What do you ACTUALLY need to take to college? and other questions

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I've seen that giant list on here but I know that's not all super necessary. I was wondering what you DO need to take with you. I feel like the list on here is too big and the list the school provides is too small. </p>

<p>Also what do you need to take with you vs. what can/ should be bought on campus?</p>

<p>What is having a roommate like? Did you turn to sites like roomsurf to help or did you just let the school match you? Did you color coordinate anything (Mostly for girls I assume lol) and how did you decide who would be paying for the minifridge? I've heard most people say one pays for one thing and one for another. The school I'm going does not allow free standing fridges so it will be a school rental- would we just go 50/50 since it is a rental?</p>

<p>Sorry there are so many, and I'm sure some are dumb questions but I'm just super excited/nervous/scared all at the same time!</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>The following is what I myself am happy with and what me myself regret. Remember that everybody is different; you really just have to evaluate your own needs and preferences…I know, its sounds very cliche but its the reality.</p>

<p>Here’s what I bought and glad I brought and use frequently:

  • Beauty/Hygiene/Laundry products
  • Clothes/accessories (bring as much as you can w/o going overboard; i go to the gym a lot too which dirties things up a lot too)
  • Laptop/Camera/Cell phone/accessories
  • CHEAP Mp3 player (so I don’t have to worry about theft as much)
  • Several bookbags/napsacks (since some of my classes have so much crap that i need a bag just for one class)</p>

<p>I WISH I bought some/more of:

  • Food/Drinks/condiments/utensils from home
  • Earmuffs/blindfold (since my roommates can occasionally be very ‘active’ at night)
  • Larger size fridge (I was being cheap: get the largest size fridge you can&allowed; you’ll be using it everyday and a lot of the smarter stuff to buy is larger in bulk and can go in a bigger fridge better)
  • A mop (to clean my tiny area)
  • Small fan (since every now and then it can get a little hot)
  • Printer
  • Condoms/Carrying Case
  • More plastic bags (for carrying things; they can be hard to come by)
  • ** GPS for my car (it could be easy to get lost when going/leaving home and when driving around a new place)
  • More towels/bed sheets
  • **Padding for bed, my mattress was hard as a rock
  • Important paperwork </p>

<p>I WISH I didn’t bring:

  • So many cleaning products (i only clean my immediate area b/c college handles rest)
  • My big Stuffed animal (bed is small so it ends up falling on ground frequently, plus i’m a guy so yeah…)
  • My alarm clock (I get up pretty easily)
  • Art supplies<a href=“I%20never%20used%20it%20though%20you%20should%20still%20bring%20a%20little%20in%20case%20you%20have%20a%20project”>paper, crayons, markers</a>
  • So many books (I never use them)
  • Lightbulbs (the ones already there are fine)
  • My own toilet paper (useless)
  • So many baseball caps/sunglasses/jewelery (they’re just kinda inconvenient and I rarely use them; I would only bring 2-3 necklaces, etc)</p>

<p>I’m GLAD I didn’t bring:

  • Television/VCR/DVD/Video games (TV sucks and u have your computer; my life is better w/o it)
  • Weights/exercise equipment since most schools have big gyms and they can take up space
  • Iron/ironing board (never needed to use it and if u do then it will likely just be for one day)
  • Decorative stuff</p>

<p>And having a roommate is a very “different” experience, especially if you’ve always had your own bedroom such as me. My roommates are cool. They’re very different from me but it’s a learning experience so I embrace it.</p>

3

<p>On the fridge, I wouldn’t go for 50/50. Me and my first roommate did this, she moved out halfway through the year and drama ensued… along with a month or two of fridgelessness when she basically broke in, stole it, and disappeared. That’s the extreme side of things, obviously, and it probably won’t happen to you. But, on the chance one of you moves out, if it just belongs to one of you it’ll be easier to sort out. Maybe one of you brings a printer and the other deals with the fridge or something, I dunno. Also, I have a new roommate now, she’s much nicer. :stuck_out_tongue: It’s kinda luck of the draw if you go for random matches, and different people react differently to the stress/freedom of college, having a roommate, etc.</p>

<p>For packing…</p>

<p>(School related)

