trestle Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Okay Guys- try not to get too naughty but what top ten things would you pack off to college with your kid? (BTW- we already made a trip to Planned Parenthood) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 It's been a while since my college days but I'd send a typewriter. I had one of those new-fangled electric ones when I went and it helped speed the process of typing papers.And money. Not lots of money, but a monthly stipend for beer and pizza. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trestle Posted July 21, 2007 Author Share Posted July 21, 2007 It's been a while since my college days but I'd send a typewriter. I had one of those new-fangled electric ones when I went and it helped speed the process of typing papers.And money. Not lots of money, but a monthly stipend for beer and pizza. Thanks Lammycat, but she's gonna have to settle for the MacBook her dad got her. What I should have asked, besides the basics, is what you found in your experience as either a student or parent came in handy during the first semester or so away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Really comfy, great-looking shoes. Because you wanna look swell but if you're going to be hoofing it around campus, you've got to be kind to your tootsies as well.Also, a nice mattress topper/pad. Considering a lot of students don't get enough sleep, the sleep they do manage to pull off should be the maximum comfort kind so they've got a better chance at staying wake during the duller lectures. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trestle Posted July 21, 2007 Author Share Posted July 21, 2007 Really comfy, great-looking shoes. Because you wanna look swell but if your going to be hoofing it around campus, you've got to be kind to your tootsies as well.Also, a nice mattress topper/pad. Considering a lot of students don't get enough sleep, the sleep they do manage to pull off should be the maximum comfort kind so they've got a better chance at staying wake during the duller lectures. Great idea, the mattress topper- cause those beds have got to have some cooties......and I hadn't thought of the shoe issue but I'll mention it to her. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Bunches of live Dead shows! (analog tapes are retro-cool). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reni Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 a carton of cigarettes, mountain dew and comfy slippers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trestle Posted July 21, 2007 Author Share Posted July 21, 2007 a carton of cigarettes, mountain dew and comfy slippers wait- that sounds like the list for me after she leaves- but i prefer a nice bottle of red. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 An area rug! I was so jealous of the kids who thought to bring one to cover up that icy cold, ugly laminate floor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 bong Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trestle Posted July 21, 2007 Author Share Posted July 21, 2007 An area rug! I was so jealous of the kids who thought to bring one to cover up that icy cold, ugly laminate floor. on it....also a compact vacuum for cleaning it- am I kidding myself here? bong We're are waiting to pick one of those up at the student bookstore- Go Hokies! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trestle Posted July 21, 2007 Author Share Posted July 21, 2007 Mace! You know- I hadn't thought of that but maybe one of those keychain models? Never had anything like that myself. If anyone out there who has had it can offer any opinion I'd appreciate it. Ugh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reni Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 I never did the dorms - but I think the area rug idea is a good one. Just get one that can be folded up and shaken out or something......then ya don't need a vacuum - though you could always get one of those lil cheapy dirt devil vacs....... oh yeah - flip flops for the shower and a shower caddy - I remember all my friends having those when they lived in the dorms. I was a young single mom in family housing when I went to college - so, I had a totally different experience Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stooka Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 shoes are good, but depending on the campus - a bicycle. first-aid kitcompact sewing kitflashlightif she's new to the town - a map Geesh......I sound like a friggin' boy scout Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WilcoOfTheDay Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 rolls of quarters for laundry and vending machines. and i agree totally with the mattress topper and vacuum ideas. and a stock up of traveler bottles of liquor for easy hiding. a printer for the computer if you don't already have one. cheap food that will last for late night munchies. a small coffee pot - she'll like it eventually if she doesn't know. or lots of energy drinks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alison the wilca Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 my dorm in college had decent carpet, so a rug might not be necessary depending on the dorm. i always had a string of white christmas lights around my room because the overhead lights in the room might be too harsh. it just made it more homey. i had a pocket pepper spray... couldn't hurt but they can be bulky so i never really had it handy. i wish that i had had a nalgene bottle in college to carry water around in. there are backpacks that have spots for the bottle to fit in, which is cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tapmyglass Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 on it....also a compact vacuum for cleaning it- am I kidding myself here? I did not have a vacuum, but my friend did and I remember using it quite a lot during my first year. I found my little dorm very dirty often and it was nice to be able to keep it some what clean. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jdmel Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 last year i went with this nightstand that attatches to the side of an elevated bunk thinking it was the greatest invention and that i would use it constantly... not the case.If were going out of what got the most use, I'd say probably go for a bong... its a good investment. -real tip for buying books though, go to froogle, search the book, and buy an affordable edition, as much doesnt usually change from year to year (i've gotten straight As using this) - the page numbers are just a little different sometimes but its easy enough to figure out.bikes good.... and cd mailers to keep in touch w/ mixes w/ friends i really cant stress the importance of that bong... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trestle Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share Posted July 22, 2007 Thanks to everyone taking the time to add to list- these really are some great suggestions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 when i went to college, my mom found some place that sold individual packets of laundry detergent...there was a huge box of them that she picked up in bulk that lasted me my entire time in the dorms. but anyways, it was a lot easier walking down the 5 flights of stairs to the laundry room with just a little packet for my load rather than a huge container (wish i could remember where she picked them up at) rugs are a must too, esp in the winter (i bought one off a guy who had lived in the residence hall before me. but he had cut a huge sheet so that it went from wall to wall and even was cut out so it would fit under the desks. pretty aweseome) man, now im wishing i was going to college rather than having just graduated Quote Link to post Share on other sites
W(TF) Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Two words, Chastity Belt. Oh... YOUR daughter. Sorry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 You mentioned Hokies so I'll assume he/she's going to Virgina Tech. I went to Roanoke up the road and I'll assume it still gets unbearably hot in the late spring/summer, so: an air conditioner would be great. Though the kids these days probably have air conditioning in the dorms, eh? And she/he probably won't be forced to attend summer school because of their shitty grades the first coupla years. And their knickers probably aren't made out of wool anymore. I bet they've got them new non-wool knickers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Three dollars and 63 cents Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Chances are her bed might have an extra long mattress, since many dorms do, so you want to double check that before you buy any of her bedding. If she'll be living in a dorm that has a community bathroom rather than suite-style rooms, make sure to get her a shower caddy to carry everything back and forth, as well as a pair of flip flops for the shower! Community bathrooms can be gross, especially on the weekends when the cleaning staff is off. I used a drying rack a lot after I did laundry, since the dryers in my dorms were never great. It also might be a good idea to buy her a few common medications--Tylenol, whatever kind of cold medicine she usually takes, and a multivitamin--since those can be expensive. Even if she doesn't take vitamins now, you might encourage her to start, because germs spread pretty easily around dorms, and the stress and lack of sleep that can come at busy times of the semester can weaken a student's immune system. I teach at a college, and by mid-semester, it seems like everybody is sick. The best thing my mom gave me when I was going off to college was a notebook filled with "how to" kind of information, so I didn't have to call home every time I had a question about something. It was helpful, but she also dropped all kinds of funny things into it, too, so it made me laugh when I was feeling homesick. I actually still have it, after four years of college and six of grad school! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wilcogirl Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 A journal! I still have about 20 journals from my college years. I still find myself wading through them occasionally and getting nostalgic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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