It's that time of year where colleges across America are getting ready to welcome a new class of undergraduate students. My 18 year old sister is getting ready to head off for her freshman year at a large state university, and because I live on the other side of the US and can't make it home to help her move, I thought I'd put together a "Getting Ready for College" package of sorts to ship to her on her first week...cocktail shakers, plastic glasses to take to the pool, flag with school's mascot on it, etc. Focus: What sort of stuff would you have appreciated getting just as you were entering college? I'm not really looking for sage advice or things of that nature, more actual items you would have liked to have that you wouldn't necessarily think of before heading off.
Post it notes - they are perfect for letting roommates know what mess is theirs in a non aggressive manner. Focus: Febreze Micro photon flashlight for a key chain Nice pens / writing materials Reusable EAR PLUGS Bear mace and adderall - situational
A decent amount of liquor (if she plans on partying). A lot of people don't move in with any, and being the kid with alcohol is a good way to make a few friends the first weekend. Also, depending on the school, a fake id. An iron/ironing board. I didn't bring one my freshman year, assuming that I could just bum one off someone else. The number of people on my floor who ironed their clothes was atrocious. Shower caddy. Wasn't going to bring one, but my mom threw one in my bag before I moved in. One of the most useful things I owned. Also, when you're given your student id, throw away that lanyard shit right away. It's a dead giveaway that you're a freshman.
Or she could learn an important life skill in confronting people on their crap immediately. You don't have to be a dick about it, but cmon, Post-Its on messes? What kind of passive aggressive bullshit is that? I would say small things to help cook so she doesn't have to rely on the cafeteria or take out for her meals. A George Foreman grill, a small rice cooker, microwave, slow cooker, toaster, that kind of thing. Ditto on the ironing board. Good lord, nobody irons anymore.
If you're staying in a dorm, quickly know who are and aren't the cool RAs and who is on duty on what night. If you figure this out you will save you and your friends a lot of hassle. Also, its fun to drink but don't let your room become known as the one where everyone drinks because I promise you the not cool RAs will begin to key into this, and pay much more attention to you. Aside from that, never trust cops. You may think if you're cool with them they'll be cool with you, but this is a big gamble to take, and its not like a speeding ticket where the repercussions are insignificant. If they are busting a party you're at, don't be the first to run, but go with a herd. If you are the first to run, you're easier to catch, if you go with the herd and scatter its much harder for them to approach and tag you. Had I known the last bit of advice I would have saved myself about a grand, as well as 3 months of alcohol classes. Aside from that, know that everyone is looking to hook up the first week of school. Because of this, meeting someone to mess around with is easier this week than at any other point in college (not that its really hard to hook up in college, but this is seriously fish in a barrel with a 12 gauge with buck shot). Take advantage of this.
Giving an industrial sized amount of toilet paper could help. Freshman year in the dorms some dildo would unroll every stalls tp into the toilet clogging it up or they'd be pissed on, not by me of coarse swwwuuuur it. Having a personal roll in the caddy helps. Later while sharing an apartment, TP, and procurement of, was way beyond our college aged minds. With different schedules and random people over TP always seemed to be a major problem. One day P&G had a product give away on campus and we wound up with a six month supply*. Nothing beats the peace of mind like having a closet stacked half full of Charmin Ultra Soft. *FWP: I only got two 24 packs instead of four because I couldn't throw a TP roll through a tire twenty feet away.
Thermos... that's right fuckers, you read that right, a good thermos can hold liquor at the perfect temperature outside of the fridge so roommate stealing is much less of an issue. And much more importantly transportation can become a non issue. Peanut Butter, all you need is bread and you have a drunk meal, also masks the scent of booze. Klean Kantten or another metal bottle for liquid transportation. Is it water? is it juice? Shit it can be scotch if she wants and people will be none the wiser. Double stamp.
I recommend any kind of organizational tool. Shoe organizers, shower caddy, closet inserts, drawer organizer, door hooks, stack-able drawers. And maybe put everything in a big Tupperware container for under her bed. This will mostly be helpful if her roommate is the type who likes to borrow stuff. If she has a place for everything, she'll know when something has been "borrowed." I also recommend a proper box of condoms. I understand that she is your sister, so this might be awkward. But the condoms they give out to college students are kind of shitty. It's just better that she has some quality condoms.
