College Essentials

[crazypoohbear]

My DS is leaving for college next month :(
We have the list of things he needs for the dorm
sheets, comforter, pillow, desk lamp, toothpaste,shampoo, soap, TP etc.
My question is what does he need for CLASS?
In high school we were always given a list of
1,2, 3. Subject notebooks, folders
Red pens Blue black pens, colored pencils etc.
I have no idea what he needs for college???
Do I need to buy the "office stuff" like tape, stapler, scissors etc. What else does he need???

[scoot241]

For class, usually a notebook and pen will suffice.

I used 1 subject notebooks (with a pocket or two on the inside) for each class until I got my laptop. All my notes went onto my laptop after that, and all I really carried around was my laptop.

Each teacher is different though. Some want you to have the textbook in class, and some don't care. Usually if there's something specific a professor wants, he'll let the students know on the first day of class.

You'll need a calculator for math classes, but usually they're picky on what kind you can use. Even though I used a graphing calculator in high school, I was never allowed to use one in college.

Whatever system your son ends up using, keep it lightweight. It's no fun hauling a ton of books across campus, especially if it's anything like LSU where the campus is spread out and the heat in August is easily 95 degrees.

"Office stuff" would be useful in the dorm room, but I doubt he'd need to take any of that to class.

[hokies4life]

Yea, for the most part he probably won't find out specific things until the first day of class, or a day or so before if the teacher decides to send an email out first. You pretty much can't go wrong with just 1 subject notebooks for however many classes he'll be taking this semester.

I know it can be frustrating if his college is far away and you want to help pay for things ahead of time, but just do the best you can.

And remember, textbooks can be *very* expensive, so don't be surprised when he goes to pay for those.:eyes:

:chipdale:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Usually each professor will give you a sheet with required supplies when you go to the first class...until then, bring a pen and notebook and any textbook (lists should be given at registration) to class.:)

[Disney Doll]

Notebooks and writing utensils for sure. I would also recommend a mini stapler he can keep in his backpack and a flash drive. Most professors don't bring a stapler with them to class so if you need to staple something before you turn it in you better have your own. The flash drive is nice to have because then you can access your work from any computer. I kept mine on my key chain which meant it was always with me. Having a flash drive saved me once when I forgot to bring my paper to class. Luckily I had it saved on my flash drive and I could just print it right out.

Congrats to your son! He's starting an exciting adventure.

[Aggie97]

It's definitely a good idea to have stuff like tape, stapler, scissors, a flash drive.

If he has a laptop computer, be sure to get a laptop lock.

I preferred multi-subject spiral notebooks -- I'd use one for Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes and another for Tuesday-Thursday -- that way I didn't have to carry as much in my backpack each day. But it really is a personal preference thing he'll figure out after the first semester or so.

Make sure he has highlighters too -- I went through a lot of those.

What an exciting time! My sister is leaving for college next month too, and she can't wait (although it's a different story for my mom). :)

[RedSoxFan]

My son uses the spiral notebooks (3 subject), highlighters, pens and pencils. He uses the stapler a lot too. I do need to take him shopping for that stuff and also DS#2 who is starting college in the fall. Going to be sad in my house in a few weeks.

[pink]

For class, I just use 1 subject notebooks and the folder inside the notebook. Professors might specify that they want you to use a binder or something along those lines but I find that they don't really care what you use in the end. A graphing calculator is going to be needed if he's taking a math class.

For the room:
- Stapler, white out, scissors, tape, highlighters are all good things to have on hand.
- Microwave and mini-fridge are also nice to have.

The number one thing I suggest you buy, a planner! :mickey:

[joanna71985]

I use a binder with loose-leaf paper for class. I find this easier to use then notebooks.

Also, I HIGHLY agree with those who said to have a planner. Huge lifesaver.

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

My DS is leaving for college next month :(
We have the list of things he needs for the dorm
sheets, comforter, pillow, desk lamp, toothpaste,shampoo, soap, TP etc.
My question is what does he need for CLASS?
In high school we were always given a list of
1,2, 3. Subject notebooks, folders
Red pens Blue black pens, colored pencils etc.
I have no idea what he needs for college???
Do I need to buy the "office stuff" like tape, stapler, scissors etc. What else does he need???

We're going thru the same thing.
Our daughter heads off to college in less than three weeks. It seems like the list just keeps getting longer and longer and longer...


Where has the last 18 yrs gone???:cry:

[crazypoohbear]

Thank you all for the help.!!
I just can't believe that he is going off to college! You are right, where did the time go??

