Tips on what to buy for college living

PseudoMoxio

PseudoMoxio

CAGiversary!
Long story short, I'll be going off to college in about a month, out of state (as in, thousands of miles away). I've already gotten the bare essentials like bedsheets, blankets, clock, etc. and I'll be picking up some stuff when I get to college like a lamp and school supplies.

What I'm asking for is if anyone has any recommendations (personal or general, hopefully both :p ) on what else I should get? I've heard about things like duct tape and wallhooks being useful, but I'd like to hear from some of the intelligent college CAGs. :)

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on how to cheaply ship things to college? I imagine the stuff will be several pounds and I'm looking to save some $; I got a quote from UPS for ~50 lbs to college, and she said $75. :/

Thanks for the help.
 
Condoms, Keystone Light (or Beast or Natty, whatever floats your boat), Duct Tape, Screwdrivers (flathead & philips), Blocks to raise your bed, Some basic cleaning supplies (lysol, dish soap, paper towels), Cold Medicine, Asprin, sticky tac (or equilivent)
 
Are you in a dorm, apartment or house?

If your in a dorm and don't have a car make sure you get all the food and cleaning stuff you will need for a little while so you don't have to walk and get it. Find out what the policy is about stuff on the wall, some places forbid nails while other say no to wall glue, from that you should be able to find out what you can bring. You might also need a small refrigerator, plastic cases/boxes, white board, surge protector, and make sure you have all the electric stuff you need (USB cables, Ethernet cables, etc) because most college campus charge high prices for such items.

Also shot glasses, SOLO cups and ping pong balls
 
If you can, I would recommend driving over having your stuff shipped to school. The shipping cost is going to kill you. In some respect you might be better off buying new stuff once you get there. An alternative would be to buy your stuff on the internet, such as amazon (free shipping) and have them ship the orders to your college. Also, buy all your school supplies before you head down to school as the on campus stores will rip you off big time.
 
Eat food. Not ramen and mac n cheese. I laughed my ass off in the grocery store last week when two girls and their parents were going up and down the aisles buying salt blocks and goop, but no real food. Mmm... sicky.
 
Depending upon where you're going you may not need to ship things. Remember, if you have stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens & Things near you and near the school you're going to, ask them if they can set you up with placing a college order at the other store. You may be running a bit late for them to do it easily, so try and go down to one sometime this week and see if they will do it for you.

Why is this useful? It means that you save a boatload of money on shipping large, annoying items such as bedding, dorm supplies, and other brik-a-brak since all you have to do is go to the store out there with receipt-in-hand and pick up. I've done it a few times and it is a ~lifesaver~.

I also second VA's suggestion to "eat food." Just because you're on your own doesn't mean you can't fend for yourself. Personally, I had these to start off with and it should give you enough options when it comes to making some basic food...

* Stockpot
* Saucepan [just in case]
* Saute Pan
* Cookie Sheet / Baking Sheet
* Collander / Strainer
* Cutting Board
* Chef's Knife

Very rudimentary stuff (and open to plenty of criticism) but you can get a lot out of those tools. Pasta and rice should be a snap (and far better than ramen), and if you have a kitchen nearby in a dorm or apartment you can easily cook most meat, fish, or fowl. You don't have to do anything fancy but you can get a lot of mileage out of this sort of stuff. Also, check online for various, simple recipes or go bum around friends and family for easy stuff. You can supplement the list however you want later on. If it's too much for you, you could buy one of those rudimentary kits at, say, Target and elsewhere, but make sure you're getting what you're paying for.

Otherwise, I found that having my own microwave to be immensely useful, especially since most college students treat dorm microwaves and kitchens like shit. I also loved having my own mini-fridge and actual mini-freezer, but I loved to cook. $100 for something I can fill with meat and live off of for at least two months without resorting to buying food on campus? Heavenly. But that's not for everyone. ;)

I'd give more suggestions but I'm a bit of an odd duck. I pretty much have 3x the amount of stuff people tend to put in their own rooms and yet everything looks normal. You don't need all the crap I have so I'm not going to suggest. I do recommend, however, to keep garbage bags, plastic wrap, sandwich bags, and napkins/paper towels around though. Maybe even toilet paper. This is just a worst-case scenario sort of thing, because I've had situations where Housing just didn't bother to clean up the kitchen, bathroom, or anything else for weeks on end. I'd rather have those essentials than be like my friends who...well, tried to do without. Didn't end well...did not end well at all...
 
