Headed off to College? Don’t Leave Home Without These Must-Have Items

College students moving on to university campus. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Wondering what the latest tech trends are? Take a peek into a college classroom. According to ZDNet, more than 70 percent of students need technology to study for classes. As a result, the traditional back-to-school shopping list has undergone some revisions as laptops, e-readers and tablets have entered the fold. But no matter how much the college classroom changes, some of the necessities of college life remain the same. To address college needs old and new, here’s a quick guide to the necessary away-from-home college gear:

Basic Tool Kit

Things are bound to get broken in a dorm room, so some basic tools will be a handy asset. Parents should be on the lookout for tool sets that are both space-efficient and varied. Some basic tools a college student can use include a hammer, screwdriver, pliers, wrench and a flashlight. Yes, there’s a maintenance department to handle big breaks, but for small repairs, even such simple tasks as replacing the batteries in a graphing calculator, a modest tool kit will be a huge asset.  Consider various places to find a tool set.

Alarm Clock

Oversleeping is a serious threat to academic success. While most phones and computers now come with a built-in alarm clock feature, have a dedicated alarm clock at your disposal. Newer alarm clocks even come with “smart” features that let your college student customize the device to his or her liking. These apps can let students choose not only the sound of the alarm, but additional features relevant to starting the day, including weather forecasts and news. Try any of these alarm clocks.

Smartphone

Many parents grapple with the right time to buy their children a smartphone. The urge to keep kids low-tech for as long as possible is a respectable one, but college students (and parents) can benefit from an upgrade. With them out of the home for the first time, parents will want to have a form of communication that keeps them connected with their children at all times, not only through phone calls, but also through social media and other platforms. Consider some of these Internet-connected devices to help you bridge the distance between you and your college student.

Shower Caddy

It’s hard to cover every base when you’re doing back-to-school shopping, but for a dormitory with communal showers, a shower caddy is a must. Shower caddies are great for keeping soap and other items together in a portable container, and for their low price, they’re definitely worth investing in. We like this mesh shower tote.

Extra-Long Sheets

It’s a familiar story in any dorm: A student brings sheets to school only to find they’re too short for the standard dorm bed. Most college dorm rooms are equipped with extra-long twin mattresses, and standard twin sheets come short of covering the entire bed. Check with the school’s residential housing contacts to find out what size you’ll need. If you do need extra-long ones, there are a decent variety of sheets in this size.

Source: SocialMonsters