Two days ago I was in the store looking for things and saw all the new lunch boxes. I started to cry. Two things made me cry over the lunch boxes
1) he's too old to need one now
2) his birthday is the beginning of sept and from the time he first went to pre school, my mother has always bought him his lunch box as one of his birthday presents. My mother is in a nursing home with dementia now and it just made me sad seeing the lunch boxes there knowing she will never buy a lunch box for another grandchild :(

[meldan98]

On the stuff needed for college, the bookstore at the school will have a lot of the "need" things for school supplies. When you get to school, hit the bookstore and see if the professors have the book/supplies list available yet, including calculators. This will one, give you an idea of what is needed and two, will give you an idea on how much these books will cost you. I know when I went to college, they would list out most of the stuff that they required. Of course, once the classes start the professors will give them more info of what is needed for class such as comp books, scantron forms, blue books, etc. Once he finds out what they require, tell him to stock up and always keep some on hand in his back pack, just in case.

As far as the crying....I'm there with ya!!! Mine however is only heading off to Pre-K. I get so emotional at the begining of every school year. She missed the K cut off date by 5 days, so we have one full year of Pre-K before K starts. I can't imagine what I'm going to go through when she heads of to college. :hug: to you!!!

[Katzateer]

My oldest was in a dorm her first year of college last year.

I would say the things besides school supplies she really used (and still does) -

a lock for your laptop computer

extra long sheets-all the dorms had extra long beds

a collapsible laundry basket-stores easily

a box fan - she decorated it with sharpies before she left . Her dorm was not air conditioned and she ended up getting one with her roommate but the fan came in handy even in winter (if in an older dorm with steam heat)

A laundry tote that hangs in the shower and sits flat in her room.

Her room was really crowded with just 2 girls so pack light. They got some items and shared once they settled in their room and figured out what they needed.

She didn't get any of her school supplies except a planner, notebook and pens until classes started. It is so hard to know what each class requires until you get in the class and talk to the professor.

[BashfulMom]

On his first day the professor should give him a syllabus about the class and it sometimes contains this information. I usually just went the class the first week with a notebook and pen.

[d_m_n_n]

I know that you are asking for class supplies, but I wanted to chime in with a couple extra's that I discovered as a Freshman.

1. A white board to hang on the dorm room door. This was a major form of communication, not to mention fun to receive messages from new friends that don't know your cell # yet.

2. A small umbrella to always carry in his backpack. :umbrella: It only took 1 pop-up thunderstorm in August before I learned you never leave home without it!! :rain:

[crazypoohbear]

Thanks for all the assistance!
Now, could someone tell me what a laptop lock is and how it works and where to buy one??

[RedSoxFan]

Some colleges you can order the laptop and lock through them. You can google it on line. Things grow legs when they're not locked down. DS#1 was told not to leave his books/laptop alone in the library and they'll grow legs and disappear. His wallet was stolen and his account almost wiped out the first month of his freshman year. You can never be too careful. DS#1 does not use a planner -- he uses a white board to keep track of his work erases as he finishes. I'm not sure what DS#2 will want yet.

[J9]

I usually just got pens, mechanical pencils, my ti-83 calculator, 3 subject spiral notebooks for each class (I generally wound up needing more than just a 1-subject), and I also got an 8 pocket folder so that 1 folder was enough for each class. Also, and I found this to be ESSENTIAL was a homework book. The best one I ever got was in the school store and had the school logo printed on it. It was a great way to keep track of all my assignments, club meetings, etc.

The nice thing about college is that if your son finds he's missing anything, it's not a crisis. Just a quick trip to the school store will fix it!

Another thing I would suggest - buy your textbooks at half.com about a week or 2 before classes start. It will be much much cheaper than buying them used at the bookstore. (Also, at the end of the semester, sell them back at half.com as well - you will get more money than the bookstore will give you.) For non-textbooks (like the little side books or workbooks or whatever) DO NOT buy those until you attend the first class. Many times they wind up being "suggestions" only and the teacher never really refers to them. There wouldn't be any point to purchasing them!

[scoot241]

Thanks for all the assistance!
Now, could someone tell me what a laptop lock is and how it works and where to buy one??

There's a hole in the side of every laptop that a special lock can fit into. You can wrap the cord around a desk or something else sturdy so that it's less likely the laptop will disappear. I would think that most electronics stores would carry these locks. Try Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.