I’ve done it seven times and it’s been different but wonderful every time. It’s also been a little sad and scary. But every single time I would drive away saying, “This is what’s supposed to happen. They are so ready. And how lucky are we that we get to do this!”
Dropping your kid at college. Moving them in to their freshman dorm. And then moving them into their upper classroom apartments. And let’s not forget I also moved them out seven times.
Sometimes move-in day was joyful, the campus bursting with energy. Children coming at you from all sides insisting that you not touch a thing. Then there was during COVID that only one parent was allowed at a time...and I said Hell naw to that and smuggled my husband my entrance bracelet while I started unpacking in the room so he could continue bringing all the stuff up. (Not sorry about it.) Then there was the time we were leaving on the 8 hour drive home, and my son hugged me and tentatively said, “What do I do now?” I could have sworn those giant blue eyes looking at me for answers was that of my adorable 3 year old when I dropped him at preschool.
He did fine for preschool and he did fine that muggy August day. By the end of that week he was shopping for fraternity brothers that would become friends for life. I know I was an extremely lucky one that has since watched their grown kids soar in their first college years, but it wasn’t always that gleeful. There were roommates that snuck out, purposefully ditching plans previously made; there were COVID quarantines and closures; and many tearful phone calls home.
But in the end all three of them soared and afterwards they told me that what helped was the thoughtful little ways I made their concrete walls feel like home.
Here’s the breakdown I hope you find helpful. The basics, the soft touches and the useless. Use what you want, leave the rest, but let me know what worked and what didn’t.
Pull up a chair. I’ll put the kettle on.
Bed Basics
Mattress topper — I spent a pretty penny and plenty of research time on this bad boy and in the end my kids said their dorm bed was more comfortable then their home mattress.
Target · AmazonPillows — Funny story: my last kid loved his home pillow so much he insisted on using it his last night and promised to remember to bring it in the car. Guess what didn’t make it on the trip? We may have realized in the hotel that night and one of those cheap, lumpy ones may have ended up on his dorm bed and that is what he used his first whole year. So yeah, I recommend buying a new one for the dorm.
Target · AmazonBedding set — 2 XL twin sheet sets, 2 extra pillowcases — My thought here was, especially with my boys, I was assuming they are not changing their sheets weekly even though I highly recommended it. So I also said if they weren’t going to be doing that they should at least change their pillowcase weekly. Not sure this happened, but one can hope...
Target — comforter/sham set · Amazon
Target — sheet set · Amazon · Amazon (alt)Mattress enclosure — I don’t even know if these things actually work, but I am terrified of someone bringing home creatures I do not want in my house.
Target · AmazonStudy pillow — There are all different versions of these but their bed is also their sofa and hang-out spot so I really tried to make it comfy.
Target · Amazon · Amazon — headboard wedge pillowExtra blanket — For if friends come to visit or it’s chilly.
Target · Amazon · Amazon (alt) · Amazon — Pavilia throw
Bathroom Basics
Slides
AmazonBathrobe
Target · Pottery BarnWellness supply basket (back-ups of their toiletries, thermometer, cold meds, Emergen-C, pain meds, Tums, first aid kit, sunscreen, cough drops, tissues)
Target — storage basket2 bath towels
Target — American Soft Linen 6-piece · Target — Bekos 6-piece · Amazon
Furniture
Shoe ottoman — My favorite configuration for dorm room layout is the bed lofted only enough to fit drawers and storage underneath. I am strongly opposed to the bed fully bunked with the desk under it because I feel like it’s harder to just hang on your bed, or you don’t come down all day. A shoe ottoman solved the “where do I put all my shoes” dilemma and it’s a nice step stool on to your bed.
Amazon · Amazon (alt)Under-bed storage — I swear by these Target beauties and they always sell out every year, so buy early.
Target — Espresso · Target — Light Gray · Target — Snowfall White
Tall nightstand (optional) — If there is space, this is the perfect height for an alarm clock, bedside lighting, a fan, and more storage. It doesn’t always fit space-wise, so it’s a luxury item.
