When stuffed animals or comfort objects are given to toddlers and children, they usually hold onto them for a few years as they adjust to sleeping in a "big kid bed."
However, some people are just unable to let go of snuggling with their beloved animals and blankets each night.
Students invite them to come play along into their college years and even beyond.
Hannah Gordon, a sophomore in English and French, has slept with her Simba stuffed animal since she was 5 years old.
"I don't really even think about sleeping with it anymore," Gordon said. "It's a part of home for me."
Dr. Vincent Iannelli, associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, said comfort objects such as stuffed animals are given to children as a substitute for the parent helping the child to learn to be apart from the parent.
Children carry them around everywhere they go providing them with comfort, even when a parent is not present allowing children to establish some independence.
Tocara Bedell, a sophomore in apparel merchandising, still keeps all of her stuffed animals including a dog named Bingo her mom found for her at a yard sale, a pink cat named Mittens, Mr. Piggles, who likes to be called Mister, and Strawberry.
Shannon Bonham, a sophomore in pre-nursing, keeps her animals as well. She has a stuffed Elmo and a puppy dog her brother gave her as a birthday gift.
"They're just part of my comfort zone," Bonham said. "My dad tried to throw them away, but I got mad."
Some students like to keep one animal with them at school as well as one at home.
Whitney Bonham, an undeclared sophomore, keeps her chocolate brown dog named Mr. McGruff at school with her, but leaves her teddy bear Valentine at home.
Linus, a character in Charles Schultz's comic strip "Peanuts," was rarely seen without his "security blanket," and was the first to coin the term. Although Linus faced criticism from Charlie Brown and his sister Lucy, he did not dare let it go.
The teddy bear was popularized after president Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a baby bear while on a hunting trip in November 1902.
A cartoon of the event appeared in The Washington Post and later a shopkeeper in Brooklyn made two stuffed animal bears for his window display.
The craze for the stuffed teddy bear was set into motion.
Anna Twardy, a senior in accounting, still keeps her teddy bear, Pinky.
She got the bear as a third birthday present.
"It's comforting to sleep with it," Twardy said. "It reminds me of home."
The trend seems to be college students are hanging onto these "Simba's" and "Pinky's" because the animals remind them of the comforts of home.
In the new place and new situation that college throws students into, they find it comforting to bring along the reminders of a more comforting place and time.
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