Helping my daughter pack her dorm room after her first year of college was an eye-opener — much of the “must-have” dorm room items were still wrapped in plastic, never used. Did I really think she would mop, iron, and lock expensive items in a mini safe? Her clothes were always strewn across the floor and her door was always unlocked. Clearly she didn’t care about wrinkles or theft!

Shop smart neighbors! Here are some tips if you’re out there hunting and gathering.

First, dorm room shopping is NOT the same as school shopping. Colleges provide shopping lists online and at stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond and The Container Store. Don’t buy everything on the list! Think logically about what your child uses at home and what will realistically be used at school.

Secondly, college students are messy — nuclear messy! If you can come to grips with this, you’ll buy less! Having an abundance to store in tiny rooms could be the cause of their sloppiness (it’s not failed parenting). They just don’t have enough storage space.

Which brings me to my next tip: items that provide proper, compact storage are the most important purchases. Find out the dimensions of the under-bed space and closet space. Add extra space with bed risers and buy see-through stackable plastic drawers. You can even pack clothes in the containers to transport to school if you’re driving.

Another smart purchase is an abundance of 3M command strips. They’re magical! They hold up curtains, tapestries, photos, posters, hooks, and even hampers. When you pack up at the end of the year, they easily peal off the walls…clean, simple and no fines!

My last tip…always carry tissues when shopping. This is a bitter sweet time with topsy-turvy emotions. Be prepared for sudden streams…no…waterfalls.