing food spoilage?</p>
<p>Have you left electronics that encountered problems because of inactivity for five weeks, or power outage causing problems?</p>
<p>Looking for some guidance from the veterans and newbies here.</p>
<p>D is planning on leaving her television & printer there. Just bringing home the laptop and clothing she’ll be wearing while home. She’ll probably bring some books home too.</p>
<p>She’ll have her last exam next Wednesday and I’m driving down to pick her up. I’m planning on spending a little extra time there to really clean the bathroom. I think it’s gotten swished a few times, but not really scrubbed, KWIM?</p>
<p>Students are told to take all valuables home and unplug everything. Last year, we were told to keep our refrigerators plugged in, but the e-mail I received on Monday said to unplug them. Normally I like to keep some food in my freezer so I can have something to eat in my when classes resume in January. His RA’s should be hosting a meeting about this info this week, so have him check his e-mail.</p>
<p>Along with any valuables (cash, laptop, and jewellery; printers and TV’s can stay as long as they are unplugged) and important documents, I would suggest having him bring home Christmas gifts for the family. Last December, the Supestore gave students a 30% discount on all merchandise, excluding textbooks. I’m hoping that they have a similar sale this year. :)</p>
<p>My son jumped on the plane last December with a backpack. Inside were his laptop and an Alabama sweatshirt. He needed the sweatshirt for a college day that his HS hosts. He figured that he could use the computer we have at home if he needed to print something. He can live without all the gadgets. After all, we do not have cell service at our home.</p>
<p>In all honesty, the only two things my son wants when he comes home are food (anything is better than what he gets in college, he says) and his bed.</p>
<p>Depending on whether or not you are driving or flying, you might want to consider taking home anything you thought you would need but now find in the way. This will clear up space in your room and cut down on move-out in May.</p>
<p>Also, depending on your spring break plan and the weather there, you might want to take some summer clothes home. My D brings home a big suitcase full of summer clothes in December but keeps a couple pair of shorts and what she needs for spring break.</p>
<p>She has shampoo, contact solution, etc in both places and always takes laptop in backpack carryon with her purse in backpack. Sometimes one or two books are in there if checked bag is close to 40#</p>
<p>Also, if your semester is ending, try to sell books or take any you plan to keep home that you don’t need at school.</p>
<p>I think those who are in super suites can just lock their bedroom doors and leave many things in there without worry.</p>
<p>I think the unplugging of the fridges is a bad idea. </p>
<p>If the heat is turned off and the fridges stay on, then the fridges aren’t going to use a bunch of power because they aren’t being opened/closed during this period. These fridges are going to stink if they get turned off.</p>
<p>My advice about fridges being turned off, clean out freezer/fridge. wash with white vinegar and water and leave door open. Otherwise it will smell!</p>
<p>Having lived through Katrina, I would rather not have the fridge turned off. I didn’t know what the uni required, though, as far as energy conservation.</p>
<p>Good point, mom, about the temp, though. Since the super suites have their own thermostat, what do your boys do with them during the winter break?</p>
<p>Since someone mentioned summer clothes coming home, and I see that spring break is early March, does Tuscaloosa keep “jeans weather” until March? </p>
<p>We did bring home a lot of shorts when bringing son back from Fall Break, but I was wondering if I will need to send him back with lots of shorts when he goes back in January.</p>
<p>Thank you, chauffeur, for your advice. I do think we sent son with a lot of things that he didn’t need, and probably will never need, which I would really like to take home at Christmas break. It seems that May move out is going to be enough of a hassle, that I would like to ease it with a weedout during Christmas move out.</p>
<p>Would like any input on things you may have sent them with and now they find they really don’t need.</p>
<p>Your kids won’t need shorts when they go back in January…March will be soon enough for shorts (or later).</p>
<p>I think the kids turn the thermostat off when they leave. I don’t remember if the RA checks that or not. </p>
<p>Yes, it would be nice if the kids cleaned out and washed the fridges before they leave, but since everyone has a different test schedule, kids are going to be leaving on different days and the last kid isn’t likely going to do that job before he/she leaves.</p>
<p>That’s why I don’t think it’s a good idea to turn off the fridges.</p>
<p>I think the “turning the fridges off” is an idea that hasn’t been well-thought-out and won’t be practical in reality.</p>
<p>Few are going to clean out other kids’ food, drips, spills in the fridge before they leave…and few are going to do the correct clean up when they return…so these fridges are going to stink from Dec - May. Ugh.</p>
<p>M2CK: Those fridges will be ruined if they are turned off and closed up. Once a smell gets into the lining of the unit, it will never go away. Baking soda. Vinegar and water. Nothing will get that smell out.</p>
<p>So if you do make that call, do tell Housing that they will be replacing those units. </p>
<p>Also, there is no way students should turn off the heat. If there is a cold snap during the holidays and the heat is off, the pipes in the dorms could break. That happened last year when my son lived in Lakeside West. Some pipes did break, and the water went through a couple of stories. What a mess. The heat should be set around 55 degrees.</p>