<p>1) This is a composite, alphabetical list of what to bring to college.</p>
<p>2) If you have worthy suggestions about **what else a student might like to bring, please list it. If you have specifications-- like what types of bandages students should bring, or what snacks are popular in dorms etc-- please list it as well. </p>
<p>Other than that, just ignore items on the list you don't think are necessary and don't complain about it, because it doesn't help anyone.**</p>
<p>This composite list is very much for Gianievve and LiquidPaper, two people who were kind and appreciative towards my effort and wanted to see a composite list. Here it is. Thank you. :)</p>
<p>I apologize to those who I annoyed by posting various categorized lists about what to bring to college. I am NOT spamming or trying to sell anything.</p>
<p>Acne/cleansing wash and acne cream
Address book
Alarm clock: very important! J
Alcoholic drinks if youre over 21
Allergy medicine: Claritin or Benadryl or other anti-histamine
Anti-Itch cream: for bug bites (also good if youre going to do road-trips off campus to mountains/lakes on weekends etc)
Atlas-- any cartographers out there? A world or nation atlas is informative</p>
<p>Backpack/messenger bag
Balls: Basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, baseballs, tennis balls
Bandages and band-aids: for sprains and cuts
Batteries, especially AA
Bicycle, helmet, LOCK
Binders
Bins or boxes for storing papers/folders
Blanket: fleece or thermal
Bleach
Blender
Board games (Monopoly, a chess or checkers set etc)
Body lotion
Bookcase: find a slim, tall bookcase if youre pressed for space. Its good for organizing text and literary books; of course you can store anything on it-- from food to board games to boxes of cleaning supplies. Great storage. If its a shorter bookcase, you can put decorations atop it-- pictures, a vase etc.
Bottle opener
Broom or short-handled brush with dustpan (if you dont care for vacuums or Swiffers)
Brush: get a good scrubbing one for cleaning grout/tough stains
Bucket: get a sturdy one for use in cleaning/mopping
Bug spray (to keep your skin from those awful mosquitoes etc)
Bulletin board with pins</p>
<p>Cable/wiring organizer: for your computer wires
Calendar: to keep track of the date and days; dry-erase calendars are awesome for scrawling in important events and then erasing for the next month
Calculator or graphing calculator
Camera-- at least a disposable one
Can opener
Cds
CD cases, or soft-cover CD folders which are more space efficient and easier to carry
Cereals, cereals, cereals
Chair: a comfortable one, not a desk chair, but more of a reading/relaxing seat. Try the:
a) butterfly chair <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=106741&RN=665&BTSMode=true%5B/url%5D">http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=106741&RN=665&BTSMode=true</a>
b) Egg chair <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=106742&RN=665&BTSMode=true%5B/url%5D">http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=106742&RN=665&BTSMode=true</a> or
c) the classic beanbag
Chair cushion: if you dont want to bring or buy a desk chair, buy an attractive seat cushion for the chair that the college provides
Chips
Clothes:
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are amazing, easy to use and leave a good scent <a href="http://www.clorox.com/solutions_disinfecting_wipe.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.clorox.com/solutions_disinfecting_wipe.html</a>
Coffee
Coffee machine
Cold and cough medicine: Robitussin/Dimetap
College-rule line paper
Colored markers and colored pencils
Comb or hairbrush
Comforter
Computer-- Laptop or Desktop or Notebook.
Conditioner (hair)
Condoms/birth control pills/contraceptives etc.
Contacts
Contact lens case
Contact lens solution
Containers: small plastic or mesh containers for small accessories (paperclips/tape/white-out/jewelry/makeup)
Cooking pans and pots
Cordless Phone and/or Cell Phone: very important!
Correspondence: Various cards or letter paper, for birthdays or congratulations etc
Cough drops/lozegnes
Cotton balls: many uses, including for applying/wiping off make-up, applying antiseptics to cuts and wounds
Cotton facial pads: for applying or removing foundation and other make-up, also for applying facial lotions, toners and astringents
Curling iron (hair)
Curtains: if your dorm room doesnt provide curtains, an attractive set of curtains can help bring color and life to your room</p>
<p>Fabric softener for the dryer
Facial lotion (especially if youre in a colder climate and your skin will tend to dry out more easily)
Favorites books
Febreze: excellent to temporarily rid clothes (and blankets, pillows, etc) from odors <a href="http://www.homemadesimple.com/febreze/products/original.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.homemadesimple.com/febreze/products/original.shtml</a>
Files and expandable filing folders
Flashlight
Floss
Folders-- with pockets and three-prongs
Folding chairs/tail-gaiting chairs/folding lawn chairs-- any easy, folding chair that you can quickly prop open for guests or haul down to the game for tail-gaiting is a plus
Footstool (if youre vertically challenged)
Foreign Language Dictionary: for whatever language youll be taking in college
Foreman Grill
Fragrance: perfume or cologne, or body sprays
Frisbees!
