In August, the lists of college must-haves begin floating around the internet and consuming the minds of helicopter moms and freshman students. While the items on those lists are necessary, they don't give enough significance to these eight items, that are crucial to a good year at college.
1. Surge Protecter
You will realize soon after you have moved in that the dorm rooms have two outlets, maybe three if you're lucky. That's definitely not enough to plug in your phone, laptop, fan, desk lamp, Keurig, and lights hanging above your bed.
2. Plastic utensils
Once you make your first bowl of ramen and have to make the hike down to the first floor kitchen to wash your dishes, you'll realize why these disposable forks and spoons make all the difference.
3. Extra long phone charger
It's almost a guarantee that your phone cord will not reach your bed, so it's best to just buy the longest phone charger you can find instead of always stealing your roommates.
4. A water bottle
Your meal plan will not cover you buying five bottles of water a day from the dining hall. Invest in a good water bottle to save money and keep you hydrated.
5. Sneakers
I cannot stress enough that the walk across campus is brutal. After the first day of class when your feet are blistered and your entire body aches, you wont hesitate to lace up your favorite pair of sneakers in the morning.
6. A planner
Constantly going through your syllabus to see when you have a paper due, a presentation, and and exam is exhausting. Using a planner saves you time and the stress of never knowing what is going on.
7. Noise cancelling headphones
Its hard to constantly listen to the guys across the hall, your roommates friends coming in and out of the room, and the people in the library who just wont stop talking. If that isn't reason enough to buy headphones, you don't want to be that person who is always playing their music out loud.
8. ID card holder
You don't want to constantly dig through your backpack and search your room for your ID. The ID card holders that stick to the back of your phone guarantee that you will always have your ID on you.
