College Preparation: Did I miss anything?

[Aethian]

One thing I learned was plan out your day and let people know when your going to be studying and making notes. That way near exam time your not stressing because you already have your notes ready.

Also, MAKE A BUDGET that was a big life saver to me when it was a few days till payday and I still had money left. And remember most loads of laundry are good at the lowest line on the cap. Softner sheets can be streched out by cutting in half. The best time to do laundry is mid day if you don't have class. And stay down their with your laundry with a book to read with a timer so you can watch your stuff.

OOO Another good thing is one of those white boards you can put on your door. Use one color for you and one for the roomie unless you each plan on having one. That way you can say if your In or not.

[AdminAssistant]

: I don't know how dorms work, especially your dorm, but I would look into the microwave, and possibly a mini fridge and a crock pot if you have space and they are allowed.

No dorm I've ever heard of allowed anything but microwaves. On the other hand, there's no exposed cooking element on a crock-pot, so maybe. Still, I'd say if you're already paying for it, let the caf do the cooking for you. I under-utilized that stuff my first round through college, and I know now how much more money I would've had if I'd just ate at the caf more.

[JoitheArtist]

A small tool kit. Hammer, flat and phillips head screwdrivers, pair of pliers, a few nails and some assorted screws. That way if anything needs to be fixed or tightened you have it all right there.

Agreed. Make sure your toolkit also has needle-nose pliers. Most useful tool EVER.

[gremcint]

You can get a minifridge that locks, I have one, I got it on sale at futureshop.

Password your computer and wireless.

Amazon save me 100 dollars one semester on books. Printer paper is cheaper by the case and doesn't go bad.

Batteries are always good to have. I found getting a small brush and dustpan useful and you can get them at the dollar store. If you have access to a vehicle then go a week with what you have and everytime you think of something write it down and then go shopping on the weekend.

[Boggles]

Padlocks.

When I went to uni all the rooms had a cupboard with a hasp fitted so you could put a padlock on for securing stuff. Don't know if there'll be anything like that but it could be worth bearing in mind.

[taxguykarl]

And, as Lupo can tell you, keep your receipt until after the first day of class. Professors sometimes change books last minute.

Not only that, sometimes the instructor will use so little of the textbook that photocopying those chapters will be cost-effective. More often than not the copies in the campus libraries cost less than a certain copy shop chain. After my first semister, I learned not to buy the book 'til after I received a course syllabus. One exception: Find out which instructors are Kingsfield wanabees (every department seems to have one)--you will want to read the first couple chapters then. Those are ones who deviate from the unwritten rule: The first day of class is ground rules and a lecture.

Depending on the size of your campus a couple good pairs of walking shoes--I went through one of two pairs per semister.

Also a subscription to the campus newspaper--if your institution offers proficiency tests, that's the first place to check for announcements (not to boast, but I tested out a semister that way). You will be pleasantly surprised how easy some of them are--you may have already covered the material in HS.

Buy a day planner if you haven't already.

I agree with the other poster who suggest a way to secure your things. My wife had the problem of a pilfering roommate. My old gf's campus residence was burglarized.

[AdminAssistant]

Not only that, sometimes the instructor will use so little of the textbook that photocopying those chapters will be cost-effective. More often than not the copies in the campus libraries cost less than a certain copy shop chain. After my first semister, I learned not to buy the book 'til after I received a course syllabus.

The one problem with that plan is that, at least at my current college, the bookstores sell out of gen ed titles quickly. There are...4 or 5 bookstores (this is a fairly large campus, lots of students) and none of them ever order enough books. I'd go ahead, get the books, then return ones you don't need. Just in case.

[taxguykarl]

The one problem with that plan is that, at least at my current college, the bookstores sell out of gen ed titles quickly. There are...4 or 5 bookstores (this is a fairly large campus, lots of students) and none of them ever order enough books. I'd go ahead, get the books, then return ones you don't need. Just in case.

That can work if most of the book is used. I had mostly sciences and there were plenty of them in my college days.

[Broomjockey]

I'd like to second the small fan part. Dorms can get stuffy, especially ones with electric heaters. So in the dead of winter, you're not going to want to open a window and lose your heat. A small fan on low can circulate the air nicely.

[thegiraffe]

If it's a communal bathroom (i.e. down the hall), you may not need cleaning supplies. I lived in a dorm like that my first two years, and the college provided housekeeping service for common areas. If you're in a suite where the bathroom is only used by the people in that suite or whatever, you'll have to clean it. We also had a central vacuum system, so you may want to check on that.

