Category Archives: dorm life

college housing, college planning, dorm life, Guest Posts

Ship2School makes move in day bearable

I’m always looking for services that parents and students will find helpful throughout the college admissions process. When my daughter moved from south Texas to Boston for college, it was a nightmare as you can imagine. I wish I had known about these type of services. It would have made our move half way across the country bearable!

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Arriving at college on move-in day is an experience that is filled with strong emotions. Incoming freshman and their families want the college experience to be great, and can also appreciate that it is going to be the start to a new phase of their life – one full of challenges, discoveries, and wonderful achievements. At Ship2School, we want to get everyone off to a great start to this new path in life by making the actual process of moving in as easy and hassle-free as possible. We do this by simplifying the way your college-bound freshman gets their stuff from their room at home to their room at school. With our service, you will receive a box-kit that come in packs of 6 or 12 sturdy boxes, packing tape, and box labels to print out. How much you want to bring is entirely up to you! After all the boxes are packed, we will come by and pick them up and then have them sent straight to the dorm – from nearly anywhere to just about everywhere!

We start the process of simplifying your lives before the acceptance letters even start rolling in. As soon as you and your child start to discuss college preparation, we are ready to help you take one huge thing off your mind – getting all of your college-bound freshman’s things to their school, even before you know where they’re headed to in fall! You can go to the Ship2School website, fill out an order, and then let us know when the final decision has been made!

After the order has been placed, the college or university has been decided upon, and you’ve received your box-kit from us, you can tackle what’s next for you and your college-bound young adult – packing! The best advice we have for the sometimes overwhelming process of college packing is to make lists for 1) essentials, 2) maybes, 3) don’t needs, and 4) we’ll get laters. On our blog, we’ve written a lot about the process of packing for college, and you and your daughter or son can also do some searching and asking around for extra tips. For more information on packing, including our suggestions check here!

Once packing is finished and you’ve arranged for pick up and drop off with Ship2School, the real payoff comes on move-in day. There’s no loading the car or sitting in a cramped car for sometimes many hours while you try not to think about much stuff there is! You can enjoy all the free time and space you would otherwise be missing and have a more pleasant ride to campus. Once you’ve arrived, there’s no unloading of the car, so you and your family can just stroll into your freshman’s dorm relaxed and comfortable knowing that they will have more time to get themselves settled into their new situation.

Our Ship2School service delivers right to their dorm building and is very affordable, with highly competitive rates by locale and destination. For an extra $199 you can even upgrade and get the white-glove treatment and we’ll put their stuff right in their dorm room! Right now you can get $25 off any order. As well, we’re having a contest where one lucky student can ride like rockstar and show up move-in day with their friends in a limo!

Our best wishes to all those heading off to college and their families!

Check out us on Ship2School.com, follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook!

campus security, dorm life, Guest Posts, parenting

Prepping your College-Bound Student in College Safety…

…without them tuning you out!

It’s a proud feeling to have your son or daughter go off to college, but it’s a little scary for us parents at the same time, isn’t it? We go from making the rules and having them live under our roof to our kids being out on their own and making their own decisions, in the blink of an eye. Sure, we trust them and know they’ll do the right thing, but what happens if they find themselves in an unsafe situation, or with a person who doesn’t have their best interests in mind? It’s tempting to let our fear manifest itself into a lecture on college safety, but that’s probably going to fall on deaf ears – we don’t even like being lectured! Read up on prepping your college-bound kids on personal safety in college, without them saying “Ugh, Mom!”

Want to “Sit Them Down”? Resist!

How many times did your parents “sit you down” as a kid to discuss a weighty topic? More often than not, you tuned them out or felt they were making a bigger deal out of a situation. Prevent this from happening by mentioning personal safety casually in the months leading up to college – if you’re doing the dishes, mention to your daughter that you know after a long night class, it might be tempting to take the unlit shortcut path, but rapists really do exist on college campuses. While you’re grilling dinner, talk about how pepper spray is the perfect size for your pocket and purse, so it never hurts to have it on hand. Casually adding safety tips and advice into your normal conversation presents them in a non-threatening manner, helping your soon-to-be college freshman absorb these tips and heed them.

