<p>Ok, I've got another freshman move in question. We are flying with our son, and I already got two large easy to stow duffles that I saw mentioned herethat he/we will carry along. His school also let's him ship some boxes by UPS that will be available to pick up on move in day. I'm just looking for experience with any regrets about things you shipped that you would have rather carried or visa versa. Any dos and don'ts in the collective experience here? Shipping weight considerations? Thank you!</p>
<p>If you have the time and stamina when you arrive, you could find a local Walmart, Target, etc. and purchase items at that time. We shopped at a local Bed, Bath and Beyond near our home and scanned items that we wished to purchase. When we arrived at the college, we went to the Bed, Bath and Beyond and all of the items were ready for us to purchase. We used coupons for almost every item and saved 20%. The coupons do not expire, even though they have an expiration date printed on the coupon. Toiletries, snacks, trash cans, plastic storage containers, etc. can be purchased at local Walmart and Target stores.</p>
<p>You’ll figure it out. The bigger challenge will be at the end of the year., when he has to store or bring home all the stuff. Remember - LESS IS MORE.</p>
<p>I would say ship the things you wouldn’t care if they got lost. I’m sure they get quite a few packages and things sometimes get lost in the shuffle.</p>
<p>be careful the duffle bags may not pass the airport security, if it is too large to carry on. Fly Southwest, they allow 2 50lbs luggages each person. So, we checked in 6 luggages. AND CARRIED ON 3 SMALL ONES when we first moved our DD.</p>
<p>You have to verify where the college wants you to send those pre-arrival packages. It’s not always the usual mailing address. </p>
<p>Don’t forget you’ll likely need twin XL sheets and mattress pad.</p>
<p>OP, our goal was to carry on as little as possible (which still turned out to be two large suitcases just for our D’s stuff), and to buy as little as possible once we got there (because I didn’t want to spend my time there schlepping through stores). So we shipped everything we could.</p>
<p>Out-of-season clothing, shoes, bedding, towels, and assorted stuff got shipped in big boxes via USPS Parcel Post. As long as you know the amount of time it’ll take to get there, you can ensure arrival a few days before you get to town. Bonus: that’s a big job that’s out of the way before those last few crazy days at home.</p>
<p>Smaller, heavier things like books, CDs, and school supplies we mailed by USPS Flat Rate Boxes. Those take 2-3 days shipping.</p>
<p>We used the Bed Bath & Beyond Dorm Registry for large bulky things like the fan, garbage can, desk lamp. Select at home, pick up at the BB&B near the college. They’ll have it boxed up and ready to go. </p>
<p>As lookingforward mentioned, for advance shipping, be sure you have the correct address at the college (may not be your son’s mailing address). And always get Delivery Confirmation for Post Office shipping. It’s 65 cents, and you’ll be able to track so you’ll know it got there.</p>
<p>Even for our localish move in’s, after the last one we decided we will do most of the dorm room shopping locally when we get to campus. It just wasn’t worth all the packing issues to get the junk there :D. Pack her clothing and any personal belongings she may want, favorite pillow, pictures, etc. and buy everything else when you get there.</p>
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<p>Actually one of the best things about having a kid far away for college…the STORE the stuff in the college town in the summer and only bring home the essentials. Priceless!! No crap cluttering your living room for three months.</p>
<p>We moved a kid cross country…our DD. Here is what we did. We flew Southwest…two checked bags free…plus each of us had a backpack, and a personal carryon item (DD had an instrument case and I had the computer).</p>
<p>Suitcase 1. Her clothes.
Suitcase 2. Linens…she wanted to take a lightweight quilt from her bed, had towels, and one set of sheets. She also squeezed in a few little odds and ends.
Suitcase 3. Some school supplies she wanted to take from here…and some things she got as graduation gifts. Also, family pictures. She cushioned it all with more clothes.
