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Ugly Bastard · 07-22-2003, 12:20 PM

With a great deal of the members on this board getting ready to go off to college (many of you for the first time), you may or may not find a few tidbits of knowledge from someone who was in your shoes last year helpful.

***DISCLAIMER: As with all things in life, each person's personal experience varies, the items listed in this thread are listed based off of my personal experience. You may or may not find it best to heed all, some, any, or none of the "advice" herein. This is simply what I would do if I were you, that's all.

Alright, I grouped items that you need/don't need for college into a few categories to help ease your decision as to whether to bring some of these items to college or not.

You basically HAVE to take the following items to college:

Pillow
Blanket
Soap
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Laundry Detergent
Clothes
Towel(s)
Washcloths
Pens
Pencils
Winter Coat
Shoes

Things you don't necessarily need, but come very highly recommended from my end:

Computer
TV
DVDs
Printer
Printer Paper
Electric Razor (It's really convenient to have an electric rather than a manual razor.)
Laundry Basket
Carpet
Refrigerator
Microwave
Internet Router (So both you and your roommate can be online at the same time from the same room.)
Plastic Spoons
Plastic Forks
Plastic Knives
Paper Plates
Napkins
Scotch Tape
Scissors
Futon
Cologne
Plastic Basket (To carry your toiletries down to the bathroom in.)
Backpack
Calculator
Five-Subject Notebook
Stapler
Umbrella (I told my Mom I didn't want to take one, first day of classes it poured, really wished I had one.)
Phone
Cup (I bought one plastic cup at Wal-Mart for $.50, poured a few glasses of Brita into it everyday, lasted all year.)
Sandals (To wear in the shower. I GREATLY recommend you do not shower barefoot.)
Hairbrush
Hair Gel
Fingernail Clippers
Air Freshener
Kleenex
Advil (Or some sort of pain reliever.)
Cold Medicine
Bed Linens
Double-A Batteries (Something always comes up where you'll wish you had these.)
Hangers
Swimsuit (Most colleges have a pool, you'll never know when you may be in the mood for a swim.)
Alarm Clock
Stamps (Sorta like the umbrella, you may not think you'd really need it, but you'll be really glad if you do take it.)
Checkbook/Checks
Dictionary
Thesaurus
White-Out
Grab-It Clothes
Pledge
Suntan Lotion
Bug Spray
Shampoo
Extension Cords/Surge Protectors (These come extremely highly recommended.)
Fan
Phone Cards
Ruler
Quarters (For laundry. Again, highly recommended.)
Loft (This almost doubles the size of your room if you get a loft. Quite possibly the most recommended item on this whole page.)
Face Wash
Headphones (Odds are, no one wants to listen to your music other than you.)

Things that really could go either way, it's your call:

Hand Towels (Something to wipe sweat off with after a work-out or whatever.)
Sticky Stuff (To hang posters up with.)
Posters
Toaster Oven
Bicycle (I didn't take one last year, got along just fine; but nonetheless plan to take one this year.)
Pictures (Like, personal pictures of friends to show to others, set on your desk, etc.)
Post-It Notes
Tennis Racket
Bleach
Bounce
Dry Erase Board (To hang on your door so people can leave you messages.)
Camera
Film
Robe
Slippers
Folders
Stereo
CDs
Crayons
Markers (At least get a Black Sharpie.)
Blank CDs
Playing Cards
Board Games
Toilet Paper (Dorm toilet paper isn't too soft, just so you know.)
Car (Contrary to popular belief, you can get along perfectly fine without a car. If you've got one, bring it I guess; but don't go out and buy one just for college.)
A Bible
Leather Desk Chair (You are probably going to be provided with a desk chair, but it's value is parallel with that of firewood, so you may want a nicer one.)
Warsaw-based Phonebook (You never know when you'll need to call someone from the old village of yore.)
White Christmas Lights (My roommate, tonguegina, and I plan to light our room with White Christmas Lights stranded about, rather than the gay flourescent lights they provide.)

