GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE

BACKPACK ESSENTIALS

By Polly Berent

You’ve been getting ready for college for a couple of years now. The hard parts – SAT’s, applications, essays, interviews, financial aid forms – are over. Finally your acceptance letter arrives! Suddenly you realize you really will be heading to campus in the fall. How will you know what all to take with you?

Don’t worry—you don’t have to figure all this out for yourself. Most colleges provide first-year students with a checklist of the kind of things you will need. It may also tell you to leave certain items, like pets and power tools, at home. These guides cover the basics.

After reviewing these suggestions, it is time to make up your own list. What are the personal items that you can’t live without? Combine the basic items with your personal ones to see how much stuff you have. Keep in mind that dorm rooms are small!

No matter how much time and attention you give to this project, it is still possible to overlook key items. Students we interviewed after they had completed their freshman year said they wished someone had told them to pack these following essentials.

HANGERS – Dorms don’t provide them, so bring lots of them—the plastic tubular kind, plain old wire or handy hangers that have side envelopes for holding shoes, purses, etc. These save valuable floor and drawer space.

FANS – Many dorms are not air-conditioned. If yours isn’t, a fan is a must. Fans are good because they cool things down. They also create a steady hum. This blocks out unwanted or unusual noises so you can study or sleep.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES – Your campus bookstore will be well-stocked with all kinds of notebooks, folders, paper, pens and desk supplies you’ll need. But they are also more expensive. Save money by stocking up on the basics at a discount or office-supply store before you leave.

BACKUPS – It’s also a good idea to take extra batteries, printer cartridges or any unique kind of computer cord or processor part. These can be a pain to chase down in a strange town, especially if you are on foot, it’s raining and the universe is not coming to greet you and your paper is due tomorrow.

CALENDARS – One of the big adjustments to college life is that there are a lot of things going on at one time. Everything seems so random. One student advised trying to get into a routine of classes and early study times to develop a schedule for each day. A large calendar for your room can help you keep track of when major assignments are due so you can block out the study time you will need. You can also use it to log in important events on campus, or even small ones like when you will do your laundry.
Keeping a small book-size calendar or Day Runner™ in your back pack will allow you to immediately write down the due dates for papers, lab reports, themes, quizzes and tests. Any paper system or electronic devise that helps you prioritize and manage your time and tasks is well worth the investment.

REAL-LIFE FILE – One freshman found she needed a place to keep her nonstudy stuff—financial aid forms, checks, allergy and contact lens prescriptions— together in one place. She got a large expandable envelope, which she called her real-life file.

Finally, here’s a real-life word of caution: In August, many discount and specialty stores provide their own list of things you should buy. Their aisles will be overflowing with items created just for college dorm life – all in attractive colors, too. Don’t get carried away. Stick with your own master list and make your own choices. Remember, packing for college is an art, not a science. It depends on judgment.