What's the one item your child found most valuable to take to college?

<p>lol, this thread reminded me of a story. When my eldest son went off as a freshman, we were standing in the college town pharmacy and I was staring at a wall full of cold remedies, asking him, "Do you want me to buy you any of these?"
He got SO embarassed and said, "No, Mom, really please don't!! If I need any, I can get it myself." I looked at him, trying to figure why he had turned beet red with embarassment.
Turns out, he was looking alongside the cold remedies, to the wall of condoms.</p>

<p>ebeee-- I had the same reaction to hangers!</p>

<p>paying3, that's priceless!!!</p>

<p>OK, well calmom called me on the Robitussin - but seriously, your kid will get sick especially freshman year. In fact, the whole dorm will be sick. So if they have a favorite cold medicine (and you trust your kid to self medicate) you might want to send something with him (along with basics like Tylenol or whatever). And you might suggest he pick up a box of Kleenex on that Target run.</p>

<p>For meeting people of the opposite sex: bicycle tools for guys, a sewing machine for girls. </p>

<p>If you are a guy that knows how to fix a girl's flat tire, you will be up to your armpits in (affection).</p>

<p>Same the other way around with a sewing machine.</p>

<p>Those shoe/sweater cubes that hang on a closet bar and flop down to hold stuff. Son would NEVER hang anything on a hanger, but his dorm has no closets or dresser, just a wardrobe with one drawer on the bottom. Without these, it would be wasted space.</p>

<p>a large, flat rectangular plastic storage box with lid, around 30" x 50" and just 4-6" high, to make use of space under the bed. </p>

<p>a stand-up portfolio envelope if s/he takes classes like art, engineering, to store large drawings and blueprints</p>

<p>a round mailing tube, to hold wall posters (rotate them, store at year's end)</p>

<p>One special ''thingy'' to store ALL important papers/stuff in - like a lock box or file cabinet type of thing -</p>

<p>My daughter insisted that her brother take about 25 hangers because she had found that she needed twice that many. Son didn't think so but took them anyway. When I went down for parents weekend with a few cooler weather clothes I went to hang them up and there were no spare hangers. He had given them away!</p>

<p>Sewing machines are good if you know how to use them and are inclined to sew. My daughter has paid for several pairs of pants and skirts to be sewn, but she doesn't have the sewing gene. She does have a tool kit though...</p>

<p>I got our son a couple of packs of anchor hook things to hold up extention cords so they could hang them above them up - oh yeah, don't forget exention cords.</p>

<p>My son only has only a few things hanging on hangers (his suit for music concerts), but I bought him a really good thing at Target that hangs from the bar and is shelves - and it is sturdy, not all collapsed like so many that you see. It gives him extra space to stuff sweaters etc. Really, though, his dorm room is not a pretty sight...The less stuff they bring the better.</p>

<p>My son lives in a (dorm) townhouse with a kitchen. He is a big fan of "sausage egg and cheese sandwiches" for breakfast. For Christmas I got him one of those toasters that cook the individual parts for that SEC sandwich. I am hearing rave reviews. </p>

<p>Probably not an option if you live in a traditional dorm room ... but for the townhouse guys that are at 5:30 and 6 am sports practices before the dining hall opens ... a lifesaver.</p>

<p>Damp Rid! My son says it works wonders in his closet. Hang anywhere near wet towels and damp workout clothes.</p>

<p>My D goes to a cold weather school,and for winter term she brought a coat rack to stand in a corner. Great for heavy, wet coats and ski pants. It also has a place to hang lots of hats and scarfs. She never would have fit all that stuff in her small waredrobe.</p>

<p>Wow, I would have never have thought of some of these suggestions - really like the coat rack idea if there's room. </p>

<p>The closet organizers - also great idea. D does use these at home so she'd probably use at school.</p>

<p>dmd77-ditto on balancing the checkbook. My DS got me into ebanking and debit card usage and it makes the monthly drudge of checkbook balancing disappear. And i only have to write about 4 checks per month!</p>

<p>DS's most important item is his toolbox, particularly now that he has a car at college.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Sewing machines are good if you know how to use them and are inclined to sew. My daughter has paid for several pairs of pants and skirts to be sewn, but she doesn't have the sewing gene.

[/quote]

It takes a sewing gene to be able to sew things from scratch, with patterns and all that. It takes only a few minutes to learn how to do simple things like make repairs. A simple garage sale, older machine does that fine.</p>

<p>I learned this the hard way when I was in college a million years ago. I got caught going up the girls' dorm stairs with another girl, by the girl who is now my wife. I was just going up to use the other girl's sewing machine.</p>

<p>Even today, I would think any girl or guy that has a sewing machine and knows how to use it would be popular in a dormitory.</p>

<p>A bicycle. Actually looked online before going to school so narrowed down choice of shops.</p>

<p>Definitely the computer manuals and any CD's- the request for trouble shooting his desktop (the e-mail to his dad included how he was installing a Linux OS...) came this week, never took them and has had several trips home by now. Everything else mentioned he either took or is on a list. Disagree on the sewing machine, needle and thread is the extent of repairs and storage space is a major issue. Son has stated one can never have too much Gatorade (in the quart size bottles, BTW).</p>

<p>When I first read the question, I said a sense of humor (Jeepmpm beat me to it) coupled with some patience. </p>

<p>Other things not on the list include:</p>

<p>A fully stocked first aid kit. While you hope that they will never have to use it, someone will always need something in it.</p>

<p>Safety pins</p>

<p>I remember one parent suggesting a chain ladder (in case of emergencies)</p>

<p>My son loves his Brita water pitcher. Cheaper than buying the bottled water (which he still does some) and more convenient. He hated the taste of the tap water at school and says this pitcher helps tremendously.</p>