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I've been there... recently.May 05 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line I remember what I should have brought, and I'm packing things that I should've left at home. here's a list of things that I wish I had last August. I'm just finishing up my freshmen year of college at a small, private school in Dallas, Texas. This is my list, I've left off the obvious things like clothes, personal items, etc. Here are some things that I either brought, or wish I'd brought to school with me and why... 1) AP credit I don't think this really counts, but I definitely wish I'd taken more AP tests. You think that you'd rather sleep in, not pay, or play instead of taking the test. You're wrong. Coming to college with hours of credit means not taking a class, money, and registering earlier than those who didn't. Not taking many AP tests is probably the one thing I regret most. Trust me, you'd rather take the test. 2) Shower shoes and slippers Just trust me. No one wants to walk on a dorm floor without them. 3) Soap I don't mean shower soap, although that would be nice too... I mean hand soap and dish detergent. You never know when you'll need it. I would hope that most bathrooms have hand soap, but they always run out. With the detergent... You'll want to wash the spoons and forks you use to eat late night snacks if nothing else. 4) Paper Towels You'd think that since you're paying so much to live in the dorms that they could at least provide you with something to dry your hands on. I don't know about your university, but mine doesn't. Wipe your wet hands on your jeans, I do! But what happens when you spill soda all over your bed? Yeah, exactly. You're cleaning it up with your wash towel and toilet paper! 5) Hanging clothes dryer I thought this was stupid when I left for school. Then I put my jeans in the dryer for the first time... An hour later, they were still wet... Unless you want to waste your precious quarters, I'd bring something to dry your pants on. The end of your bed gets annoying. 6) A little ironing board and iron I NEVER iron when I'm at home so I thought it'd be silly to get an iron for school. Little did I know that I needed my clothes ironed a lot more than I thought... I would have really enjoyed an iron... You'll use it more than you think when your mom isn't right there to iron your white shirt for you. 7) Two sets of sheets Make sure you know the size of your mattress before you get any sheets. Mine are extra long, so I got extra long sheets. The thing is though, is that the straight sheet is WAY too long... I don't know how to avoid this problem unless you buy long sheets for the fitted sheet and regular sheets for the straight sheet. Just buy two sets because you'll want to do laundry after you spill that soda on your bed. 8) An Umbrella Who knew it rained in Dallas?! I'm from Philadelphia so I had no idea. Guaranteed no matter where you go to school you'll have to walk to class in the rain. Unless you skip class because of the weather, I'd recommend an umbrella. 9) A Robe Chances are you'll get locked out of your room sometime while in the shower. You'll want to be wearing a robe... 10) Egg Carton foam mattress pad I actually don't think you just need one of these for college, I think you need one for life. I just discovered them since moving into the dorm though. My bed was fairly comfortable without it, but I think it became even more "home like" with my comfy foam thing. :-) 11) A husband TV cushion I never knew they were called husbands either... What I mean are those pillow like things with arms and a back to learn up against. I think these are GREAT! I have one in my room for watching TV, doing homework, making the floor more comfortable... See, my bed is lofted 3 ft off the ground so my Husband is usually under my bed in my "fort" for reading or taking notes. Sometimes I will bring it up for on top of my bed for sitting and watching a movie or something. Really though, I think one of these is essential, especially with a small room and not much space for chairs for guests. Just some other things to remember... If you don't have a car, chances are that there won't be a nice, cheap Wal-Mart close enough for you to walk. Long story short, you'll want to get as much stuff at home while your parents are still paying for it... Especially if you don't have a car. Bring your things in rubbermade, not cardboard boxes because you can always use storage. Don't bring every book, stuffed animal, picture, etc... Just bring the things that mean the most to you. Perhaps I should say that this advice comes from someone who is VERY far from home without a car. That puts a different spin on things.  |
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