You’ve asked, we’re answering! These are the most frequently asked questions we get from moms navigating college, young adult life, and the early empty nest years. Don’t see what you’re wondering? Add a comment below and we’ll be sure to reply!
College Prep and Dorm Life
Getting a student ready to head to college can feel overwhelming, but you’re not doing it alone. We’ve walked six kids through move-ins, packing lists, and all the emotions that come with sending them off. Here are the questions we’re asked most often by moms just like you.
The short answer: it depends! Some families begin preparing as soon as middle school, depending on their child’s goals. It’s a good idea to start thinking casually about college when registering for classes before their freshman year of high school. We recommend starting to put together a list of schools in their junior year so you can schedule tours and visits that spring and summer. This makes it easier to know where they’ll want to apply during senior year. But if they’re planning to play a sport in college, the recruitment cycle shifts everything a year earlier. We share more about this topic in our article: 10 Things We Wish We Knew Before Our Kids Applied to College.
Yes, and it’s based on helping our own six kids move into college dorms and apartments. We keep it updated every year so you don’t have to figure it out from scratch. Get your printable list here. You can also read our article that dives into why we recommend the things we do.
Every college has different housing rules, and every dorm is unique. However, there are a few things that every student will need if they live on campus. These are the things you can buy early whenever they go on sale. We’ve shared our top picks here.
Dorm rooms are tiny, so smart systems make all the difference. We share easy ideas for maximizing storage, using vertical space, and organizing closets here.
College move-in day is one of the biggest days for your student and your family! After navigating it over 16 times between the two of us, we’ve learned how to make it go smoothly, from how to pack, how to load the car, setting up the room, and even how to say goodbye. Check out all our tips for college move-in day here and the gear we recommend to get it all done here.
About Simply2Moms
We launched Simply2Moms in 2018. You can read more about our story on our About page.
Since 2008, when AnnMarie moved across the street from Anne. We’ve raised our families side by side and still live just steps apart.
Simply2Moms started during a season when our kids were getting older and we were both thinking about what came next. We’d spent years sharing recipes, decorating ideas, organizing tips, and motherhood stories with each other across the street. One day, we decided to create a place to share those ideas with other moms too. What began as a small creative outlet slowly evolved into the space we have today, helping moms navigate college prep, young adult life, and the early empty nest years.
Shopping, Products, and Recommendations
You can find all of our favorite products, dorm essentials, and home recommendations on our shopping resources page right here. We update it often with the things we actually use and love.
Yes. This means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you. We only share products we genuinely love and recommend to our own kids. You can read our full disclosure policy here.
Yes, we partner with companies we genuinely love and use. You’ll always see a disclosure when content is sponsored, and we only recommend products that make life better for the moms in our community.
Connect with Us
You can contact us or email us directly moms@simply2moms.com. We absolutely love hearing from you!
Yes. Our email list is where we share our best tips, new posts, college prep reminders, and things we’re loving each week. Sign up right here.