So much helpful advice — thanks!

Nice to think our slack preparation can be construed as caution....

This may need its own thread, but the mention of locks reminded me: how do students safeguard electronics at school?

Do not plan on returning after trips home. Pack light and take your possessions home when u visit home in case there is no return.

I would go for minimal but impactful.

Add:
- hand sanitizer (small and large containers)
- masks
- maybe one of those metal elevator buttons/door pulls
- more medicine and health care stuff that you normally would go to a health center for (first aid kit, bandaids and antiseptic, stomach meds, pain/fever meds, eye drops, breakable ice or ice/heat packs, anti itch cream, etc...)
- small toolkit
- things to do: kindle + ability to purchase books for fun, puzzles or games they like, game console if that's their thing...gonna be a lot of time in the room
- ability to order food/snacks from Amazon, Target, grocery, whatever's around and/or restaurants. The dining halls will operate, but I work at a college, and it's not a good selection or quantity
- exercise equipment: small weights, fitbit, yoga mat
- cleaning products like clorox wipes, disinfecting spray, lysol spray if you can find it anywhere
- some IKEA bags or similar if they need to move out quickly.

Forget:
- tons of decorations and small furnishings (use crates that can be moved out with or collapsible shelf that can go in a box in a pinch, or a storage ottoman that can be packed if need to move quickly)
- tons of clothing -- basics, enough to not constantly do laundry, but nothing specialty or formal or "extra" -- you can mail it if they need it
- just think minimally as far as stuff, and choose hard surfaces over porous surfaces (leave fuzzy decorative pillow and traditional shade lamp at home, bring 1 plastic or metal task lamp, etc...)

Anonymous wrote:Take as little as possible. Child can order from Prime when he gets there. Or order from Target/Wal-Mart + pick up close to campus. Do get a safe

OP said they're driving. Better to buy here at leisure and take it with you. Last year it took my kid's mail room more than two weeks to get all the Amazon packages sorted and available for pickup. And depending on the town, the nearest Target or Walmart near campus could be a mob scene.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advice from a mom who had to quickly empty a dorm room in March: Take half as much as you think you need.

All my son really used/needed:

- clothes
- bedding
- toiletries
- minimal school supplies
- laundry supplies
- a lock for a drawer (or whatever locking item they have in the dorm)
- a medicine/first aid kit

How do you lock a drawer?

Some schools have a hasp on the top dresser drawer so that you can put a lock through it.

Take as little as possible. Child can order from Prime when he gets there. Or order from Target/Wal-Mart + pick up close to campus. Do get a safe

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advice from a mom who had to quickly empty a dorm room in March...

The difference this semester is that you likely won't have to quickly empty the room. When kids come home around Thanksgiving, they won't need to empty their rooms since most freshmen will return to the room in January for the spring semester. They leave their things in the room. OP, we're not changing anything with move-in this year.

Nope... there will be an outbreak, they will blame young people for being irresponsible, they will close colleges and they will never make it to Thanksgiving.

Anonymous wrote:Advice from a mom who had to quickly empty a dorm room in March: Take half as much as you think you need.

All my son really used/needed:

- clothes
- bedding
- toiletries
- minimal school supplies
- laundry supplies
- a lock for a drawer (or whatever locking item they have in the dorm)
- a medicine/first aid kit

How do you lock a drawer?

A robe specifically for moving in

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advice from a mom who had to quickly empty a dorm room in March...

The difference this semester is that you likely won't have to quickly empty the room. When kids come home around Thanksgiving, they won't need to empty their rooms since most freshmen will return to the room in January for the spring semester. They leave their things in the room. OP, we're not changing anything with move-in this year.

Don't assume you'll return in January. I'd empty it all out. People who didn't get items from dorms quickly this year had to wait WEEKS for permission to go in.

Anonymous wrote:Advice from a mom who had to quickly empty a dorm room in March...

The difference this semester is that you likely won't have to quickly empty the room. When kids come home around Thanksgiving, they won't need to empty their rooms since most freshmen will return to the room in January for the spring semester. They leave their things in the room. OP, we're not changing anything with move-in this year.

+ 3 masks and wipes and purel

Bed top
sheets (XL)
bath towel

clothes that last until Thanksgiving... if we are lucky
thermometer

laundry detergent
minifridge (most schools rent it)
microwave (most schools rent it)

toiletries

a big duffle bag for a quick exit.

Advice from a mom who had to quickly empty a dorm room in March: Take half as much as you think you need.

All my son really used/needed:

- clothes
- bedding
- toiletries
- minimal school supplies
- laundry supplies
- a lock for a drawer (or whatever locking item they have in the dorm)
- a medicine/first aid kit

My freshman DS is heading to campus soon (if plans hold), and although I have been in denial about this for several reasons, it looks like he will be expected to move in in a matter of weeks.

There are some pretty extensive must-have lists for the freshman dorm here on DCUM, and I wonder how differently parents and students are thinking about purchases and preparations this year. Between my own denial and his very laissez-faire approach to advance logistics, we are running behind on getting stuff ordered/purchased, and he needs to get his act together.

In case they all have to head back home before the curtailed semester is over, what's not making your list? What can a freshman not live without?

(We are driving him and his stuff to school, not flying.)