AmazonRolling beverage cart (optional) — Only my daughter, a big hot cocoa and tea drinker, wanted this rolling cart, but it has so many uses if you have the luxury of more space. She used it for an electric kettle (I mean, look — of course my kids drink tea!) and snacks. Her roommate also fit a Keurig and pods on it.
Amazon · Target
Desk Stuff and School Supplies
The usual — notebooks, folders, writing utensils.
Daily planner — Your kids can experiment with what works for them to keep them organized and on top of their week. My daughter loved a dry erase one over her desk and swears by her handheld one that holds her life (and is also super pretty!).
The Happy Planner · Papier · Amazon · Target — planner board · Target — dry erase weekly plannerBackpack
Pinboard
Target — Marston scalloped · Target — gingham framedDesk organizer — This gets tricky. Try and look at the parent Facebook site ahead of time for your college to see pictures of the rooms. One of our desks came with shelving built in where the other dorms had a flat desk that you could add what you wanted. A lot of people use those big wooden ones you can usually buy on campus, but I brought two smaller ones for options. My son ended up using one small one, while my daughter went with two; one for school supplies and one for jewelry and makeup.
Amazon
Laundry and Cleaning
Laundry/cleaning supply basket (stain stick, lint remover, laundry detergent pods, Lysol wipes, Windex wipes, paper towels) — It may have been weeks after arriving that my son was complaining about getting hot sauce all over his favorite t-shirt. I asked if he tried the stain stick and he had no idea what I was talking about. I informed him that the three baskets on top of his wardrobe held laundry, toiletry, and cleaning supplies. “Oh that’s amazing! I didn’t know I had that!” was his reply. Months later when he had a cough, I had to remind him that Emergen-C and cough drops were his friends and available as well! In the frenzy and nervousness of day one, they will need reminders of how to do adulting.
Target — storage basketBackpack hamper — Love one of these that will stand open and easily handle the trip to the basement laundry.
AmazonMini tool box — If it requires more than what’s in here, then it requires a phone call.
AmazonStick vacuum — Extremely helpful on move-in day, and I hope it was used sporadically through the year. But it was not worth a high-ticket item in case it collected dust.
Target · Amazon
Other
Decor ideas — See below. I have strong thoughts and think it’s key to their happiness.
Family/friend photos — See below as well.
Alarm clock — Varying degrees of how much support they need getting to class on time. I personally loved the Hatch, but also threatened to get my one son a bed-shaking alarm!
Amazon — Hatch Restore · Target — Hatch Restore · Amazon — vibrating alarm · Amazon — extra loud flashing alarmGarbage can
AmazonDyson or Woozoo fan — I swear the Dyson purifying fan kept my daughter from barely getting colds, never mind COVID year one.
Target — Dyson · Amazon — Dyson · Amazon — Woozoo/IRIS fan · Target — Woozoo fanFull length mirror
Rug
AmazonDifferent length extension cords and chargers — My tip here is to buy varying lengths and kinds, more than you think you’ll need. But buy them closer to leaving and don’t open all the packaging so unused items can be returned.
Amazon — extension cord · Amazon (alt) · Amazon — GE surge protectorLighting (bedside lamp, clip lamp, or track lighting) — Dorm lighting is notoriously harsh and is the worst culprit at making a room feel like an institution instead of a home, so I recommend a desk lamp, bedside or clip lamp, and track lighting that has warm yellow tones and a remote control. You’re welcome.
Amazon — Govee light strip · Amazon — clip reading light · Target — desk lamp · Amazon — desk lamp
Move-In Day Bag
A tip: Place all the hanging clothes in garbage bags for easy transport and unpacking.
Hand-truck — Hands down one of my most used items and best purchases. Not only did it move us in and out of seven campus houses, it has helped move my kids now into their grown-up apartments. The only time I didn’t use it was the one school that had student volunteers running everywhere on move-in day. My friends borrow it all the time for their moves! Granted, nothing beats the giant dorm bin on wheels, but sometimes you’ve got to wait for access to one of those.