Things not to bring to college:

Candles
Incense
Drugs (Unless that's your thing.)
Alcohol (Again, if you're willing to risk being expelled all for a buzz, then go right ahead I guess.)
Weapons
Fireworks
Pets (You probably can have a fish...I had one.)
Waterbed
Expensive Jewelry

Foods that you may find easy to take/prepare/eat at college:

Cereal
Milk (When you get to the town you'll be living in, make a run to a grocery store to get products which need to be refrigerated.)
Yogurt
Granola Bars
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Bread
Oatmeal
Easy Mac
White Rice

___________________

General Tips:

As a general rule, if you thinking that maybe you shouldn't take a certain item, don't take it. It's real easy to take a ton of stuff, and get to college realizing you hardly need any of it. Also, if you do come to find out that you need a certain item you left home, it's not like you won't be back home in a few weekends (namely Labor Day) to retrieve the item.
Only take clothes you are going to wear, and be honest with yourself...just because a shirt has an emotional attachment, doesn't mean you should bring it unless you plan on wearing it.
The truth is, no matter how much you'd like to avoid it, you're going to argue with your roommate(s) at one time or another. That being said, if your roommate is being really crappy over something really small, a wise man would not stoop to his level and argue with him about it, if your roommate is arguing that feverishly over something small, then just let him have his way, and only argue over the stuff that really means something to you. By doing this, when you do take a stand for something, it will seem more meaningful due to the fact that you rarely whine about stuff. Luckily for me, my roommate and I rarely had conflict, but not all of us will be so fortunate.
When you pack your vehicle on move-in day, pack it in a way that you will have easy access to the items you wish to put in the room first (carpet, TV, loft, etc.)
It is really easy to gain a lot of weight on college. That said, it's not a horrible idea to monitor that type of stuff. I had a lot of friends that gained like 20 pounds at college last year, and at the end of the year, they were all wishing they had taken a bit better care of themselves through-out the year.
Something to tuck in the back of your mind: During the winter when it's real sludgy and nasty out, it's a good idea to take off your shoes and leave them right outside your door in the hallway so your carpet doesn't turn to butt.
This will differ with each person, but I found that when I woke up in the morning, I didn't leave myself more than 15 minutes to get to class. This means, taking showers at night isn't a horrible idea, and getting a meal plan that doesn't entail you to getting breakfast every morning isn't a bad idea either. You'll probably end up preferring sleeping in an hour, rather than waking up, eating breakfast, and showering.
As far as buying textbooks go, ask yourself a few questions. Firstly, if you are the type of person who is going to have a 4.0 and study all the time, then just buy all of your textbooks. But if you are like me where you take the 3.0, and rarely study, you may want to consider attending your classes before you buy your textbooks just to see if you really need them all. First semester, I just bought all my textbooks, and paid around $250. Second semester, I went to my classes first to see what books I would actually need/use, and I ended up only paying about $95 for my books. Something to think about.
I'd recommend skipping class as little as possible. I had a friend last year who literally only went to his class if he had a test that day. He claimed that if he read his textbook, he didn't need to go to class. The young man was kicked out of Ball State with a 0.7 GPA, and is trying to get into Ivy Tech for this coming fall, but doesn't know if he'll be able to.
Don't be a pain in the kondor and use all of your roommate's stuff. Sure, he may say that he doesn't care if you use his computer, or wear his shirt, but the bottom line is; he's just being polite, he really doesn't want you using his get-up.
Your room can get pretty nasty smelling if you are constantly spraying perfume-junk and air freshener in it (this one is mostly for girls). I've found that the best air freshener you can get is by opening your window and letting some air blow through. Works like a charm.
Have a little mini-conference with your roommate sometime near the beginning of the year. Just fish out all the little details so you are both on the same plain as to what etiquette will be in your dorm, and other things along those lines. Don't get mad at each other during this little talk, or you'll be living in hell all year long. Just be open minded, and listen to what the other person has to say.
Have a good time. They say college is some of the best years of your life, and for me, that principle has held true so far.