A fan that that fits in the window. Especially one that you can switch the direction of airflow. Pulls air in if you are hot. But most important, blows it out so you can smoke weed in the room and blow it out the window. Cause the guys are gonna be running train (according to lostalldoubt, not me).
YES. Toilet paper. And don't share with your room mate. Somehow, even if you replace every other roll, that bitch is going to buy 1 ply TP that feels like loose leaf paper on your asshole. To whichever retard above me said an ironing board....how long ago were you in college? It is a waste of space. Don't bother bringing that.
Mesh laundry bag. It wasn't in college, but I lived in a place without washer and dryer hookups. For my first trip to the laundromat I got my big laundry basket, detergent, and quarters. It was a hassle and really heavy. (I tended to do laundry when shit was piled up.) My arms were full and it was a little awkward. Anyway, I got a mesh laundry bag with a strap so I could throw it over my shoulder and go. Hands free...one to carry the detergent, the other to open the door, etc. It sounds like a no-brainer, but I didn't of it until I could've used it. Seems good for the dorms.
Currently? And they make small ass ones that you can set on a desk or something. Beats wrinkly shirts.
I didn't have one in the dorms but did in my apartments. Mostly became just another surface for more beer cans and trash. I wasn't wearing pressed shirts to class every day but I do like to not look like a slob when I go out on the weekends. So it did get used. Luckily I had dryers in each place I lived so I could use them if something needed de wrinkling. For dorms if you really think you'll use one, they have those small bed top ones that seem pretty space saving. Other wise, meh, you'll still get laid if your Lacoste shirt is creased from being on the floor for three weeks. It's college no one cared.
Hang your clothes up right afterwards to avoid wrinkles? My wardrobe was usually a tshirt and jeans. Girls have fancier looking tshirts, but they are tshirts nonetheless. What school did you go to? Maybe you wore starched shirts to class.
Psshh... Hang them up? You think we all had Adderall scripts and avoidance behavior ?!? Note: If she decides to get a Addy script, do not, I repeat, DO NOT tell anyone about them. My roommate was a dildo and would recommend asking me if someone was buying weed off him and wanted some adderall. People fiend hardcore for this shit and will not leave you alone. One of my other roommate's friends swiped a bottle when I left it out in my room. Shit got ridiculous and I ended up telling people I stopped getting it before actually quitting it myself. Though it is very helpful in studying if you have the right mind set and can make partying extra fun.
I recommend dye magnets. These are good so you can wash every garment at the same time and not have to worry about colors bleeding into the whites. Saves time and money instead of doing multiple loads. A decent bottle of scotch to keep in the underwear drawer.
A small set of screwdrivers and hex keys, a couple of shifter spanners, a hammer, a pen light and a small but reasonably sharp knife. Ideally in a set or a bag and obnoxiously colorful. You can get pink ones to keep guys from stealing them. Any group of young people living away from home will need that shit on a regular basis, and none of them will have it. Especially girls. She won't get it all when you give it to her, and two weeks into first semester - she'll tell you how she's the most popular person on her dorm floor because of it.
Agreed. Cafeteria shit is overpriced on most campuses, and constant takeout will not only hit your bankroll, but also your well being. I'd skip the rice cooker in favor of a nice stainless steel pot and a measuring cup (rice is a breeze), and add a nice non-stick pan. If she can't cook for shit, get her a couple cookbooks that emphasize cooking cheap and easy. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Outside-Pizza-Box-Recipes/dp/0764124951" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Outside-P ... 0764124951</a> This book was my little sister's go-to when she first headed to college. Everyone's gotta know how to cook a bit, and this will help things along. It's even got a good selection of vegetarian options if needed. The best part is that recipes don't take hours to make, which is a blessing when you've got piles of homework to deal with. Oh yeah, basic tools are nice to have too. Hammer, screwdriver, pliers, etc. Sometimes you gotta fix shit yourself.