In our family we have three weeks of back to school. Three. First, my third grader goes back. Then, my 11th grader. Then, my college student. (Did I just type that?) If I am only 32 years old (in my head) how on earth do I have a college student?
Of all the questions I receive, most are not about the 3rd grader or the 11th grader, but about what supplies my college student needs.
Last year, as we flew across the country to drop my baby girl off in Virginia, I was completely prepared to buy as little as possible. After all, what could she need? Paper, pens, shampoo, and a bed. Right? Well, kind of.
As I walked into her dorm room, memories of my own years in college came flooding back to me. There were nights I would have given anything for a granola bar or an apple. I would have loved to have toilet paper that didn’t resemble the sandpaper in dad’s garage. And a stapler. It would have been really, really nice not to have to trek to the library across campus to use the stapler before class.
Thankfully, there was a Walmart in her town, so we drove over and wandered the aisles.
This year, I’m one step ahead. We made our list and I shopped for her at Walmart as I was shopping for the other two.
(Mom Tip: late on a Friday night, there was no one there! I got myself a chai tea and quietly checked off my list mounted to a clipboard with my new pen. Dare I say, it was magical?)
(Mom Tip #2: At some point in your school year, chances are it will be 7:13pm and your child will say, “Oh! I need to bring in a poster board tomorrow with my family tree back four generations on both sides.” And if you heed my advice and just buy the poster board, you will say, “No problem! The poster board is hidden neatly behind the bookshelf for emergencies just like this!”Mary Poppins will wink at you from the kitchen and bluebirds will sing a happy song for you.)
And for those of you sending your children off to college, I made a list for you. I hope it helps!
Let me know if I’ve forgotten anything in the comments!
