The First Semester Supply List

When I was in school, my absolute favorite part of the summer was doing my "back to school" shopping (ok, I think we've established by now that I'm a nerd...get over it). When I went to college for the first time, I had several shopping trips (school supplies, outfitting the dorm room, food/necessities). And, it should be pointed out, every year I have students asking me what they should be purchasing as they pack up and head to school. So I'm going to use today's blog post to create the definitive shopping list (handily divided into categories for your shopping ease!)

Electronics:
1). Computer--This is probably the biggest purchase you'll be making for college and it's an important one. Check your school's technology website to see if your department has any specific requirements for your computer (memory, processing speed, programs, etc.) I get asked the Mac vs. PC question all the time. For the record, I am a Mac girl; I think they're more intuitive to use and I've had the same one for the last five years without a single problem. If you are in a major that will require heavy-duty data/image manipulation (Cinema, visual arts, Music production) a Mac is probably the way to go (most of the programs you will be using have been designed for Macs--they are industry standard). If you are not going to be getting into the meat and bones of the data/image manipulation just yet, get a PC (they ARE cheaper) and get a Mac as a graduation gift.
2). Printer--You will probably waste more money as a student by paying to use school printers than anywhere else. Save yourself some money and purchase a printer. It doesn't have to be super-fancy, a fax machine is not required (although a scanner might be helpful!)
3). Music-playing Device (i-Thingy)--I don't care who you are, you need your tunes!
4). Cell phone--I know that everyone has a cell phone these days, but when you head off to college, this is a great time to review your cell plan. Do you have enough minutes each month (bearing in mind that you'll be calling home now, in addition to calling all of those people of the opposite sex?) What about text messaging? Or, you could, I don't know, combine numbers 3 and 4 and get an iPhone...
5). Digital recorder--A simple digital recorder can cost as little as $30 and can save you a lot of note-taking strain in the classroom. Use this as a back-up to your paper notes so you never miss a word of your lectures!
6). Alarm clock--No item is more important, and costs so little. Please, try out your alarm clock in the store before you purchase it. Make sure it is loud enough to stampede a herd of elephants.
7). Camera-- Most of my arts students need a digital camera of some kind so they can take pictures of their work (you need to document for your portfolios!) Now, I am not an expert on cameras--so check in with G4's Attack of the Show and find out what cameras they recommend here.

School Supplies:
1). 1-2 Reams of Paper--You'll use it, I promise!
2). Pens--At least 20.
3). Pencils-- I'm a big fan of the mechanical pencil, but use what you like.
4). Highlighters-- Get a multi-pack...you'll go through these like they're going out of style!
5). Post-it Notes-- I like a variety of post-its (colors and sizes). Use them to leave notes for yourself AND to help organize your research papers!
6). Notebooks or Binders with Loose leaf Paper-- This depends on which you're more comfortable with (I like a notebook that has at least one pocket in it for carrying papers). You'll want at least one for each subject you've registered for.
7). Books-- Your textbooks CAN be purchased through your school bookstore...or you could save yourself a TON of money and use websites like half.com or cheaptextbooks.com
But do yourself a big favor and be REALLY careful when using these sites! Get your book lists from your school website and pay extra close attention to the edition numbers for each book. If you purchase the 3rd edition and your instructor wants you to have the 4th edition, you could end up buying the book twice!
8). Calculator-- Are you taking math? Is it a dense, impossible to understand kind of math? Then you probably need a calculator. You probably need a fancy-pants, graphing, metric, cook-your-breakfast kind of calculator. Check with your math department to find out exactly what kind of calculator you need and what brands they recommend.
9). Art Supplies-- If you're a visual art student, you probably got a list a mile long of supplies you will need (pencils, pastels, paints, paper, canvass, etc.) You'll love doing that kind of shopping--but you might want to grab the parental credit card and ditch the parentals themselves...you'll be in the store a while!

Dorm Room Outfitting:
1). Comforter/Sheets/Towels-- Yes, linens (and things) are kind of a necessity. It's always a nice idea to start off your college career with something new and fresh. Target sells coordinated dorm room comforter and sheet sets at a very reasonable price.
2). Lighting-- I don't care how nice your dorm room is, it's going to be a bit on the dark side. So do yourself a favor and get a lamp or two to brighten things up (a floor lamp and a desk lamp are great ideas).
3). Posters/Framed Pictures-- You definitely want to personalize your room so grab some framed pictures of your friends to hang in your dorm room. There are ALWAYS poster sales (no matter how big or small your school is, there will be a poster sale somewhere on campus!) so you CAN hold off on that until you get to school.
4). Shower Caddy/Organizer-- Make sure you have something to keep all of your shower stuff (shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, etc.) in one spot so you aren't hauling a bunch of bottles around.
5). Re-usable Wall-Mounted Hooks-- You can use over-the-door hooks too, but you basically want something that you can attach to your closet door to hang your robe and your towels.
6). Laundry Hamper/Basket-- Trust me when I say you're going to want a big one! College is the time when you start letting your laundry pile up for weeks at a time...make sure your laundry basket can accommodate all of that.
7). Plastic Storage Bins-- You would be amazed at how helpful plastic storage bins can be (make sure you get ones with lids!) Pack a lot of your stuff in them for the trip to school--when you unpack them, they can be covered with a spare piece of cloth and used as a table, or as extra storage in your closet.

Groceries/Other Needful Things:
1). Jumbo Size Container of Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener--Store them in your laundry basket when not in use to save space!
2). 1-2 Rolls of Quarters--To feed the laundry machines. If you can find the individual containers of Mini M&Ms those containers are PERFECT for storing quarters for laundry!
3). Jumbo Bottle of Aspirin/Motrin (pain reliever of choice)--Think of this as stocking a year-long first aid kit. You want to have enough to last you for the entire year.
4). Giant Box O' Band-Aids-- What if you get a boo-boo?
5). Jumbo Bottles of Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash/Hygiene Products-- I'm a big fan of taking advantage of any family member who has a Sam's Club or Costco membership. Those bottles are HUGE, they last FOREVER, and they will save you a TON of money in the long run.
6). Snacks/Gum/Etc.-- Do you have a favorite snack food (pretzels, popcorn, dry cereal, trail mix)? Why not buy a gi-normous bag of it before the school year starts so you have something to munch on in your dorm room? The cafeteria isn't open 24/7 so you might as well have snacks, especially if it's something you eat all the time. Remember those plastic storage bins you bought earlier? Reserve one of them for snack items!

Other-Other
1). Expandable File of Important Papers-- This is the one thing you should NOT leave home without. Before you head to school, make sure you have a copy of all of your school information (FAFSA, parent's tax forms, immunization forms, and any other information that you have submitted to the school since you were accepted). Has the school asked for a high school transcript? Put a copy of that in your file. You should also have a copy of your insurance information (health and drivers), as well as copies of your Social Security card and birth certificate. You never know when you're going to need this stuff, and a lot of you won't be within a short drive of your house to go pick it up.