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Going to college for the first time: What the hell do I bring?
I'm off to college this year. I'm going to be dorming, but I have NO IDEA what I should bring and what's provided by the university. I didn't get to go to a tour of the dorm so I don't know. (I'm going to Stony Brook, if it helps)
So, what do I HAVE to bring? What should I bring? What shouldn't I bring?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
The other two just about covered it, but I'd like to elaborate on Witty's advice about valuables.
LOCK. YOUR. DOOR.
HIDE. YOUR. SHIT.
I cannot stress that enough. This past semester, one of my roommates decided to be an idiot and not lock the door. Guess who had their lap tops stolen? Luckily I had mine with me, so my 85 gigs of music were safe, but those filthy douche bags are still short two shiny Macs. So, because you can't trust your roommates to do what one would assume is something completely obvious, you should always hide your valuables.
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I am a college student living in the dorms, so I'll just give you a list of what I brought:
Mattress cover: this is really important, because for example at my dorm the mattresses have dates on them, and mine has been there for ten years. That is at least ten people sleeping on that bed, so you can only imagine how gross that is, and in what shape the mattress is - I must have had some pretty heavy set girls sleeping on mine
Bedding: sheets, comforter, pillow and pillowcase, etc
Lamp: Some dorms have good lighting, so I would just get a desk lamp to be safe, and you can get a floor lamp if you feel you need it once you get there
Closet Hanging shelf: this is something I would have died without. Storage space is very limited
Cork board/white board/whatever you need to write notes on
Laundry Hamper: and a sturdy one at that
Speaking of laundry, QUARTERS! they are like gold! And whatever else you will need for doing laundry.
I would also get a shelf or a wrack (one of the wire ones for about 30-40 dollars) so you can store stuff on, such as book, food, shoes, etc.
And as the person below me said, bring something you can carry your shower stuff in. And preferably with drainage and made of plastic, not fabric (I got a fabric one and its getting moldy)
Stick on hooks for your walls because you can't put holes in the walls
Air freshener such as febreze, dorm get stinky sometimes
A couple of plates, bowls, and utensils, and lots of disposable ones as well
Garbage bags
A computer and printer for school
And a TV and whatever else for entertainment
Also bring lots of pictures from home so you can decorate with and you won't get as homesick.
And speaking of decorations, some good ideas are christmas lights, posters, strobe lights, blacklights, and whatever else you can think of
Towels
Plastic storage bins
And food, even if there is a cafeteria, sometimes you might still want to eat breakfast in your dorm, so stock up on cereal. Also cup o' noodles is your best friend. Speaking of which, getting a an electric tea kettle isn't a bad idea, as well as a water filter. Keeping some frozen food in the freezer isn't a bad idea either, I think the majority of dorms in the United States come with fridges and microwaves.
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It's a really bad idea to plan a dorm without having seen it first.
Comforter and a pillow or two are almost always a necessity. Sheets are usually not a bad idea either.
Clock/radio/alarm is pretty much a necessity. Get one that you will wake up to.
My dorm came with a mini fridge and microwave. Those two items are very, very important. If you decide to get a mini fridge, get one with a key. Hide the spare key somewhere in your collection of stuff.
You'll likely have limited closet space. Plan accordingly, especially if you're a girl.
Electronics are iffy. If your roomie brings over an unscrupulous new friend your ipod and other such items could dissappear. I brought a laptop, used it for everything, and took it with me everywhere I went in a backpack (literally, took it to work, class, on dates, everywhere).
Call their housing office to find out about dorms. I'd not be surprised if you could find floor plans online somewhere. Get with your mom, these are things you need to know.
Few other random ideas.
Bathroom stuff and a waterproof (preferably with drainage holes) bag to carry it in in case of communal showers/inconsiderate roomies who use your shampoo.
A Trunk. Harry Potter style giant lockable chest to store important shit in. Something that when loaded down will weigh enough to require help moving.
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