Provide The Information, and Let Them Lead

Your future college student is a young adult, and although they will always be your child, it’s time to let them take the lead. Email your son or daughter a few links once a month or so to college safety blogs and personal safety tips. Keep it minimal – just three or so links here and there. If email isn’t your thing, simply print out the articles and leave them on your son or daughter’s bed. Then, leave it up to your son or daughter to read the information. You won’t be prodding, so they are much more likely to actually read the articles.

Give Them The Essentials

Your son or daughter may want to buy pepper spray and personal safety alarms, but the summer is going to go by fast. Instead, consider personal safety items just another college essential. If pepper spray is legal in your state, pick it up for your son and daughter. Same with a small flashlight and a keychain personal safety alarm so they can quickly sound a piercing alarm if they’re in a threatening situation.

By casually talking about personal safety to your college-bound student, providing them with the info and tips they need, and giving them the safety essentials for college effectively arms your son or daughter with the safety tips to ensure their college experience is filled with only happy memories! Share your own college safety tips and advice by leaving a comment below.

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Today’s guest post was provided by SpyTown.com. We have kids of our own here at SpyTown.com, and we know a thing or two about sending our kids off to college and helping them stay safe and secure. From Pen Cameras to help them record info in class to Home Security Cameras for their apartment to deter theft, we’re your experts for security equipment and college safety advice!

dorm life, Guest Posts

Top 5 Forgotten Dorm Room Supplies

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In the frenzy to get your child ready for college, it is easy to forget about some pretty important dorm room staples either because things are hectic, or because they just slip your mind. Here is DormCo’s list of the Top 5 Forgotten Dorm Room Supplies that are a must-have for any incoming college freshman.

#5 – Alarm Clock

It seems silly to say, but when purchasing the furnishings for your child’s dorm room, alarm clocks are often forgotten amongst the “bigger” items such as bedding and storage options. I had multiple friends who had to run out and buy alarm clocks when they arrived on campus in the fall, so be sure not to forget this dorm necessity. Going for an alarm clock that has an MP3/iPod player included will eliminate the need to buy an expensive iPod dock, and your child can wake up every morning to their favorite tunes as well!

#4 – Area Rug

Although a rug is not exactly necessary, it adds a nice touch to your child’s dorm room and makes the space more comfortable and inviting. What better way to afford them with a sense of home than with a plush rug complete with a trendy design? Have your child pick out a rug they like, and if they already know their roommate, see if they’d like to ask them his or her thoughts on a rug choice. Getting your roommate’s opinion on communal items from the get-go will start your child’s living environment off on the right foot.

#3 – Wall Art

There is nothing more mundane and unwelcoming than bare, white walls. Many students accumulate posters, pictures, and wall art as the year progresses, but starting out with one or two will ensure that your child’s little slice of home away from home is personalized. Recently, Peel N Stick wall art has been the new “thing” for college students since it’s so versatile and fun, and it’s worth checking out if you haven’t already.

#2 – An Iron

This was the least owned item out of all the dorm supplies my friends and I had, yet one of the most useful – multiple times. While people claim that irons are unnecessary, or that you only need them if you’re a business major, in fact there are many circumstances where being able to iron a blouse or pair of slacks will prove to be very useful.

#1 – Bed Toppers

Unless you’re familiar with the ins and outs of dorm shopping, you may not know about bed toppers. Whether you choose a feather bed topper, memory foam, or an egg crate, you can easily provide your college-bound kid with a good night’s sleep. When classes get stressful and sports become overwhelming, your child will be grateful that you got them this bed necessity – it will help them sleep restfully, night after night.

 

Snag these 5 dorm necessities, on top of the obvious staples, and your child will be set for school come August! For an amazing selection of dorm supplies at stellar prices, be sure to check us out at http://www.dormco.com!

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Today’s guest post is from Alexis McKenzie, Customer Service, Marketing, and Social Media for DormCo.Com