Diary? TV? The Nintendo? - What to bring to college Feb 09 '00    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet I have to agree fully with what Elorraine wrote (view her opinion here: http://www.epinions.com/educ-review-2A31-14FACE9-389497BB-prod3), so that’s why I’m agreeing with her opinion. Here are some of my suggestions... they may not be right for everyone, but these are some of the things I learned from my college experience. ------------------------------------------------ What to Bring to College An open mind College will be very different from high school. The classes are much harder and you learn at a very fast pace. You’ll be thrown into an entire group of people, most of whom you have never seen before. Make sure to be very open and friendly, talk to people and try to be social. Poster Putty Most of the dorms do not allow you to use tacks to hang up your posters and pictures so make sure to bring poster putty. This was something I forgot every single year I lived in the dorms. I always had to run down to Wal-Mart to get poster putty and usually they were sold out. Plastic Clips Frequently I used little white plastic clips to hang things on my wall.. Since the dorms didn’t allow nails in the walls, I had to use the plastic clips with the sticky backing. These come in very handy for hanging up small framed pictures, clocks, and other small miscellaneous items. Make sure to bring some before you come, as the stores run out of these very quickly. Photos of friends and family You’ll get very homesick and lonely when you first move away from home. Make sure to pack lots of pictures of mom and dad, brothers, sisters, friends, even pets. Many of the friends you make at college will want to see your family pictures. You’ll probably want to hang many of these up to keep everyone in your memory and from getting too homesick. A small refrigerator Many times dorms will allow you to rent these for reasonable prices, but if they don’t you might want to consider purchasing one to use - especially if you plan on living in the dorms for quite a few years. These come in very handy for late night snacks, cool drinks, and things like milk or water. If you do purchase one, you might want to make sure to get one with a small freezer. If you have a roommate, check to see if they’re bringing one so you don’t end up with two. Dorms are small, so you want to make sure to conserve space. By sharing a refrigerator with your roommate, you can make sure to do this. A microwave Most of the dorms have microwaves available somewhere in the building to use, but if not you might want to bring one. Microwaves are great if you want to cook up some popcorn, hot chocolate, or a small meal. You can always use them to heat up your leftover pizza! It’s especially handy to have around when you don’t want to each at the food service or when you’re sick and don’t want to leave your room. Make sure to check if your roommate will be bring one, as this is another way to share and conserve space. Cd Player and music Make sure to bring music and a CD player so you can listen to all your favorite songs. Many times you’ll get sad and lonely, and music is an excellent way to cheer yourself up. Headphones Roommates don’t want to hear your music, either does the rest of your floor. Make sure to bring headphones so you can listen to your music and not interrupt others. A small hand-held tape recorder Many of the students in my class purchase hand-held tape recorders to tape the class lectures so they can review for the test. This comes in very handy if you have trouble keeping up in lecture also. A Fan Totally agreeing with Elorraine, you definitely need a fan. At my university there was no air conditioning, and dorm rooms get hot and stuffy quite easily. The heat makes you irritable, grouchy, and uncomfortable. Buy a fan, you’ll need it. An alarm clock Make sure to bring a good alarm clock that you know works and will be sure to wake you up. You will be using this almost every single day to make sure to get to class on time. Laundry basket, detergent, dryer sheets Everyone always forgets they’ll have to do their own laundry once they leave home. Make sure to stock up on these supplies as you will definitely need them. ------------------------------------------------ What you might want to bring A small aquarium If you do not have a roommate, you might want to consider having a small aquarium. Usually dorms will allow this as long as the tank is 10 gallons or less. Fish are very pleasing and relaxing pets. When I was in college I had two aquariums, one 10 gallon tank with 2 newts, and one 2 galloon tank with a Betta fish. Having pets allowed me to be happier and more content. I do not recommend having any pets if you do have a roommate. The air bubblers on fish tanks are noisy, and if you have a 10 gallon tank you might add other features such as filtering systems that make the tank even noisier. The air bubblers give off a constant humming all the time, and if you have a filter that rests on the top of the tank - this will cause a constant water running sound. Your roommate does not appreciate any unnecessary noises in the room. Unless you ask them if they would mind first, do not get an aquarium for your room. If they agree that an aquarium is a good idea, then go ahead and get one. Make sure to tell them that it will be a bit noisy. TV & a VCR The first year I lived in the dorms I didn’t have a TV. This was the time I got the best grades. After that year, my parents gave me a TV for a Christmas present. It was very nice being able to watch my favorite shows & having movie night on the weekends, but it took away from my time studying. Usually if you have a roommate, a TV is unavoidable because they will probably bring one. If you live by yourself, perhaps you should wait to buy a TV. A computer I know that computers are expensive, but you will use it quite frequently depending on what your major is. If you are going into something like computer science, you will be using a computer on a regular basis. Other majors will need computers to write papers and to check online information for classes. The campus does have computer labs that you can use for free, but it can be difficult finding a computer to use as there are so many people wanting to use them. A computer is also nice to have so you can use e-mail and chat utilities to keep in touch with your family and old friends. I know that I couldn’t have gotten through college without my computer, as I live on it. =) ------------------------------------------------ What not to bring When I went to college the first time, I made this mistake of bringing many things I shouldn’t. I’m glad I’ll have the chance to let others know what not to bring. Dairies, journals, private items I made the mistake of thinking that if I left these items at home my parents would snoop through them. So I brought them all to college with me, big mistake. Roommates are the ones who snoop, not parents. I was stuck in this small dorm room, with this girl I didn’t really get along with or like, and here I had all my dairies and journals along with me. These items held my life history from grade school on up, including many of my deep dark secrets. I felt very uncomfortable having them in the room. My first trip home, back went all my private items to be safe and sound with mom and dad. Valuable possessions If you’re living in the dorms with a roommate, make sure to leave all your valuable possessions at home. One of my roommates never locked the door to our room. It was constantly unlocked, even when no one was in the room. She was also very, very social and frequently had people over - MANY people over. I did not know any of these people she invited over, they were all strangers to me. Our room was very small and she’d cram about 10 people in the room with her. They would be on my side, on her side, and on the floor. I couldn’t get to any of my things because her and her friends were always in the way. Finally I started carrying around all my money, credit cards, Drivers License, id cards, checkbook, and other valuables with me all the time. It was very frustrating and annoying. Make sure to leave all your valuables like rings, necklaces, etc at home until you get a roommate you can trust or live by yourself. Video game systems Unless you want to flunk out of school and risk your Nintendo/Playstation being stolen, leave it at home. Video games are very addictive and take away time from your studies. Plus, you’ll have people constantly over wanted to use and play your system. ------------------------------------------------ To conclude make sure that you don’t bring too many things. I over-packed every time I moved into the dorms, leaving my room very stuffy. Also make sure to contact your roommate before moving in to make sure you don’t end up with duplicate items. Most of all have fun and enjoy!

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