-Ugly Bastard

[ July 29, 2003, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: Ugly Bastard ]

07-22-2003, 12:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ugly Bastard Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 13,643 Internets: 247330	With a great deal of the members on this board getting ready to go off to college (many of you for the first time), you may or may not find a few tidbits of knowledge from someone who was in your shoes last year helpful. **DISCLAIMER: As with all things in life, each person's personal* experience varies, the items listed in this thread are listed based off of my personal experience. You may or may not find it best to heed all, some, any, or none of the "advice" herein. This is simply what I would do if I were you, that's all. Alright, I grouped items that you need/don't need for college into a few categories to help ease your decision as to whether to bring some of these items to college or not. You basically HAVE to take the following items to college: Pillow Blanket Soap Deodorant Toothbrush Toothpaste Laundry Detergent Clothes Towel(s) Washcloths Pens Pencils Winter Coat Shoes Things you don't necessarily need, but come very highly recommended from my end: Computer TV DVDs Printer Printer Paper Electric Razor (It's really* convenient to have an electric rather than a manual razor.) Laundry Basket Carpet Refrigerator Microwave Internet Router (So both you and your roommate can be online at the same time from the same room.) Plastic Spoons Plastic Forks Plastic Knives Paper Plates Napkins Scotch Tape Scissors Futon Cologne Plastic Basket (To carry your toiletries down to the bathroom in.) Backpack Calculator Five-Subject Notebook Stapler Umbrella (I told my Mom I didn't want to take one, first day of classes it poured, really wished I had one.) Phone Cup (I bought one plastic cup at Wal-Mart for $.50, poured a few glasses of Brita into it everyday, lasted all year.) Sandals (To wear in the shower. I GREATLY recommend you do not shower barefoot.) Hairbrush Hair Gel Fingernail Clippers Air Freshener Kleenex Advil (Or some sort of pain reliever.) Cold Medicine Bed Linens Double-A Batteries (Something always comes up where you'll wish you had these.) Hangers Swimsuit (Most colleges have a pool, you'll never know when you may be in the mood for a swim.) Alarm Clock Stamps (Sorta like the umbrella, you may not think you'd really need it, but you'll be really glad if you do take it.) Checkbook/Checks Dictionary Thesaurus White-Out Grab-It Clothes Pledge Suntan Lotion Bug Spray Shampoo Extension Cords/Surge Protectors (These come extremely highly recommended.) Fan Phone Cards Ruler Quarters (For laundry. Again, highly recommended.) Loft (This almost doubles the size of your room if you get a loft. Quite possibly the most recommended item on this whole page.) Face Wash Headphones (Odds are, no one wants to listen to your music other than you.)* Things that really could go either way, it's your call: Hand Towels (Something to wipe sweat off with after a work-out or whatever.) Sticky Stuff (To hang posters up with.) Posters Toaster Oven Bicycle (I didn't take one last year, got along just fine; but nonetheless plan to take one this year.) Pictures (Like, personal pictures of friends to show to others, set on your desk, etc.) Post-It Notes Tennis Racket Bleach Bounce Dry Erase Board (To hang on your door so people can leave you messages.) Camera Film Robe Slippers Folders Stereo CDs Crayons Markers (At least get a Black Sharpie.) Blank CDs Playing Cards Board Games Toilet Paper (Dorm toilet paper isn't too soft, just so you know.) Car (Contrary to popular belief, you can get along perfectly fine without a car. If you've got one, bring it I guess; but don't go out and buy one just for college.) A Bible Leather Desk Chair (You are probably going to be provided with a desk chair, but it's value is parallel with that of firewood, so you may want a nicer one.) Warsaw-based Phonebook (You never know when you'll need to call someone from the old village of yore.) White Christmas Lights (My roommate, tonguegina, and I plan to light our room with White Christmas Lights stranded about, rather than the gay flourescent lights they provide.) Things not to bring to college: Candles Incense Drugs (Unless that's your thing.) Alcohol (Again, if you're willing to risk being expelled all for a buzz, then go right ahead I guess.) Weapons Fireworks Pets (You probably can have a fish...I had one.) Waterbed Expensive Jewelry Foods that you may find easy to take/prepare/eat at college: Cereal Milk (When you get to the town you'll be living in, make a run to a grocery store to get products which need to be refrigerated.) Yogurt Granola Bars Peanut Butter Jelly Bread Oatmeal Easy Mac White Rice ___________________ General Tips: </font> As a general rule, if you thinking that maybe you shouldn't take a certain item, don't take it. It's real easy to take a ton of stuff, and get to college realizing you hardly need any of it. Also, if you do come to find out that you need a certain item you left home, it's not like you won't be back home in a few weekends (namely Labor Day) to retrieve the item.