Times Have Changed, I Guess

Yesterday as I was waiting in the check out line at Target, I noticed the girl behind me in line with a mother-type-person with a cart full of home gear. As she loaded tons of new plates, mugs, silverware, linens and so forth onto the belt, she spoke about college move-in time and dorm stuff. And I thought to myself: REALLY? You are going off to a college DORM as though you are cleaning out a wedding registry?

When I went to college (back with the dinosaurs, I walked uphill both ways, in the snow, blah blah blah), I went to Meijer and bought these plastic green plates (still have them – DURABLE FTW!), cheap plastic blue bowls, some cheap silverware that cost about a buck per place setting, and a roll of paper towels. Sure, I received nice sheets and towels for graduation gifts, but the point was – I didn’t look at moving into college as “setting up house”. I got the essentials and nothing more. My style was more like “roughing it – dormitory style”. That’s about as close to camping as I get.

So, I wonder now, as I think about this girl in Target: Is this what teens leaving for college do now? Are they stocking up on formal dishes (she had six place settings, no less – WHERE ON EARTH DOES ONE PUT ALL THAT STUFF IN A DORM? I’m sure they haven’t gotten bigger. Also, who is entertaining six for a formal sit down meal in a dorm room? Hmmm.)? Is it a different experience now than it was in the 90s? Or still, when did I become that lady who eavesdrops on the people behind her in line at Target?

About sarah

Sarah is a book nerd, a music lover, an endorphin junkie, a coffee addict. Oh, and a goof ball. She writes, she tweets, and she sings off key.

Comments

  1. I think it’s becoming more common all the time that kids going to college are more “setting up house” than moving into the type of dorms you and I lived in. I can count a number of recent high school grads and current college students whose parents have bought the kid a condo, townhouse or small home instead of dorming it. They are considering it a real estate investment, and “then I’ll have a place to stay when I go visit for a weekend!”. Fantastic. Teach them that Mommy and Daddy will provide anything and everything. Me? I wouldn’t trade my 4 yrs of dorm living for anything. Best years of my life!

    • I hope my kids don’t get their hopes up. They are going to kick it old school dorm style. That’s right, plastic plates for everyone!!!

Leave a Reply to Casey Cancel reply

*