Suitcase 4. The rest of her clothes and shoes, plus all of the clothes <em>I</em> needed for the four days I was with her (it was orientation too, and I was visiting a friend).</p>
<p>NOTE…if you do this and rent a car, make sure that the trunk opening is large enough to fit the suitcases through. We upgraded because the subcompact just didn’t have a large enough trunk opening.</p>
<p>When I flew home, I brought two suitcases back, carried my backpack on the plane. We left one suitcase and her backpack there. She had a small duffle that had traveled in one of her bags that she used for short trips. We threw the fourth large suitcase in the trash…it was old and junky.</p>
<p>We ordered her mattress pad, pillow, desk lamp, chair cushion, set of sheets, shoe holder that hung over closet door, clip on fan that hooked to her bedm and a bed seat pillow at the Bed Bath and Beyond here and picked it up there.</p>
<p>Went to Staples or Office Max (I forget which one) and got a cheapo printer, computer paper, and some misc office supplies we didn’t bring from home…and a laptop lock for her computer which I think she never used.</p>
<p>Went to Target…got all the toiletries she needed and a small TV for the room.</p>
<p>At the end of the school year, she rented a storage unit with three others. It was in a climate controlled, and secure building. Each girl paid $90 for the whole summer. </p>
<p>DD flew home with her suitcase and duffle checked and carried her computer and instrument cases on the plane with her. It was great.</p>
<p>At the end of four years, three of us flew out so we brought five empty suitcases with us (remember…DD had ONE). We told her…anything she wanted to bring home had to fit IN the six checked bags. If it didn’t fit, she needed to get rid of it. She did ship home the books she wanted to keep, but everything else fit into the six suitcases. I carried her instrument case on the plane. (Note…DD did not fly with us…that is the reason only six suitcases. She traveled home with her computer bag and her duffle).</p>
<p>Agreed with others…less is more.</p>
<p>Excellent tips, thumper1. Thank you from another parent who is flying out with son for first year of college. Especially appreciate the reminder about getting a larger rental car to fit all the luggage.</p>
<p>Thank you so much everybody! I had forgotten about luggage fees. I’ll be sure to reserve either on Southwest or the airline one which my husband has frequent flyer free luggage privileges. And I totally forgot he might need a wastebasket! That would have never occurred to me. I am disinclined to schlep around to Target when we get there. Hopefully he can get little things at the book store or nearby. In a way, I’d almost prefer he did some of that on his own just for the experience. And I don’t want to be sucked in to the dorm room marketing extravaganza.</p>
<p>I really wonder what he will want to bring. He is not a kid who is particularly sentimental. He does not use his bedroom for anything but sleeping and storing clothes. He just hangs out in the main part of house, plays video games in the rec room, or uses the computer in the dining room. On the other hand, he’s collected a whole lot of beloved T-shirts since he stopped growing, so it may be a challenge to figure out which ones and how many to bring.</p>
<p>[Oh, joy! I have just figured out from a YouTube video that the room comes with a wastebasket AND a recycling bin! We don’t need to buy it!]</p>
<p>in mind that by the time you get there most of the college stuff will be really picked, things like XL sheets may not be available</p>
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<p>I cannot stress this more than anything, only take what you need and I would try to be as minimalistic as possible. Stuff will accumulate over time and in the end, alot of it gets thrown or given away.</p>
<p>Munequita, if this poster orders their xl twin sheets at a Bed Bath and Beyond near their home, it WILL be available for pick up in the college town area. OR if they use the packing plan I posted above, they can buy the sheets now and put one set in one of the suitcases.</p>
<p>Anything we bought on line–like the sheets-- we had sent to the school.</p>
<p>I would assume that any college has nearby stores selling things for college kids . Send what you think he needs. If he really needs other stuff, he’ll buy it later–or share with his roommate–or figure something else out. All part of growing up.</p>
<p>D took one set of sheets, already laundered, in her carry-on luggage (and shipped the rest). She wanted to be sure she had a set on the first night, ready to go onto the bed. She didn’t want to be at the mercy of checked luggage or shipped boxes gone astray, and we didn’t know whether we’d have time to shop on the first day. She also figured that laundry was the last thing she’d want to be doing that day.</p>
<p>I actually think this college might have normal sized twin beds, not the XL ones, but I need to doublecheck on that.</p>
<p>Even our local stores run out of XL sheets- we started looking about now. But, that’s partly because my girls wanted sheets they liked. </p>
<p>I’ve got a story about a kid on campus this summer, who didn’t retrieve the box with his sheets til 4 days in. It reminded me that, in college, my friends and I always thought there was something too odd about guys who slept on bare mattresses.</p>
<p>Make sure your son has laundry detergent. Another good reason to do the WalMart run.</p>
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<p>That is a great idea. It’s harder at some colleges than others. OP may want to ask about it early, so ready for next May… it comes quicker than you’d think ;)</p>