This is something we will tell new college students but parents
probably have figured this out by now. Buying for and spending on a
student is never a finished task, it is an ongoing process.
What to buy for a new student differs greatly than what to buy for a
returning student. We have compiled a checklist of things to make sure
new students have access to, whether these things need to be purchased
or are made available in some other way.
Several companies have built websites centered on college life and the
things that college students need. We have looked over most of the
sites that offer this service and have provided a list what we found to
be the best.
The Bathroom
- Towels and soaps are obvious- but use shower gels instead of bars of soap, as bars are messy once wet.
- Sanitizing wipes for bathroom surfaces– Clorox and Lysol are good brands.
- A carrier- to put all your bathroom stuff in. You want to bring
your stuff back to your personal area immediately after use lest you
wish it to become the centerpieces in a free for all.
- Sample size the expensive stuff. Listen closely- this may sound
petty but trust us when we say that the following is more often
necessary than not. If you are buying shampoos, soaps, perfume, etc.
that are expensive in any way please be sure to buy the sample size
containers and refill those with larger containers. Just use your small
containers on an every day basis.
- Washable water slippers/shoes- besides the fact that they can be
used for swimming and water recreation there is the issue of showers
that are traveled by many different sets of feet per day. While the
floors may be sanitized regularly there is peace of mind in having your
own water wearable footwear.
- Brushes, combs, picks, curlers, hair dryers etc., don’t bring any
of the fore mentioned if they are silver handled and have been handed
down in the family generation after generation. That not only applies
to bathroom stuff.
Kitchen/Cooking (other than the school’s meal plan)
Well, this will greatly vary from college to college but cooking of
some sort is allowed at every school. It is not that the school doesn’t
want you to make your own cuisine. It is just that there is a
magnificent safety risk with several hundred or more students leaving
the burners on. Also, many universities do not allow electric portable
burners (hot plates) for many reasons. All is not lost, colleges
generally provide community stoves, but ovens are less common.
So what is the student with limited cooking facilities (and money) to
do? Well here are a few things to gather as soon as possible and some
guidelines to help. Do not be afraid to cook on your own but be careful
to adhere to our advice.
What to Bring for your Ultra-mini Kitchen (just the basics)
- A bottle of kitchen sanitizer/cleaner. Not cleaner, but
sanitizer/cleaner. Many people are using the same facilities and no
matter how clean the surfaces look remember that microorganisms are not
visible and do not announce their presence. You need to protect
yourself. Once again Clorox and Lysol are trustworthy brands.
- Disposable towels. Not common paper towels, but more like the
disposable blue-paper shop towels found in the automotive section of
department stores and auto stores. The shop towels come in a roll and
are only about 60 cents more expensive than quality brand kitchen paper
towels, about 30 times more durable and reusable.
- 1 mid-size pan, 1 mid-size pot, that is all you really need. We
don’t suggest buying or bringing really expensive cooking ware but
none-the-less, you may want to buy Teflon coated versions for easy
cleaning.
- Three mixing bowls: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small. Any more mixing bowls are unnecessary.
- Utensils: a few knives, two mixing spoons, a
spatula, two flippers, a small strainer, one universal grater, one
cutting surface, and that is enough for almost anything you will be
able to cook on campus.
- A few basic airtight storage bowls for leftovers will do.
- Disposable freezer bags both large and small are inexpensive, can
be kept out of the way and are very handy for leftovers, vegetables,
and such. Use freezer bags instead of regular resealable sandwich bags
because they keep things in the refrigerator for 4 – 7 times longer
than typical storage bags.
- For spices, oils and flavorings stick to the basics and only a few
extras. Salt, seasoning salt, pepper, sugar, honey, cinnamon, margarine
in a very small container, a few of your other favorites, and a small
bottle of cooking oil are all you will have room for and need.
- As for dishes all we have to say is that “paper is the key baby!”
College is not the time to explore your love of dishwashing and odds
are any college-aged roommate will not even pick up after him or
herself let alone wash a dish. So while you may not want to get the
really expensive paper ware don’t be so quick to settle for the
cheapest stuff out there. Flimsy paper ware only leads to spills and
wasted food.
- Get your own mini-fridge as soon as possible. A mini-freezer is
great as well. Believe it or not they will both pay themselves off
quickly, unless you let others eat your stuff.
- Buying individually wrapped burritos, cheeseburgers and such is
not much of a money saver unless you buy that stuff in a box of six or
twelve. Put a box of that stuff in a refrigerator and it will not last
all that long, that is where your mini-freezer comes in handy.
Kitchen (Ways to not let yourself get frustrated by others)
- Don’t feel like you have to provide food for everyone (or anyone) when cooking.
- Don’t let anyone borrow your stuff too often, or at all if you
don’t want to. Just keep in mind that everyone needs to borrow
something sometime. But if you have nice Teflon coated, or even glass,
pots and pans it is not a good idea to lend them out unless you just
concede that they are going to be damaged quickly.
- Just don’t give your stuff away. Spices in plastic bottles, paper
ware, etc. are not expensive and all of your dorm mates or roommates
should be considerate enough to get their own.
The Computer and its Furnishings (not a luxury anymore)
See the technology section of CollegeCodex.com if you are not sure what or
where to buy regarding computers. As for the desk, find out whether or
not the university furnishes one and if they do then give theirs a try
before buying your own. As for the computer chair that may be another
story because you are going to spend hours on end in this. If you have
the cash, get a good one. If you don’t have much cash, try to find a
used one online or locally.
All the other stuff (Careful! You are running out of floor space)
Keeping as much floor space as open as possible is key at this point.
- Stackable plastic drawer boxes from Wal Mart or elsewhere are the key.
- If your college does not provide an elevated bed that allows
storage underneath then see if the housing policy allows you to bring
your own. Search for used stackable bed units before buying new and
remember to take accurate measurements to see what dimensions you can
fit in your space. There is no sense in buying one that will not fit in
your room or through the doors to your building.
- As for lighting, you will want to buy a floor lamp that has a
flexible angler neck that you can arrange to your convenience.
- Also, try different colored light bulbs to break
the eyestrain of continuous lighting patterns found in most buildings.
- A soft-carpeted doormat is a good idea because it
gives the place a warming and home-like feel. Get one that is washable.
- Most colleges do not allow candle burning so if you want to make
sure it smells good in there use a wall plug-in fragrance device.
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