AmazonRubber mallet — So you don’t have to wait for a res life member to come raise or lower your bed to the preferred height.
AmazonCleaning spray — I headed in first with this bag and the vacuum and got the room ready quickly to my standards before the rest of the stuff started making its way in.
Rubbing alcohol — Spraying and wiping the walls down with this helps everything stick better for months to come.
Paper towels
Scissors
Box cutter
AmazonCommand strips and hooks — Again, buy more than you think you need and make sure you don’t open what you can return. I always love to lay out our prospective wall decor with approval or input from my child, and then it was helpful to place command strips on the backs of posters and pictures so the job went quicker that day.
Amazon · Amazon · Amazon · Amazon · Amazon · AmazonGarbage bags
Contractor bags
Farewell gift — See below.
What You Don’t Need!
Blackout shades — We need them to wake up and get to class.
Headboard — I mean, don’t get me wrong, some of these are adorable, but they’re not a necessity.
Fancy drapes
Cookware — This will come later when they have apartments.
The Homey Bits
Okay, so when it came to decor for the dorm rooms, I asked a lot of questions early and also took into account the specific child and how much input they wanted to give. Some of my kids wanted full approval and control, and others were happy to be pleasantly surprised.
Decor and Photos
My daughter had a full plan and we had a blast executing it. A giant photo wall full of family and friends, but sprinkled in was an Irish flag, a map of Ireland, a watercolor of the Eiffel Tower. While we were on a recent trip we bought some of these things so she could remember those trips. We used thrift shop finds of pretty bowls to hold jewelry and school supplies, and our pens were contained in a parrot drinking glass from a recent trip to the Caribbean. My two sons were, of course, different. One is a big music fan, so we found some cool posters and I bought a rock ‘n’ roll photo coffee table book and we ripped out pages for his wall (you could do the same with books about botanicals, destinations, or animals).
Amazon — vinyl frames · Amazon — All Access: Rock Photography · Amazon — 1000 Record Covers · Amazon — Ansel Adams National Parks
He didn’t want a ton of photos, so I framed a small family photo and a separate one of him skiing with friends and just had those two displayed on his desk. I had others printed at Walgreens but just left the stack in his drawer with double stick tape if he wanted them up at some point. He admitted afterwards that he loved flipping through them when procrastinating on work. My final installment wanted his varsity team flag hanging along with stuff from his favorite NHL team, but he was also excited to hang a bunch of photos around his desk area and we framed 4 of his favorite album covers. His pens found a home in a Guinness pint glass, while my other son’s pens lived in one of his favorite mugs from home. Little bits from their home always helped make it homey. Maybe a throw pillow from their bedroom or a few of their favorite books. Walk around your home and you’d be amazed what you could find to remind them of home.
The Farewell Gift
The last suggestion I’ll leave you with is that I had planned earlier in the summer to leave a gift as we left. It gives them something immediately to do, shows I care, and it usually was something to get them out of their room and to help meet people.
For my daughter, I left her an adorable, waterproof, rolled-up picnic blanket.
Amazon · Amazon (alt)
For years I would smile when she would send photos of her and friends studying on the quad or indulging in mimosas at the park. The cute blue plaid of the blanket was always popping off under them. For my sons I left one a pair of compact, travel fishing rods, as his campus had a lake, and the other a poker set, which he texted a thank you about a week into school saying he had already used it in the lounge with boys he had met who lived upstairs. I just left the gift bag on their bed as we were about to leave, with a positive note about my excitement watching them soar.
Amazon — travel fishing rods · Amazon — poker set
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I forgot one final suggestion. Breathe. They will be fine. You will be fine. Things will be forgotten and they’ll figure it out. You did a great job and they are ready.
Happy Fall!!!
More to come about thriving in those college years: fun seasonal care packages, how to prepare for those off campus apartments and easy beginner meals. Make sure to follow along.