Hangers. Posters, primarily because my dorm walls featured some of the most depressing colors I've ever seen. Headphones. If you don't have a good pair of headphones, get some. No one wants to hear your brand of music (this will be true for at least one person on your floor).
 
Last year was my freshmen year at ASU and I always found I was losing my toothbrush....stock up on that and toilet paper. Trust me on the toilet paper bit...
 
A tip about personal items, the less the better. I brought way to much stuff with me when i first came to college and now every time I fly home I usually have a suitcase full of stuff that I am bringing back because it is just clutter. So less is more.
 
[quote name='ph33r m3']Last year was my freshmen year at ASU and I always found I was losing my toothbrush....stock up on that and toilet paper. Trust me on the toilet paper bit...[/quote]

Toilet paper is ~power~. If ever there is a situation where toilet paper becomes an absolute necessity, whoever has some becomes King for at least a solid month.

It's also an excellent way to avoid confrontations, although that is a story for another day... ;)
 
[quote name='lordwow']Well if his school is thousands of miles away, shipping will be far cheaper than gas.[/quote]

Not if you factor in the fact he wouldn't be flying. Use the plane ticket money for gas.
 
[quote name='VioletArrows']Eat food. Not ramen and mac n cheese. I laughed my ass off in the grocery store last week when two girls and their parents were going up and down the aisles buying salt blocks and goop, but no real food. Mmm... sicky.[/quote]

Wait, you're telling me condiments don't have nutritional value? ;)
 
Like somebody else already suggested, the George Foreman grill. Burgers/steaks/etc made in a few minutes and it knocks out the fat! If you don't feel like sharing, a mini-fridge might be in order but this all depends on how much living space you might actually get. Hell, if you have a meal plan you won't have to worry much if at all about cooking.
 
I made the journey from Arizona to Georgia for college three years ago. I shipped my PC over, with the video card and RAM removed and placed in my luggage. The rest of my shit was spread out over 7 suitcases.

Needless to say, I brought ENTIRELY too much shit. I promise you, you will use about 30% of the stuff you take with you to college. The rest will take up a ton of space and collect dust. Pack ONLY the essentials. Write a list of things you use daily when you go through your day. Don't use your turntables daily or even weekly? Don't take 'em! Have some spare PC parts laying around that you want to take with you to build another rig? FORGET IT YOU DON'T NEED IT!

Trust me on this ... less is more. I wish I would have known that when I went to college.

So will you be staying in a dorm or off-campus?

[quote name='ph33r m3']Last year was my freshmen year at ASU and I always found I was losing my toothbrush....stock up on that and toilet paper. Trust me on the toilet paper bit...[/quote]

Welcome to AZ. How do you like it here? :)
 
[quote name='theHeat']So will you be staying in a dorm or off-campus?
[/quote]
This is the real question because most dorms (at least all the ones I've ever been in) don't allow for hot plates and don't have an easily accessible kitchen, making owning a foreman grill moot.
 
Just remember, everything you bring you'll have to bring home at the end of the year. Less is definitely more - it definitely might be cheaper to just buy new stuff there as you need it than shipping it to your dorm.
 
Yeah I'll be buying a small lamp and various school supplies there. A minifridge sounds nice but I will have to ship it back. :( That'll be hard and expensive
 
[quote name='PseudoMoxio']Yeah I'll be buying a small lamp and various school supplies there. A minifridge sounds nice but I will have to ship it back. :( That'll be hard and expensive[/quote]
Craigslist it back to an incoming freshman next year. ;)
 
[quote name='JJSP']Craigslist it back to an incoming freshman next year. ;)[/quote]
Or look into mini-storage. I'd imagine that 3 months of that would be cheaper than shipping 2-ways. Or I know my college let people store them on campus if they lived far enough away.
 
