I wasn't thinking about shipping stuff to her I guess. Also, she will probably end up going to college far from home and she will more than likely be flying back and forth. Not as easy to send her with a bunch of extra stuff. If I thought DD was going to college close by, I wouldn't be as bothered by it all I suppose. Anyway, I will readily admit that I am just being a worry-wart.
My kid's going to college and.......
- Thread starter artlyn
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I wasn't thinking about shipping stuff to her I guess. Also, she will probably end up going to college far from home and she will more than likely be flying back and forth. Not as easy to send her with a bunch of extra stuff. If I thought DD was going to college close by, I wouldn't be as bothered by it all I suppose. Anyway, I will readily admit that I am just being a worry-wart.
UPS ground shipping is actually very cheap. It costs almost the same to send a 5 lb box as a 30lb box. I usually ship one to my boys at least once a semester. Also doing the ink cartridges returns at staples, office depot and office max. So once I get to $50 in ink I will find a coupon and then ship them paper products, etc from Staples, etc with free shipping. Also if they are desperate for some item I will usually find the product at Amazon with free shipping.
Also for text books use www.directtextbooks.com This compares a book at all of the sites out there. Many times it is cheaper to rent the textbook than buy and most kids never use the book again. Just be carefully with the books that require online access codes. I was dumb freshman year and paid full price for books. Never again. I get most books for about 25% of the bookstore cost.
When it is time to sell the books back, check online before returning them to the schools bookstore. We have found that many online textbook sites offer a higher buyback than the school bookstores -- many do include free shipping as well. I also check the buyback amount before we make our decision of renting vs buying used. Many times it is better for us to buy and sellback!
Check Amazon for used textbooks too. I'm kicking myself for paying full price for 2 books - barely used one (but just sold it on Amazon for the price I would have got if the school would have bought it back, but they weren't buying this edition back). The 2nd book I could have got for about $5 used on Amazon compared to $75 new. Ouch.
I am really appreciating all the advice everyone is giving! Keep it coming!
Chickie, I am curious what type of safe you bought if you don't mind sharing.
Chickie, I am curious what type of safe you bought if you don't mind sharing.
We bought this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-PS-5...qid=1341688372&sr=8-2&keywords=dorm+room+safe
Has decent reviews toooo.
I actually didn't even think of having to buy a safe. But it's true you never know if your dorm mate is gonna leave the door open or have people in there when your not in it.
We use dealoz.com for our comparison textbook website. I also have been able to use ebates for some of the websites! I have to keep a list of the books that I rent and the ones that I purchased -- after 3 months, and having 2 college students, I have a hard time remembering which ones were rented and which were purchased!!!
We bought this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-PS-5...qid=1341688372&sr=8-2&keywords=dorm+room+safe
Has decent reviews toooo.
I actually didn't even think of having to buy a safe. But it's true you never know if your dorm mate is gonna leave the door open or have people in there when your not in it.
That looks like a really good size based on the pictures. Thanks a bunch for sharing. :flowers:
the reason I wont rent books is that often, yes it is a bit cheaper, BUT you cant re sell a rented book--I almost always resell all our books via amazon --I have 4 kids who we had to buy text books for High School and now for college-
It depends on the price of the book whether I will purchase or rent. If the rental price is 25% or less of the purchase cost it is usually a better investment to rent rather than buy and then to sell. I am talking about $150 to $200 books so I doubt I would get my money back buying and then selling. And then you never know if they have changed editions.
I have never ordered the international versions of books. I am curious though since they are significantly cheaper. Alibris sells alot of these.
I have never ordered the international versions of books. I am curious though since they are significantly cheaper. Alibris sells alot of these.
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Don't forget to send you student with GARBAGE BAGS. So, go get em why the gettins goooood!
Why? Does your kid live off campus?
I would not be encouraging a school halfway across the country just yet. My daughter goes to school in decatur which is about 5 hrs round trip.They close most dorms down for winter break so kids HAVE to live elsewhere,if money is tight and plane fare pricey where is she going to go? Including drop off in August, I see my daughter 5 times during school yr. Fall break, Thanksgiving,Winter break, parents weekend and spring break. Thats alot of airfare! We do not let her take a car so we drive to pick her up , home for the week,and drive her back.My son is a junior and if he goes the opposite direction, Im screwed.
Got lots of garbage bags, thanks!
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Not all schools close down the dorms during school breaks. I do know quite a few schools which don't close down the dorms until the end of spring semester. If the schools do close down the dorms, you can make other living arrangement.
Kids make friends and make arrangements with other kids if they cant go home for holidays. But I would not encourage more than 4 or 5 hours away for freshman year. The "trauma" of moving away is greater than event the most independent kids images. My three all played travel sports and were very outgoing but living away from home was a new experience and they were home about once a month every 6 weeks freshman year. It was that reassurance. By sophmore year the urge to come home disappeared but going away to college was scarier than they expected.
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I went away to school on the other side of the country and my parents thought it was a good thing exactly because it prevented me from coming home often--not that they wouldn't have loved to see me more often but my sister went to school only a couple hours away and was home ALL the time. It kind of prevented her from building her own life elsewhere. I remember I called my parents to tell them I had found my way to Cambridge and my brother burst into the call to tell me that they had made my room into an office--I hadn't even found my dorm room yet.:lol: It was good in the end--I went home for Christmas and usually for at least part of the summer. I tended to go home with the girlfriend of the moment for Thanksgiving.
I think it was hard on my parents in some respect--I remember being home for Christmas my freshman year and my mother bursting out in tears the first time I said something about doing something "when I got home" and meant school, but they thought it was best for me and my education--in the end I think they were right.
I think it was hard on my parents in some respect--I remember being home for Christmas my freshman year and my mother bursting out in tears the first time I said something about doing something "when I got home" and meant school, but they thought it was best for me and my education--in the end I think they were right.
No he will not be living off campus. But, on the list of thinks to bring from his school were garbage bags. Why does your child school supply the garbage bags in the rooms. If his school should supply garbage bags will there always be somewhere to immediatly get another one?
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It has been quite a few years since I sent someone to college. Now I remember garbage bags, but the garbage bag is for the little waste basket. Also kids are not very diligent in changing the garbage bags. In the end, most of the garbage bags came home instead of being used.