As far as fridge/microwave (almost ALL dorms allow those), coordinate with your roommate. Have you seen the dorm? Make sure everything will fit!

I tend to have a lot going on, so I got a dry-erase calendar with some white sticky-tac (your best friend) to stick it on my wall. I color-coded notebooks and markers for every class and wrote down all assignments due, then had a separate dry erase board for my to-do list next to it. REALLY kept me in-shape. Do you have a laptop? You may want to invest in a locking cord. Most colleges also have wireless all around campus - make sure it's wireless compatible (again, if you have a laptop). Also make sure you have a CAT-5 (ethernet) cord.

Check with your profs on Microsoft Works also. Sometimes you have to submit assignments via email, and most want it in Microsoft Office (word/powerpoint/etc) form. Many also post notes/outlines/powerpoints online, and you want to make sure you can open it. You can get Microsoft Student for like 100 bucks through the college usually. It'll save you MANY headaches.

Meal plan? You gotta eat, and I guarantee that you won't want to cook a lot. It's much easier to be able to grab stuff and go.

FLASHLIGHT! It seems dumb, but the power goes out sometimes, and it can be crazy dark in the hallways.

Umbrella for treks across campus during a storm? I went to college in Tampa where it rains every afternoon, but something to think about.

I lived on campus all 4 (well, 3.5) years in a variety of situations, so I've become a bit of a pro.

[Broomjockey]

As far as fridge/microwave (almost ALL dorms allow those), coordinate with your roommate.

I'd double-check that. Mine didn't allow mini-fridge, supposedly because of the electrical load, but that was BS. Theoretically, the dorm should sent you a list of contraband. If they haven't, call them and ask if they can. There's sometimes really random items on there.

[McGoddess09]

Microwaves and fridges are already provided Plus, my dorm hall and one other have a kitchens on every floor.

As for a vaccum, I'll wait til I get there to see if I need one.

I am bringing dusting stuff and disinfectant wipes. I can't stand dust!

I have a whiteboard calender, a purse planner, and a binder planner my grandpa gave me, plus the free planner they give us at the textbook center.

As for books, the school will allow us to rent books, which will be much cheaper in the long run.

And I talked to my roommate about sleeping schedules and we are on the same one! She says she's in bed around 10, same as me (usually). She told me about her last roommate who would wake her at 2 am, working on things to join a sorority.

Headphones for my laptop, I have. That's how I watch my movies anyway.

I also have a mini leatherman tool that I never leave anywhere without.

[thegiraffe]

I think you're set!

OH!!! Super-important!

Check to see if the mattresses are regular twin or twin-XL. I had regular twin beds my first 2 years, and T-XLs my last year and a half. It's a gigantic pain to fit regular twin sheets on T-XLs, and vice-versa, they don't stay on. I also recommend a REAL mattress pad (the ones down here are literally a piece of felt with diagonal elastics on them - they're really cruddy) and an egg-crate pad. Our mattresses were SO hard...the egg-crate pad made them comfortable.

On the side of luxury, I like lap desks. It keeps the computer off my lap (mine gets warm!), and I have issues with desks. I much prefer to do work on the couch or bed. Just a personal thing, but a thought nonetheless.

[AdminAssistant]

Check with your profs on Microsoft Works also. Sometimes you have to submit assignments via email, and most want it in Microsoft Office (word/powerpoint/etc) form. Many also post notes/outlines/powerpoints online, and you want to make sure you can open it. You can get Microsoft Student for like 100 bucks through the college usually. It'll save you MANY headaches.

Yes, yes, and YES. I let students e-mail assignments to me if they want me to give them a looksee before handing it in. I can't tell you the times I haven't been able to open a file because it was Works, WordPerfect, or some random open-source thing that my computer wouldn't open. Besides, if you do your printing at the library, chances are the computers there are a) all PC's and b) have Word. And you may even be able to check out the software for free, depending on the deal that your university has made with Microsoft.

I also recommend a REAL mattress pad (the ones down here are literally a piece of felt with diagonal elastics on them - they're really cruddy) and an egg-crate pad. Our mattresses were SO hard...the egg-crate pad made them comfortable.

Depending on when your dorm chooses to turn on the heat, an electric blanket's not a bad investment, either. Most won't allow space heaters due to the exposed heat elements.

[Darkwolf]

I second Irv on the cheap sandals/flip flops for the bathroom. You really don't want to know what is growing on that floor