Acceptances have been received, deposits have been made, your child is going off to college in just a matter of weeks. In fact, you’re probably wearing a t-shirt bearing the name of their soon-to-be alma mater. Congratulations! You and your freshman have worked years to get to this place. They’ve studied. You’ve worried. (Maybe that was just me?) Now it is time to pack them up and get ready to say goodbye.
Much planning and shopping goes into preparing for college drop-off. For my college bound freshman and me the fun began at Bed Bath & Beyond. It is THE mother ship of stores ready, willing, and able to fulfill your every college dorm need.
(Dorm drop off tips? Click here >”How To Drop Off Your Child At College Without Losing Your Mind.”)
BBB has a list from almost every college of what to buy, from pillow protectors to collapsible hampers to lamps in every color, and more. If your college bound freshman is a shopper like mine, she’ll want to decorate and coordinate her bedding and towels and desk accessories, and maybe even a throw rug too. At BBB you can find things to help you decorate to your hearts delight. Thankfully, I had clipped a year’s worth of BBB coupons to use for our shopping day.
But, before you get swept up in the thrill of the moment and buy every single item that catches your eye or is listed on your college dorm list, keep this is mind- Don’t! Just don’t. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that your child’s dorm room is roughly the size of your mailbox, so you’ll need to show some restraint. After moving two kids in and out of college and graduate school here’s what I’ve learned:
Dorm Shopping Dos & Don’ts:
What you need:
After moving two kids into college I recommend just buying the basics, because if you’re child is anything like mine, some stuff will sit unopened or unused in a storage bin under their bed. Just buy the basics:
- Twin xl sheets (2 sets) – assuming the first set gets washed
- Pillow and mattress protector
- Pillows, blanket, comforter
- Cushy mattress pad
- Collapsible hamper
- Towels – preferably in a color other than white so they don’t get mixed up with your roommates things.
- Storage bins to tuck under the bed to store extra sheets, first aid kit, and other items not needed daily.
- Hangers – preferably ultra thin
- Shower caddy large enough to hold their toiletries. (Check out the giveaway below!)
- First Aid kit: band aids, Tylenol, thermometer, and whatever medicines they use.
What you don’t need:
- Hold off on buying lamps, waste baskets, and bed risers until you step foot in your dorm, as some of these items might already be in the room and lighting may be sufficient.
- Same goes for fans, power-strips and surge protectors. They might not be necessary.
- Think twice about alarm clocks. If your child has a smart phone, there is an app for that.
- Hold off buying a refrigerator or TV. Often roommates coordinate who makes such purchases or if they’re bringing one from home.
- Don’t pack your entire closet. Dorm rooms are the size of prison cells; bring too much your parents will just end up taking it back home.
- Ironing board? Totally unnecessary. You’ll be lucky if they wash their clothes!
In addition to refrigerators and TVs, sometimes other things get shared, like their shoes and clothes. However, there are some things that your child shouldn’t share, such as their personal beauty and hygiene products, like toothpaste, razors, deodorant, shampoo, or makeup. You can find all your personal toiletry needs in the Harmon Face Values section at Bed Bath & Beyond.
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.
Such a timely post for me. My son came home last night from Freshman orientation and presented me with my very own “Tech Mom” t-shirt. We are planning a trip to BBB today. Thanks for the tips!
These are very good tips. My daughter is starting her junior year. We didn’t think about a mattress pad her freshman year, and she had a few rough nights on a very hard mattress at first! We shopped quite a bit at BBB, and we found a lot of basics at the dollar store (cleaning supplies, caddy, etc.)
I remember my daughter Carrie insisting we do black and teal for all her accessories as that is what her to-be roommate wanted. Of course the two of them didn’t hit it off and the next year we had to redo a lot of her things!! Great piece, thanks.
Great tips. My son will be a sophomore and he should have taken my advice about the alarm clock. The week of finals and he broke his Smartphone! Power strips are also a must have. He rents the frig/microwave which is just big enough for one person!
Your tips are great, but I don’t think your rafflecopter is working.
That all makes perfect sense. Good advice!
Good list, but we found shopping at the target local to my daughter’s university better than the BBB. Also the power strips with a bunch of USB ports after terrific to buy. I even bought some for my home after I got back from taking her her freshman year.
Great tips!
I’ve had many friends tell me how easy Bed, Bath and Beyond makes it for the soon to be college student and their parents!
I tried to convince my now freshman in high school aged son to take the cash from his Bar Mitzvah to buy all he needed for his dorm room but he wouldn’t go for it.
Just asked me if I was trying to get rid of him sooner and then yelled at me when I said maybe.
They grow up too quickly.
If you are sending a girl off to college, add a plastic folding stepstool. (There are some that fold to less than an inch wide.) Avoid any screws or metal, and they can be used not only to reach high places, but also in the shower when shaving legs.
These are some really great tips.
I definitely think that it’s a good tip not to go all out until you actually see the room you will be staying in so you don’t overbuy.
My Tips Are To Make A List, It Makes Shopping Easier. Do Research And Search For The Best Deals.
I would recommend bringing some items from home for a more personal touch instead of buying all new like your room lamp or a picture on the wall.
Choose comfy bedding and check with the school first to confirm bed size, most dorms have extra-long twin beds, so you need to opt to extra long twin sheets.
Keep things simple!
Great tips! My tip would be to find ways to stack and store. I love the under the bed storage….or stackables to save space!
Great tips! Under the bed storage works great. Talk to your roommate to see who should bring things you only need one of.
Oh boy, I could have used this post years ago when my first set out for college. He was the “experiment.” The ones that followed were much easier. 🙂
Always be more welcoming to your roommate than they are to you.
My best tip is to look for package deals. A lot of stores have complete kitchen/bathroom/etc sets sold together this time of year made especially for dorms.
My tip is to not bring too much stuff and keep things simple
My best tip is to prepare a year early and buy dorm items on clearance to use for the next year.
Some of the rooms are pretty small, so don’t buy too much stuff until you see how much room you will actually have!
I would say make sure you are prepared and get yourself organized.
I would say to get yourself organized first.
Where was this priceless information when I was sending my kids to college. Great stuff Linda.