???? for the college kids or recent grads ......

I don't know it Australians are just more protective about their privacy or what, but we just don't do shared dorm rooms over here. Nowhere. It's not done. Even if your room is the size of a cupboard, you get one to yourself that locks. It has a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, a bookshelf, and a window with curtains at the very least.

I really loved having a television. It sucked having to watch in the common room because no one would let me watch documentaries.

The bath robe was gold. We had 1 bathroom to a floor and block at both places I stayed. It made me feel pretty smug when people were racing back to their rooms with nothing but a soap dish and I was snug in my full length bath robe.

I had no money, so I decorated my walls with pictures I drew. Decorations are pretty important.

My computer was pretty vital, too.

Ugh boots are awesome. I practically lived in them for the winter. I went to uni in them and the supermarket in them and... well, pretty much lived in them, yeah.

I'm glad I never had to share a room. My lockable room was the only thing that kept me sane living on campus! I could lock myself in and pretend I wasn't home when I needed a break from the madness. 

I only scanned the stuff above so i might say something that was already mentioned...

Those plastic-rolly-roll under the bed tupperware things. I think they call them "under the bed boxes" I love them!

crocs, or cheap flip flops to wear to the shower. I wouldn't let my feet touch that nasty bathroom floor.

oh also those behind the door shoe holders are awesome! You put shoes and other junk in them.

Wow - you guys are incredible!!

Thanks for all the great tips!

Deb W.

 Another thing she can get while there, but I very highly recommend a *leather* ID card holder/keychain. Something kind of like this, only designed so you can easily pull the ID card in/out:

I was continually losing my ID card and/or my keys until I got one of these, and it was absolutely indispensable. I still use it, actually, just now I put in my elevator access card in instead of my school ID. :) The campus store will probably have a nice spiffy school logo one.

Also, re: sharing a room - I too am an only child, and it worked out fine. Not great, but fine. The sharing space issues weren't nearly as bad as the social issues - my roommate and I started out as good friends, which meant we ended up spending way too much time together and fought a lot. (I also had mono, so was keeping odd hours.) Some people turned out to be best friends with their roommies, and others were happier just having a sort of "business relationship" with them and having separate lives/friends. Either way, I'm sure your daughter will do splendidly and have a lot of fun.

Re. the only child thing, my roomie was an only.  Our circumstances are different in that she is my best friend from HS, but we had gone on many trips together and knew how to live together without getting in each other's faces.  We roomed for 2 years, then moved to a house for another 2 years where we had our own rooms, but shared a bathroom.  I only have 2 sibs but I shared a bed with my little sister for 7 years before I went to college, so just having my own bed was a big step up for me!

ottoluv

Ok, I've got some expensive things. Frivilous but awesome to have. A sling box. It's so nice for college kids so they can watch cable/satelite tv from your home without having to pay for it ;)

What's a sling box? 

Deb W.

It lets you watch and record cable TV via a computer.  I believe it takes a cable signal from location A (home?) and "slings" it to the "box" at location B (the computer in the dorm room).

Check with the school before you buy one and make sure it will work on their network.  I don't think they work on ours.
 

Liesje

Re. the only child thing, my roomie was an only.  Our circumstances are different in that she is my best friend from HS, but we had gone on many trips together and knew how to live together without getting in each other's faces. 

That's what I'm worried about . . . . my daughter's not real big on the whole "sharing" thing.  Oh well . . . . she'll just have to learn real fast - those rooms are TINY !!!

Deb W.

Liesje

It lets you watch and record cable TV via a computer.  I believe it takes a cable signal from location A (home?) and "slings" it to the "box" at location B (the computer in the dorm room).

Check with the school before you buy one and make sure it will work on their network.  I don't think they work on ours.
 

But wouldn't there be a distance limitation?  I admit I"m horribly ignorant about all these new gadgets!

Deb W.

 Haha, I didn't know that, either. :)

Um... another "thing" she should take with her is a recent memory of "the talk" with her beloved mother. It's good that she has a double instead of a single, since freshmen with single rooms tend to move much more quickly in the "intimate relations" realm than kids who have less privacy, but still... make sure to talk to her a bit about how to be safe/careful/etc., where to go if she needs help/advice/medicine, etc. Chances are it will be no big deal, but it really can't hurt just to be a little extra cautious. I was quite surprised how quickly some of my female classmates set "goals" for their love lives - "I'm in college, now I have to ________! I need a guy!" When your daughter is hearing this sort of stuff, it wouldn't hurt for her to have "the talk from mom" echoing in her ears (just as long as it's not so loudly she wants to go all rebellious).

Air purifier.  Made a huge difference in the smell of my son's room since he and his roomie were gym rats.  It also cut down on the transmission of colds that either of them would get.

Safe storage options.  My first visit was a nightmare when I saw that they had stacked their beds in a dangerous fashion and had stacked a bunch of other things in ways that were just wrong in order to make more storage and floor space for themselves.  Scary! 

Cita

When your daughter is hearing this sort of stuff, it wouldn't hurt for her to have "the talk from mom" echoing in her ears

Hahaha - my standard reply to my daughter's yell that she's going out is "OK - be careful driving and DON"T GET PREGNANT"  !!!!

Deb W.

iluvjamison

Liesje

It lets you watch and record cable TV via a computer.  I believe it takes a cable signal from location A (home?) and "slings" it to the "box" at location B (the computer in the dorm room).

Check with the school before you buy one and make sure it will work on their network.  I don't think they work on ours.
 

But wouldn't there be a distance limitation?  I admit I"m horribly ignorant about all these new gadgets!

Deb W.