<p>ok so i just received a coffee/tea/water boiling pot(3 in one) Hamilton</a> Beach: .<br>
i know it says that coffee pots are not allowed but it automatically turns off and isnt really a "coffee pot". </p>
<p>also whats one thing that u really wished you would have taken to college?</p>
<p>^^You can have the coffee pot, you're just not supposed to plug it in and use it in your room. Whether you follow the rules or not is on your conscience :) (although, there have been really bad dorm fires at colleges (not Wellesley) in which people died, so, you know, it's not a totally draconian rule). </p>
<p>Be sure to bring enough power strips--you probably have more stuff to plug in than you realize, and outlets aren't always in a convenient place. My second semester last year I was living in a double alone and got by with one power strip, but really could have used two. </p>
<p>I recommend getting rainboots for Wellesley, if you don't already have them. At home, you probably only have to dash from your parking spot into a store/your school/whereever when it's raining. At Wellesley, you may have to walk across campus, and many of the paths do not drain well. Many many many students at Wellesley have rainboots (very popular are cute $20-25 ones from Target--cheap and lots of patterns to choose from).</p>
<p>I second the rain boots. Don't forget an umbrella.</p>
<p>"No coffee pots" translates to "no small appliances with heating elements". And, like advantagious said, you can have it--you just can't use it in your room. That's what the kitchens are for! Also, many of the dorms have taps with 190-degree hot water. If your dorm has one, don't even bother with the kettle. Just like tea, coffee does not require special machines.</p>
<p>Thirding the rainboots. Very useful things. Same with a good umbrella. Don't go crazy and buy something ridiculously expensive, but consider a solidly built umbrella as a sound investment for the future.</p>
<p>I can't think of much that I wished I'd had, but there were many things that I wish I had left at home. 10 pairs of shoes. That extra week's worth of clothing. The spare winter coat. An unreliable and bulky alarm clock. A printer that got used twice before sitting on my desk for the rest of the year. The fun/sentimental books that I never touched (a few were fine, a whole shelf was too much). Jewelry that I never wore. </p>
<p>Bring less.</p>
<p>I was told that a good waterproof backpack is a good idea?</p>
<p>also i have TMobile,,, how bad is the reception? do you recommend switching carriers,, which one?</p>
<p>The reception sucks with T-Mobile. Switch to either Verizon or ATT&T, both work well enough. Some other obscure carriers work as well, but I don't know what they are.</p>
<p>A waterproof bag is a good idea. You never know when you <em>won't</em> have that umbrella. I found rainboots useful and bought them online when I couldn't find them at the mall. Bring as little as possible.</p>
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Bring as little as possible.
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<p>This really can't be overemphasized. Consider how long it will take you to pack everything before you move to campus. Then imagine how long it will take you to pack everything in the middle of finals when you haven't slept properly in a week and your only goal in life is to add one more page to your last paper before it's due in two hours, but you can't add that crucial page because your arsenal of quotes and salient points is empty.</p>
<p>Bring less. Your collection of belongings will grow regardless of how much you start out with, so you might as well start minimally.</p>
<p>I actually found bringing a printer to be very, very useful--sometimes you need to print something out right before class and the nearest working printer will be halfway across campus.</p>
<p>I find the lighting in the rooms isn't fantastic, so I have a couple extra lamps around the room. As far as cooking, it's good to have your own plate and bowl and a set of utensils. There will usually be a pot and pan in your kitchen, but don't count on it being the right size. I brought measuring cups, which were useful.</p>
<p>Thanks all- very helpful information. Not obvious items but critical for survival. Any inputs on laptops with respect to security , use etc. Do most students carry their laptops around campus. How about general security in dorms? Any issues?</p>
<p>I sometimes leave my door unlocked during the week without feeling uneasy at all. I'd be careful on the weekends, which is when people from off-campus come visit, but even then, I haven't had any problems. Most of the stealing deals with food in the floor fridge...</p>
<p>Haven't had a problem with laptops...it's okay to leave it at a desk in the library for a little while with your books lying around. I do it a lot.</p>
<p>Seriously, all you first years that'll be heading to orientation soon, the best advice in the previous posts is the "less is more" mantra. I know the tendency is to over pack (but I'm sure I'm going to need that someday!) but the overwhelming amount of CRAP that you accumulate comes to bite you in the ass when you're packing up at the end of the year.</p>
<p>But I whole heartedly agree about bringing extra power strips and extension cords. They come in very handy, but probably less of a need for them now with more students bringing laptops instead of desktops.</p>
<p>the deal with security in dorms: there have been a few incidents of stealing over the years ( I think there was one in Lakehouse this year during a party?) but the general rule is that if you leave your laptop in the kitchen for a week nobody'll touch it; you leave cookies out for five minutes and they'll be <em>gone</em>.</p>
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I find the lighting in the rooms isn't fantastic, so I have a couple extra lamps around the room.
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<p>Agreed! The death-ray overhead lights (dull, gray light that casts a deathly pallor over everyone) are lousy and often gave my friends headaches. Keep in mind, however, that incandescent floor lamps come in every room, and some dorms even have cute table lamps. So don't go wild and buy any lamps until you've been in your new room to assess the space and lighting needs. (Make your fire chief happy and stay away from lamps with halogen bulbs.)</p>
<p>As for security, I never locked my door until senior year. Even then, it probably wasn't necessary ... but my room was in a busier area of Claflin, and it didn't feel as secure as my previous rooms. Nothing was ever stolen out of my room. Elsewhere on campus, we would leave our bags sitting in dorm entryways before going to dinner (no problems), or leave computers on tables in libraries (also no problems, but it's risky).</p>
<p>What do you think about stuffed animals? I have this cute fat cow and cute piggy I was going to bring, but maybe two stuffed animals is too much? o_o I'm moving far away from home and want to make it as comfy as possible so I don't get too homesick.</p>
<p>There's nothing wrong with that. My roommate and I had a few and acquired some more. </p>
<p>Also, my friend who still sleeps with her stuffed bunny slept with it through it all through college as well, and I'm sure hasn't stopped.</p>
<p>Still, bring as little as possible.</p>
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What do you think about stuffed animals?
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<p>I firmly believe in the power of stuffed animals :) Don't go crazy and bring a 5-foot-tall gorilla, but bring something that makes you feel safe and comforted. (Bonus: not only will you benefit, but some of your friends probably will, too.)</p>
<p>Thanks! Now I'm having fun deciding which clothes to bring, harr harr.</p>
<p>Don't bring too much clothing.</p>
<p>Have a shopping spree at the Sisters Keepers fundraiser in the fall instead. I always buy myself half of a new wardrobe there, and it's for such a great cause.</p>
<p>^^My roomie has already warned me that she is bringing tons of clothing, haha. I am, too, kind of. I shall leave most at home for Thanksgiving break for the cold weather.</p>