I have been seeing a lot of posts on Pinterest on what to bring and what not to bring to college for the freshman year. I thought this would be a good post for today. I searched the internet for these very same things last year when we were preparing to take Sprat to college. I will share what I found and the truth about what is really needed.
I will start with; things have changed since I went to college back when dirt was new. College life is also very different for boys than girls, all the things that you think girls need or would like boys do not care about. There are some things that us moms will have to insist on and that your sons will thank you for later, so be prepared to put your foot down.
I did all of the dorm sheet shopping through the school flyer thing that all of the colleges send out. Those are very handy but, in the words of my son, "the towels suck." I bought all the sheets, towels, pillows, pillow cases, comforter etc. . . Sprat informed me the laundry bag in that kit also sucked, it apparently ripped in the first weeks of school. Sprat hated the towels the most, so my advice, buy your towels from where ever you buy your towels for your home. Oh and boys do not care if everything matches, color and pattern wise that is. Now for sheets it was very good to buy those through the college site because you have to have the extra long sheets for dorm beds. We also bought the trunk from the college site, we could have probably bought one from a local store but doing this online through the college site was very easy. The trunk is a must for boys, Sprat decorated his with lacrosse stickers and band stickers and he used it as under bed storage, it had a lock so that he could lock any valuables in it when he was not in the room or when he would go home on break. These locks are not 100% but they keep an honest person honest. He kept his winter things in it during the fall and his extra summer things in it during the winter, it fit perfectly under the bed and it also was sturdy enough to use as an extra seat if you had company in your room. We did not do curtains or hang things on the wall but I did take several of those command type hooks if we needed them. Sprat did end up using those to hang extra towels or belts up, he even hung up a few lacrosse pinnies for decoration after we left. We did get a small dorm fridge, I am not sure how much he used it but he had one if he needed it. We did not do closet organizers, desk organizers, and things of that nature. I did buy a caddy type thing for him to carry his shampoo, razor, soap, tooth brush and toothpaste to and from the showers. Sprat stayed in a typical dorm where 16 boys shared a bathroom so this little shower caddy was a must. He was not that enthused by it when I showed it to him but he did tell me later it was very handy and he was glad he had it. I also got him some shower flip flops to wear to and from the shower and in the shower, he bucked at this and said it was stupid. He later admitted he was glad he had them and he did in fact thank me for buying them for him.
What Boys Need in the College Dorm:
trunk
shower caddy (Bed Bath and Beyond)
shower flip flops
command hooks of all sizes
towels (from where ever you buy them for home)
sheets, comforters, mattress pad, egg crate foam mattress thing (from college store)
lap top and printer, extra ink
flash drives
mini fridge used for leftovers and water
plastic refillable water bottle ( the one with water filter is really good)
lanyard for keys (if they do not already have one)
pictures of home and family (nothing fancy and just stuck where he will find them later)
surge protectors/ power strips
collapsible laundry basket (not what you can get from college store)
Small desk lamp
small fan ( a must according to Sprat)
Extra cash to leave with your Son ( most appreciated )
Snacks to leave ( another must per Sprat)
Moms your instinct is going to be to decorate, take it from me I wanted to do the same, your son does not want this. On move in day take: water, lysol wipes, a trash can, paper towels, and snacks. Don't say good bye in the dorm, do it in the parking lot. It will not feel quite as final and you will not embarrass yourself or your son. I got a little teary when we said good bye but, I cried like a baby off and on all the way home, just so you know, home was 13 hours away. I still cry when he comes home and when we send him back, just not as much.
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