Here’s Jeff sitting at his desk, the only chest of drawers is to his right. I was amazed when I saw the size of the room that he would share with a young man from North Carolina. Not sure why I was so surprised, my dorm room wasn’t any bigger!
Jeff had the bottom bunk. Whoever arrives first, get first dibs!
I attended Asbury University, only 18 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky where I grew up. Mother said, “If you’re still doing laundry at home you haven’t really ‘gone off’ to college. She was right. It wasn’t until I went to graduate school at Wheaton College, near Chicago, that I really ‘went away’. So for those of you who are sending students to a college that’s a significant car ride away or even a plane flight away here are a few helpful hints:
1) Only take the essentials. You can always pick up extra things at a store near campus when you need them.
2) Don’t buy micro-waves, refrigerators or other appliances until your son or daughter connects with their roommate to determine who’s bringing what. This will avoid duplication.
3) Heavy duty 3-M hooks, over the door hangers, and under the bed storage containers can provide additional storage.
4) Since storage is at a premium in such a small, shared space, I sent both of my boys off to college with our faux leather collapsible ottomans. They came in handy for both extra seating when friends dropped by AND extra storage which helped keep the room neat….okay perhaps neater is a better word! And now we have our newer stain-resistant fold-up ottomans that come in lots of college mascot colors: red, blue, orange, green, black and brown!
Jeff walked in while I was typing this, so I asked him what he was glad he had taken to college.
He said he liked having a really soft comforter on his bed. So think about what “comforts of home” will be important to your son or daughter.
Jeff was glad he brought his long board with him which helped him get to early morning classes on time! So, depending on the size of the campus, a long board, bike or scooter might be appropriate.
I tried to send regular care packages from home and he said he liked the ones with homemade cookies best because he could buy candy and other treats at the college bookstore. Note to self: send more home-baked goodies!
For those of you who have helped a son or daughter move into a dorm, please share your helpful hints with other college-bound moms so we can all benefit from the collective wisdom of your “off-to-college” experiences.
Blessings,
Valerie