Your college freshmen plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a rising freshmen. Are your kids (this probably applies to girls) bringing decorations, canvases, plants, pictures, etc as kids would in a normal year? My kid wants to but I’m hesitant in case she has to move out in a couple days notice. We are driving distance. I noticed parents on here tend to be pretty simplistic when it comes to dorm stuff (i.e. Ordering the stuff on amazon and having it sent to the school). I know people who hire dorm consultants.

Dorm consultants...like a decorator for the dorm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a rising freshmen. Are your kids (this probably applies to girls) bringing decorations, canvases, plants, pictures, etc as kids would in a normal year? My kid wants to but I’m hesitant in case she has to move out in a couple days notice. We are driving distance. I noticed parents on here tend to be pretty simplistic when it comes to dorm stuff (i.e. Ordering the stuff on amazon and having it sent to the school). I know people who hire dorm consultants.

Dorm consultants...like a decorator for the dorm?

As bizarre as it sounds, yes. There are also sorority rush consultants. I’m not hiring either one! My kid is not glamorous but does like decorations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a rising freshmen. Are your kids (this probably applies to girls) bringing decorations, canvases, plants, pictures, etc as kids would in a normal year? My kid wants to but I’m hesitant in case she has to move out in a couple days notice. We are driving distance. I noticed parents on here tend to be pretty simplistic when it comes to dorm stuff (i.e. Ordering the stuff on amazon and having it sent to the school). I know people who hire dorm consultants.

We are generally minimalistic, but will be even more so. Since my DC's school is closing dorms at Thanksgiving and finishing semester online, we are planning that that might turn in to full move out. So, instead of thinking 9 months of living, we are thinking 3 months. Also a factor is not having a roommate - plenty of space, but resisting temptation to fill the space. Primary "decorations" are bedding and a wall tapestry. Will probably add a rug because that is just nicer. Skipping LED lights, knick knacks, plants, fancy shelving.

Taking:
Bedding
Toiletries
Laundry stuff
Medicine box
Clothes/Shoes - fall wardrobe only
Wall hanging
mini-fridge
Backpack w/computer and minimal school supplies
Desk lamp
Rug?
Lap desk?

Leaving at home:
Full office supplies (will there be any paper needing hole punching or stapler?)
Printer
LED lights, pictures, curtains, and other decorations
Bed risers (should be plenty of storage room)
Personal Safe (no roommate who may leave room unattended)
Games (not gathering indoors to play anything)
Extra casual chair

Contemplating adding:
Outdoor camping chair (or 2)
Outdoor blanket for ground

For the most part, everything fits in ~4 Ikea bags - 1 for bedding, 2 for clothes/shoes/hangars/jackets, 1 for miscellaneous. Plus backpack, fridge, and rug. I don't think my DC's campus is allowing non-students into the dorms (they will have RAs helping with move in).

[Anonymous]

Should I be worried that my kid’s college has not expressed any plans to put kids in singles? As in, they just gave out roommate assignments last week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Should I be worried that my kid’s college has not expressed any plans to put kids in singles? As in, they just gave out roommate assignments last week.

Not necessarily. You have to look at the school's overall plan. Some schools are planning on managing the campus as a whole through testing and monitoring. (Several of these plans are based on the school having test capabilities on site. Test all students upon arrival and periodic testing of groups of students. Also monitoring things like dorm sewage. That strategy is based on the campus people being relatively isolated, and being able to quickly catch cases before they transmit like wildfire.

[Anonymous]

Many large schools have an Amazon Locker located on campus--this makes it to convenient to send last minute items...