Moving out of a dorm!

[Miss Mary]

This question is for parents with college aged kids, who have moved out of dorms before.

Do you have any suggestions or tips on how to make the move out and home, as stress-free and organized as possible?

Little by little, our daughter has been bringing home items or boxes full of stuff she thought she needed and turned out, that she didn't.

I pick her up this Friday, for a short Easter trip home. I'd like to fill my car once again with items that can come home now. I'm tempted to ask - do you really need that refridgerator? Her roommate has one too but they don't get along very well. I'm thinking if she's just storing yogurt and milk in it, she can eat or drink those items in the cafeteria!

Moving into a dorm was organized, sad but mostly, we were prepared. Parents told us to bring screwdrivers, stick up hooks, tape measure, masking tape, etc. All was labeled well too.

My worry is the scene I was on the UK campus 2 years ago. We toured that school on the very last day of exams and the big move out. OMG, what a zoo! Long lines at the dorm elevators. Cars everywhere, perfectly good items such as lamps and shelving sitting by dumpster b/c they wouldn't fit into cars. lol

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks.

Mary

[alicia-w]

maybe suggest selling things she doesnt need or want via a yard sale or garage sale and she could use the money to buy something she really wants or put it in a savings account?

i remember my parents showing up two days early and having to explain all the wine bottles in my room. wow. that was a heckuva day.

[Pburgh]

When my girls were in college, the first thing I bought for each was a footlocker (well in their case it was a large decorative chest for the bottom of their bed. In the chest I had small sewing box, small medicine box and small toolbox. I found that cigar boxes worked really well for these. Each year when moving time came around this was the last thing to be moved out. Prior to moving time they brought home unnecessary items but the chest or trunk was always the last to leave. It contained all the little boxes along with linens and towels. The next year the trunk was the first thing to be moved back down to school.

[azskyman]

Hi Mary. Sons, unlike daughters, don't have as many clothes and all the peripherals. As I recall, most of their clothes came home crammed in a duffle bag and ready for twenty loads of laundry. A few boxes of miscellaneous items and some "collectibles" from their year at school were about it for us. What I do remember was that we did take off work a day early so we didn't get involved in the weekend craziness that followed the last day of school. We were down and back from school before the weekend crowd hit.

I remember being the last one out of MY dorm room back in the dinosaur age. My roommate left me with all kinds of his own stuff to get rid of, and since we were on the 8th floor, it was not a fun job moving it downstairs. Shared elevator space was at a premium, so I threw some out the window and went down and picked it up off the yard when I was done.

Does that sound like organized planning to you?

[alicia-w]

Boys dont have as much stuff as girls? My sons have as many clothes as I do! And they have TONS of books, collectibles, etc. How much hair gel can you possibly have??? I've asked them both that repeatedly...

[weathermom]

Mary, is there any kind of storage area at the school? I don't remember the details, but my school had a storage area where you could store large items until next year. I think it was for furniture, lamps, that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, it has been quite a long time........I don't remember the specifics.

Otherwise, it was just cram it all in my dad's car and hope there was still room for me!

[Miss Mary]

No storage at school, the items she thought she'd didn't use can be used at home. So it is all coming home, one way or another.

I just want her to pre-think and pack well. Load my car now (this weekend) if we can!

LOL @ Steve, throwing stuff out an 8th Floor window........can just picture it!

Thanks everyone for your replies. The scene we happened upon at the University of Kentucky 2 years ago is what I'm trying to avoid. Utter chaos and students sad they wouldn't see their college buds for 3 months. Parents asking - is this all, hello, is this everything? Students were not listening to parents, parents looked very frazzled. I made a mental note that day to be prepared.

Oh yeah, it's gonna be fun-fun!

Ah heck, we'll manage. At least she's in college!
Mary

PS - alicia, my SIL with 3 boys, says the same thing as Steve. Her boys haven't had nearly as much stuff to cart to a dorm as the girls do. She really got into asking our daughter what all she was taking. With some girls, everything has to coordinate - comforter, sheets, curtains, etc. Nina just tie dyed sheets (skipped curtains). The girls next to her room were best friends from HS and they decked their room like something you'd see on HGTV. Stainless everything - baker's rack, TV, fridge, microwave (yes stainless again). Pink matching comforters, rugs, pillows, etc. They became known as the girls with the "awesome" room....