<p>I wasn't sure which forum this should go on, so I thought college life might be the best one.</p>
<p>This story my be a little strange, but bear with me. My parents keep asking me what I want for the upcoming holidays. I'm a pretty practical person, and also a bit of a minimalist. Therefore, I don't have much to ask for other than maybe a phone case or something like that. </p>
<p>What I thought might be best, then, is to instead ask for some things that would be useful for when I go off to college. Right now, the only restriction I have is that I have to wait on getting a laptop. One school to which I've been accepted requires that I get a certain laptop, which is included in tuition. I don't want to buy another laptop only to discover later that I enrolled at this school and can't even use it.</p>
<p>So, for those of you that are in college, what do you think are the best things to make sure I have for when I go off to college next year? I want to start planning early, and any suggestions at all would be great. Thanks guys!</p>
<p>A small TV (18-24 in) is great for someone who watches stuff with people a lot. Set it up as a second monitor to your desk and you have double screen space and the ability to play anything a computer can access on a TV while still being space efficient as well as minimal cost. This is coming from a techie though.</p>
<p>Basic things: hamper, shoe organizer if you have more than 4 pairs of shoes will save tons of space, and efficient organizational stuff for school work also is crucial for some people.</p>
<p>A lot of stuff you will need for college is stuff you will get once you’re there and few are large purchases. I’d recommend going through the thread linked below and note what you believe you would need. There’s WAY too much but its a good comprehensive list of what to CONSIDER bringing.</p>
<p>@PengsPhils Thank you very much! That’s so helpful. I actually like the small TV idea. I’m not much into playing video games or anything, but it would be nice for things like Netflix. </p>
<p>I agree that decorative things might be good gifts to ask for. Posters are a good idea. Christmas lights are also really nice decorations and they’re fairly cheap (my dad got me a bunch of purple christmas lights as a “just because” gift for my dorm, and they really add to the room’s personality!) Other practical things could include hooks, a towel rack, a bath towel/hand towel/washcloth, a backpack/messenger bag, any items you could use to organize other things (I have a small ottoman for my pajamas, a container for body sprays, an organizer for makeup and a container for my toothbrush and toothpaste). If there’s a chance you might be going far away for college, you might want to wait to get the big purchases once you’re there. If not, though, you can always ask for bedding (although that’s fun to pick out yourself!) or a mini fridge.</p>
<p>A fridge. You’ll probably have a communal fridge with your roommate/suitemates, but it’s nice having an extra for beverages you don’t want other people to drink.</p>
<p>A record player. Not sure if you’re into music, but once you start listening to analog you can’t go back.</p>
<p>A mattress topper. Most dorm beds aren’t too comfortable; my memory foam has saved my back from a lot of pain.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, three inch memory foam mattress topper (Costco had best price last summer but they may not carry item at this time of year), bed bug protector, regular mattress pad, mini-fridge, printer, iron, safe, an extra set of sheets, and surge protectors that also function as extension cords. These are all things I bought for my son before school started. While he has not used the iron, suite mates have!</p>
<p>TV—you may not have cable access in your room and may be just as happy watching shows on your laptop.</p>
<p>I will definitely second the surge protector/extension cord/power strip, if not for a Christmas gift, for general dorm packing/planning. If you choose a school with older dorm buildings, I would also consider outlet adapters. My building only had two prong outlets, not three prong. </p>
<p>Mattress topper would be good. I didn’t <em>really</em> need one when I was in the dorms, but it is pretty nice. </p>
<p>I think freshman year of college is a great time to get a new bedding set. They can be a bit pricey though. </p>
<p>Microwave or fridge in the dorms are super convenient if it’s in the right price range. </p>
<p>A shower caddy to carry your stuff to the bathroom is nice to have. </p>
<p>New towels? </p>
<p>Closet organizers or a small book shelf or something that could work as a small bedside table. </p>
<p>Desk lamp. </p>
<p>A few small dishes to have in your dorm to cook oatmeal or whatever in. </p>