I decided to think of my must haves for college. This includes school stuff, decor, and anything I have used that has made my life easier during college.
1) Laptop- this may seem weird but just covering the basics. Having a laptop makes getting your work done super easy. I actually downsized before I went to college and changed from a 15' to a 13'. I think this was a smart decision while the keyboard is a little more crushed together it is a lot lighter to carry around with me from class to class.
2) USB (Flash) Drive- Last year my computer crashed right in the middle of the semester. I did not have my laptop for about a week. A flash drive allowed me to still have some of my files because I was in the middle of writing a huge paper so thankfully I was using it. It also allowed me to use other computers to do my work on.
3) Mattress Pad- I got a mattress pad to make my bed a little more comfy. It does not have to be a $100 one. I got mine off of Walmart.com for like $30 and it has been comfy and amazing.
4) Throw Blanket- This is nice because the temperatures in dorms can change by the minute it seems like. I have a throw that I can use at night for extra warmth or instead of my comforter. It is also nice to be able to take it to the living room (if you have one) or a friend's room for movie nights to cuddle up with.
5) Storage- It is always nice to have the option of additional storage because dorm rooms can be small. Having stack-able crates or drawers you can put under your bed if you raise it a little can be a life saver and allow you to have those few extra sweatpants and sweatshirts at school with you.
6) Backpack- I know that you think of college and think of totes or just being able to take your laptop to class. In my experience this hasn't been true. Having a super high quality backpack can make life a lot easier. There are times that between class and work I do not go back to my dorm room for close to 12 hours and that is a lot of stuff to carry with you. So I suggest getting a backpack that is comfortable to wear and can hold things.
7) Medicine- The first time you get sick in college you will be wishing your mom was there taking care of you. Make sure you having things like pain killers, cough drops, and cough medicine. It won't be as good as mom taking care of you put at least you won't be as miserable.
8) Planner- College life can get crazy between classes, assignments, tests, papers, oh my. Then you start throwing in your work schedule and sporting events. Then you add in clubs and trying to hang out with your friends it sometimes feels like you have 26 hours of plans in a day. Using a planner allows you to block out time to make sure all the school stuff gets done and figure out how to work in your social life and sleep a little. I would be more than willing to include a post about my planner and how I keep track of every thing. Just leave a comment and let me know.
9) Pictures- No one wants to live in a place for 9 months that is just while walls. Bring something to hand on the walls. Pictures are always nice and they let you remember people that may not be right there with you anymore.
10) Student ID- This is more of a remember to bring it back to college with you. Or if you are a freshman I will explain how important your ID is to your life in college. Think of a card that is how you get places and eat. At my college your ID gets you into building and it is how you pay for food. It is also how you get into your hall, and sometimes you can show it on campus to get free things. You can also show IDs at a lot of places around town to get a discount so try to figure that out.
These are just some of the things you need. I have found these things important, some of them seem obvious but I am just making sure you know that you do need them. A couple may be things you didn't think of. If there is anything for you that is a must have please let me know I am always trying to make my college life easier.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
That College Feeling
Sorry, it has been a month since I have posted. Work was exhausting and all my focus was going there. Now I am done with my summer job before I start up classes and my school job. You can expect an update about my classes after I go to them.
I am moving in Saturday, so that is four days away (I need to pack)! This will be my third year (Junior year) of college. I have heard a lot of people online and in person giving advice to people on how to choose the school that is for them. Everyone talks about the feeling that you will have when you visit the campus and you will know that it is the right school for you. I am writing this post to know you might want to think twice before this feeling dictates the next four years (and possibly beyond) of your life.
Now you might think I am bitter because I did not have this feeling so I think it doesn't exist. That is false I had this feeling and it was amazing. I toured a small private college and it was everything I wanted in my life. The campus was small and I could see myself there easily. It was close enough to home and that made me comfortable. Everyone there made me feel like a person and not a number. I found the perfect school for me and I was ready to go. I accepted my spot and told the other colleges on my list I was no longer interested in going there I knew where I was going.
Now you are probably thinking wait you had the feeling isn't this post over. The school that was perfect for me and gave me that feeling is NOT the school I ended up at. I ended up at another private college that is not to far away from home but further than the original school. It is also bigger so while I do not completely feel like just a number you definitely get a bigger feeling from this school. You might be wondering why I gave up my "perfect" school for a different one. That is because my "perfect" school did not quite have the exact major I wanted. They had one that was close but not perfect. So I decide to pick going somewhere that had the perfect major over going somewhere that had almost the right major but felt like the perfect school to me.
This is not a story where I tell you that half way through I realized I made a mistake but it is to late to transfer now. This post is to tell you even though I did not pick the college that gave me that feeling I could not imagine my life any other way. I am studying my perfect major. My current campus has the perfect view. It also has my perfect people (of course I know that no people are perfect). At college I have met friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. I could not imagine the last two year or the many more years in the future with out them.
I wrote this post to tell you to think things through and do not base your college decision only on that feeling. You can go to a school that never gave you that feeling and still be more happy than you ever imagined.
I am moving in Saturday, so that is four days away (I need to pack)! This will be my third year (Junior year) of college. I have heard a lot of people online and in person giving advice to people on how to choose the school that is for them. Everyone talks about the feeling that you will have when you visit the campus and you will know that it is the right school for you. I am writing this post to know you might want to think twice before this feeling dictates the next four years (and possibly beyond) of your life.
Now you might think I am bitter because I did not have this feeling so I think it doesn't exist. That is false I had this feeling and it was amazing. I toured a small private college and it was everything I wanted in my life. The campus was small and I could see myself there easily. It was close enough to home and that made me comfortable. Everyone there made me feel like a person and not a number. I found the perfect school for me and I was ready to go. I accepted my spot and told the other colleges on my list I was no longer interested in going there I knew where I was going.
Now you are probably thinking wait you had the feeling isn't this post over. The school that was perfect for me and gave me that feeling is NOT the school I ended up at. I ended up at another private college that is not to far away from home but further than the original school. It is also bigger so while I do not completely feel like just a number you definitely get a bigger feeling from this school. You might be wondering why I gave up my "perfect" school for a different one. That is because my "perfect" school did not quite have the exact major I wanted. They had one that was close but not perfect. So I decide to pick going somewhere that had the perfect major over going somewhere that had almost the right major but felt like the perfect school to me.
This is not a story where I tell you that half way through I realized I made a mistake but it is to late to transfer now. This post is to tell you even though I did not pick the college that gave me that feeling I could not imagine my life any other way. I am studying my perfect major. My current campus has the perfect view. It also has my perfect people (of course I know that no people are perfect). At college I have met friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. I could not imagine the last two year or the many more years in the future with out them.
I wrote this post to tell you to think things through and do not base your college decision only on that feeling. You can go to a school that never gave you that feeling and still be more happy than you ever imagined.
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