Save a lot of money. Spend it when you need to buy something there.

Remember, it's college. This is your only chance to make a clean break from your past.
 
Stock up on cold medicine. Be sure to have enough tissues, syrups, cough drops, and any other med you use when you get sick. Living with and interacting with lots of people on a daily basis spreads the germs.
 
[quote name='PseudoMoxio']Long story short, I'll be going off to college in about a month, out of state (as in, thousands of miles away). I've already gotten the bare essentials like bedsheets, blankets, clock, etc. and I'll be picking up some stuff when I get to college like a lamp and school supplies.

What I'm asking for is if anyone has any recommendations (personal or general, hopefully both :p ) on what else I should get? I've heard about things like duct tape and wallhooks being useful, but I'd like to hear from some of the intelligent college CAGs. :)

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on how to cheaply ship things to college? I imagine the stuff will be several pounds and I'm looking to save some $; I got a quote from UPS for ~50 lbs to college, and she said $75. :/

Thanks for the help.[/quote]


I'm not in college yet but I slowly started collecting necessities. Start with stuff you can't go without (pillows, dishes, utensils, hair dryer) and then move on to less useful stuff. I'd say the most important stuff I can think of is the following:

-Toilet paper, towels, shaving cream, soap, shampoo, Q-Tips and other bathroom supplies
-Sponges, rags, a breem, cleaner and other cleaning supplies
-Extension cables
-A basic toolbox always come handy
-Frying pan, vegetable oil, all the necessaty utensils and other cooking supplies

EDIT: Never mind, I thought you mentioned an apartment somewhere...
 
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[quote name='theHeat']I made the journey from Arizona to Georgia for college three years ago. I shipped my PC over, with the video card and RAM removed and placed in my luggage. The rest of my shit was spread out over 7 suitcases.

Needless to say, I brought ENTIRELY too much shit. I promise you, you will use about 30% of the stuff you take with you to college. The rest will take up a ton of space and collect dust. Pack ONLY the essentials. Write a list of things you use daily when you go through your day. Don't use your turntables daily or even weekly? Don't take 'em! Have some spare PC parts laying around that you want to take with you to build another rig? FORGET IT YOU DON'T NEED IT!

Trust me on this ... less is more. I wish I would have known that when I went to college.

So will you be staying in a dorm or off-campus?



Welcome to AZ. How do you like it here? :)[/quote]

Coming from Cali....I fuckin' love it....it's really really hot.....but you adapt...it's awesome to go to class in the winter wearing shorts and t-shirts...

Back to the toilet paper thing....either buy a shitload at Costco or trust me...your gonna be stealin' that shit like drugs...or sell your body on the street for some two-ply...
 
I know you're probably tempted to get a 42" TV like everyone else, but you're better off stepping up to a 52". The extra ten inches make a huge difference. Also, I'm guessing all of you bitching about toilet paper have common restrooms? Oh, and get a memory foam pillow. They're heavenly.
 
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[quote name='Nephlabobo']Advil, because you're going to be hungover a lot.[/quote]
Use Asprin for hangovers, Ibuprofin or Tylenol + alcohol are bad for your liver. Like have to get a new one bad.
 
[quote name='jlseal']Use Asprin for hangovers, Ibuprofin or Tylenol + alcohol are bad for your liver. Like have to get a new one bad.[/QUOTE]

If used sparingly, Ibuprofin isn't terrible. Also cures a headache 50 times better then Asprin.
 
[quote name='jlseal']Use Asprin for hangovers, Ibuprofin or Tylenol + alcohol are bad for your liver. Like have to get a new one bad.[/quote]

It's not that bad for you. I take Tylenol ALL the time, my liver's not dead yet.
 
best advice - wait to see what your roommates are buying....i made the mistake of buying a lot and ran into roommates who didnt buy shit.
 
This hasn't been posted, but I'm thinking about getting a laptop lock just in case.

Is it alright to just get a cheap one? Ebay ones are around $7 or $8, whereas on Amazon they're over $35.
 
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