Packing for college and moving out for the first time is exciting. If you’re afraid to miss something on your packing list, be sure to include these eight useful items and tools all college students can use.
1. Bedding
Laundry isn’t always high on the list of a college student’s priorities. Pack plenty of extra bedding to ensure your student always has a comfortable and restful sleep. Bring an extra set of sheets in case the laundry day is late or an unexpected guest comes to stay. Have an extra blanket on hand and a few comfortable pillows.
2. A Quality Backpack
College students live out of their backpacks, so invest in a quality backpack. Something sturdy with plenty of pockets and hidden space is perfect for the demands of daily college life. Jon Hart Design is the famous creator of monogrammed and personalized gifts. The brand creates handcrafted, high-quality canvas, and leather bags that stand the test of time. Jon Hart Design offers a distinctive line of customized luggage, American made backpacks, wallets, totes, toiletries, and more.
3. Mini Toolkit
Tools are going to come in handy long after move-in day. Put together a mini toolkit that has basic tools that will be useful for small fixes and assemblies. An alternative to a mini toolkit is a Swiss Army Knife. It conveniently includes a knife, screwdriver, scissors, and a bottle opener all in one tool.
4. Websites and Apps for Productivity
There’s an app for everything these days, including boosting college students’ productivity. The website StudentRate.com is a great tool for students new to the responsibility of budgeting. Students can find discounts and deals on textbooks, travel, technology, and more.
Koofers give students access to flashcards and make exam prep easier. Students can also find information about jobs and internships, and get hired for positions. InstaGrok makes study materials interesting. Students can research a topic of interest and receive a customized concept map that highlights important information on an interactive interface.
The Word Counter is an online tool used as a word counter, for characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in real-time. Simply type into the text area or copy and paste content, and word and character count will display. The Word Counter also runs spelling and grammar checks to pick up any writing mistakes.
5. A Fan
In-room climate control is a luxury in most dorms. Pack a desk fan in case your student’s dorm runs warm. Depending on where the university is, packing multiple fans is a smart idea to survive the warmer weather months. Clip-on fans, oscillating or box fans, and USB port desk fans are effective and space-savvy.
6. Coffee Maker and Microwaveable Dishes
Caffeine is a college student’s best friend. Bring a single-serve coffee maker for the dorm room to give your student quick access to coffee during late-night study sessions. There are plenty of foods and snacks that can be made in a microwave. Be sure to bring microwaveable dishes to make social snacking sessions possible.
7. A Credit Card and Quarters
Never underestimate when quarters will come in useful. Not all schools have a credit/debit system for laundry, so paying with quarters will be necessary. The spare change also comes in handy for vending machines. College is a great time to start building credit and taking on financial responsibility. Open up a student or secured credit card with a low credit limit that can consistently be paid off.
8. An Ethernet Cable
Dorms do come with Wi-Fi, but when every student in the building is using the same network, the connection isn’t reliable. Every college student needs an ethernet cable to plug into for faster, reliable connection.