</font> Only take clothes you are going to wear, and be honest with yourself...just because a shirt has an emotional attachment, doesn't mean you should bring it unless you plan on wearing it.</font> The truth is, no matter how much you'd like to avoid it, you're going to argue with your roommate(s) at one time or another. That being said, if your roommate is being really crappy over something really small, a wise man would not stoop to his level and argue with him about it, if your roommate is arguing that feverishly over something small, then just let him have his way, and only argue over the stuff that really means something to you. By doing this, when you do take a stand for something, it will seem more meaningful due to the fact that you rarely whine about stuff. Luckily for me, my roommate and I rarely had conflict, but not all of us will be so fortunate.</font> When you pack your vehicle on move-in day, pack it in a way that you will have easy access to the items you wish to put in the room first (carpet, TV, loft, etc.)</font> It is really easy to gain a lot of weight on college. That said, it's not a horrible idea to monitor that type of stuff. I had a lot of friends that gained like 20 pounds at college last year, and at the end of the year, they were all wishing they had taken a bit better care of themselves through-out the year.</font> Something to tuck in the back of your mind: During the winter when it's real sludgy and nasty out, it's a good idea to take off your shoes and leave them right outside your door in the hallway so your carpet doesn't turn to butt.</font> This will differ with each person, but I found that when I woke up in the morning, I didn't leave myself more than 15 minutes to get to class. This means, taking showers at night isn't a horrible idea, and getting a meal plan that doesn't entail you to getting breakfast every morning isn't a bad idea either. You'll probably end up preferring sleeping in an hour, rather than waking up, eating breakfast, and showering.</font> As far as buying textbooks go, ask yourself a few questions. Firstly, if you are the type of person who is going to have a 4.0 and study all the time, then just buy all of your textbooks. But if you are like me where you take the 3.0, and rarely study, you may want to consider attending your classes before you buy your textbooks just to see if you really need them all. First semester, I just bought all my textbooks, and paid around $250. Second semester, I went to my classes first to see what books I would actually need/use, and I ended up only paying about $95 for my books. Something to think about.</font> I'd recommend skipping class as little as possible. I had a friend last year who literally only went to his class if he had a test that day. He claimed that if he read his textbook, he didn't need to go to class. The young man was kicked out of Ball State with a 0.7 GPA, and is trying to get into Ivy Tech for this coming fall, but doesn't know if he'll be able to.</font> Don't be a pain in the kondor and use all of your roommate's stuff. Sure, he may say that he doesn't care if you use his computer, or wear his shirt, but the bottom line is; he's just being polite, he really doesn't want you using his get-up.</font> Your room can get pretty nasty smelling if you are constantly spraying perfume-junk and air freshener in it (this one is mostly for girls). I've found that the best air freshener you can get is by opening your window and letting some air blow through. Works like a charm.</font> Have a little mini-conference with your roommate sometime near the beginning of the year. Just fish out all the little details so you are both on the same plain as to what etiquette will be in your dorm, and other things along those lines. Don't get mad at each other during this little talk, or you'll be living in hell all year long. Just be open minded, and listen to what the other person has to say.</font> Have a good time. They say college is some of the best years of your life, and for me, that principle has held true so far.</font> -Ugly Bastard [ July 29, 2003, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: Ugly Bastard ]