  • Notebooks
  • Textbooks (cheaper online, but less hassle/wait from the school store… also heavy if you’re flying)
  • Pencils, pens, erasers, white out, (graphing) calculator, highlighter
  • Backpack, purse (I only have one of each, and swap out books as I go)</p>

<p>(Electric stuff)

  • Flash drives
  • Laptops and chargers, and cable locks for them
  • Desk lamp (I haven’t used mine much, but if you’re reading or working on paper it’s good to have)
  • Ethernet cable (longer is better)
  • Phone and phone charger
  • Alarm clock, if you don’t use your phone as an alarm
  • Power strip or surge protector</p>

<p>(Room stuff)

  • Bedding, padding, sheets
  • Pillows, stuffed animal if you’re that sort of person
  • Clothes, shoes, sweaters and coats
  • Clothes hamper and laundry stuff
    Quick note on laundry, figure out your school’s system before you’re desperate for clean clothes, you might need coins (the machine might eat coins) or you might need money on a school card.
  • Blanket</p>

<p>(Misc)

  • Food! (Power bars, microwave stuff, popcorn, chips, candy, etc)
  • Hairbrush and deodorant
  • Toiletries (soap, shampoo, face wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors, whatever else you use)
  • Towels (Hand towels, wash clothes, big towels)
  • Sick kit (Tylenol, Motrin, DayQuil/Nyquil, band-aids, thermometer, tissues, anything else you take when sick/hurt)
  • Cup, plate, bowl, fork, knife, and spoon… I’ve also got measuring cups
  • Cash, credit card, etc</p>

<p>Non essential, handy things:

  • Colored Pencils, sharpie, duct tape, white board markers
  • Microwave, especially nice if you’ve got dinnertime classes or stay up late studying
  • Mirror, hair clips, bobby pins, hair ties
  • Clips to keep bags of chips/candy closed
  • Big plastic bins, they make good storage
  • Printer (Campus printing can be a HUGE pain)</p>

<p>Things I wish I had, or things I forgot:

  • More plastic bags (we use them as trash bags and for carrying things)
  • TV (free basic cable… can’t watch it. Only have one ethernet port and need it during homework, would just be nice to have)
  • clear tape (keep forgetting to get some)
  • Hand soap (we’re in a mini-suite, so it wasn’t provided… shouldn’t need it for normal rooms)
  • Ear plugs (roommates snore, drunk people outside, traffic, whatever)
  • Wall decorations (We’ve got concrete and tape stains, not very pretty)</p>

<p>And… that’s probably it. Another suggestion would be to just start collecting things you use on a daily basis. Everytime you pick something up, either add it to a bag or put it on a list, so you don’t forget anything essential.</p>

<p>On matching stuff, some of mine does. The bedding came with a matching blanket and pillows, and the sheets were bought to match the bedding. It’s not the sort of thing people’ll notice (unless it’s really cool, my suitemate has dinosaur stuff), but if you’re getting new stuff it may as well match. Towels are a similar story, they’re all blue, but it’s not a big deal.</p>

<p>When it comes to taking things or buying it there, that depends on how far you’re going. My older brother went out of state, so he opted for a lot of bedding and stuff to be shipped to school, and bought school supplies there. I think he also dumped bedding and such when he graduated, since flying is such a hassle. I’m only an hour or so from campus, so it made more sense to buy things at home (it’s cheaper) and take it to school.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the advice guys! As far as the fridge goes My school doesn’t accept Free standing fridges or microwaves- so they rent out a micro-fridge… Would that make the situation any different?</p>

<p>also, this may be dumb- but is like a shower caddy thing necessary???</p>

5

<p>Ours was a rental that the school suggested, but it wasn’t directly through the school. If it’s the school itself in charge, it would probably be easier to work out with splitting (And less of a hassle overall).</p>

<p>Shower caddy: I’m in a mini-suite, so I’ve got a bathroom literally right outside the door, so not really. If you’re in a normal dorm you’ll probably want one, and maybe shower shoes or whatever too. By the time you’ve grabbed your towel, keys, clothes/robe/whatever, soap, shampoo, etc, you’ll be dropping things, and might have to walk to the other end of the hall with it. Shower caddy keeps everything together and makes it easy to carry.</p>