Fruit: apples, bananas
Fruit juices-- orange, apple, grape, tomato
Futon: a bed at night, great for seating two or three visitors or for watching TV</p>
<p>Gatorade and other sports/electrolyte drinks
Glasses
Granola bars, Nutri-Grain bars
Graphing paper</p>
<p>I-Pod or other music player (MP3, CD player)
Internet access software/wiring
Iron
Ironing board</p>
<p>Kleenex or other facial tissue</p>
<p>Laptops and desktops: for work/studying, but plays your music and DVDs as well
Laptop case
Laundry basket: a lot of people prefer the sturdy plastic baskets to laundry bags. Can hold folded clothes better as well
Laundry detergent
Laundry Hamper or Bin: hampers are always useful; some of us use canvas bins with handles to toss wet towels and dirty clothes in; others have large mesh or canvas laundry bags (folding hampers are great if you need space)
Lip balm
Lint-roller
Loofah/sponge or wash towel
Lysol, especially the sprays and the all-purpose cleaners (though the scent is sometimes too strong)
<a href="http://www.lysol.com/solutionsfinder.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.lysol.com/solutionsfinder.shtml</a></p>
<p>Nail clippers
Nail file
Nail polish remover
Neosporin
Nightstand: if youve got room, nightstands are nice-- put a small lamp and your reading books atop it. Looks pretty and if it has drawers, it offers more storage space for whatever youd like.
Notepads</p>
<p>Q-Tips: tons of uses-- for cleaning the insides of your ears, for applying or removing make-up, etc</p>
<p>Radio/stereo
Ramen/Cup Noodles (of course)
Razor, shaving cream and aftershave for males
Religious texts: if youre religious, bring your Bible or Koran or Torah etc.
Reusable water bottles, like Nalgene bottles
Robe
Roller-skates or ice-skates
Rolls of coins or your laundry card
Rubber bands
Rug!: to add attractiveness to the bare tile or wood floor of your room-- and keep your feet warm when you slip out of bed winter mornings</p>
<p>Vacuum: any slim, lightweight one will do. It doesnt need to be an expensive, bulky vacuum to get the job done.
Vacuum: hand-sized, to clean up dust in corners, on desks etc
Example: <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13645957%5B/url%5D">http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13645957</a>
Vaseline: or petroleum jelly. Its oily and sticky, but if you dont have lotion or lip balm handy, a spot of Vaseline will do it.
Video game console
Video games
Multi-vitamin
Vicks Vapo Rub: I always put this on my chest and throat when Im sick
Vitamin C: to keep up your immune system during cold season
Vitamin E: this comes in two forms-- one is in a gel-like pill, the other is in a small glass jar. The ingestion of vitamin E is supposed to soften your skin, strengthen your hair. The vitamin E in a jar-- vitamin E oil-- is often put on scars or stretch marks to advance healing and lighten the scar
Vitamin D/Oscal: to keep your bones strong</p>
<p>This is awesome! Thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to make this composite! It's a long list and I'm sure that a lot of energy was spent collecting this info. Honestly, screw anyone else who thinks these lists are pointless. That may be the case for a tiny minority, but there are many prefrosh who would like as much help as they can get (i.e. ME). I like the pointer of contributing things that people think could benefit us. Once again, thanks for your help and please, just ignore people who think otherwise. There will always be negative people on boards, so just let it be.</p>
<p>I don't understand why you're so bothered by the thought of people posting other opinions on the things you suggest. I agree that it's great that you made up this list, but I think that the addition of other opinions can only make it more useful. For example, "yes, I also found item x useful, but for a different reason," and "item y could come in handy, but you might want to think about [concern] before bringing it," are both helpful. </p>
<p>For instance, you list a Foreman Grill. That could come in handy, but anyone who wants to bring one of those would need to refer to school-specific documents on what is (and isn't) allowed in dorm rooms.</p>
<p>"I don't understand why you're so bothered by the thought of people posting other opinions on the things you suggest"</p>
<p>This is because, on previous lists, I was personally insulted and derided merely for listing certain things that other posters did not agree with or find necessary. They seemed to feel as if they were justified in bickering and complaining about my lists when in actuality they could simply ignore what they did not find necessary and leave it at that.</p>
<p>"I think that the addition of other opinions can only make it more useful. For example, "yes, I also found item x useful, but for a different reason," and "item y could come in handy, but you might want to think about [concern] before bringing it," are both helpful."</p>
<p>I agree. Anyone is free to be helpful, it's the personal insults and complaining that I feel is unwarranted and won't help anyone in the long run, other than exposing gracelessness and empty argumentative tendencies.</p>
<p>Hey Kate, I'd suggest that you ask the moderators to make this thread a sticky. Then it will stay on the main page without people having to bump the thread. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Redski: Are you going to be at USC too? I am going to be in Parkside dorms this fall.
[/quote]
Hey Peals, I'm in Parkside too! 6-person suite!</p>
<p>Thanks for the list! It's very helpful. Inspired me to write up my own list (taking things from this list that pertained to me) and I ended up with 85 items! More than I would have thought of</p>