<p>So what are the few small but essential items that you or your kid is packing before leaving for college next week? The intent is NOT to rehash the “shopping for college” lists. If you don’t know by now that you need sheets, pillows, and a comforter, you might want to reconsider the decision to attend USC. Just trying to see if we are missing something “obvious”. A few items to get the list going:
[ul]
[<em>] Pliers plus two crescent wrenches: not having those will make bike assembly kind of difficult after we pick it up from Union Station (we are on the West Coast and will send the bike via Amtrak). These will go back with us.
[</em>] Leatherman-type small tooset with a few essentials: for the small bike nip-tuck jobs. Larger problems will require the attention of a bike shop, but it is pretty irritating to have to go to a shop because a reflector screw came loose.
[<em>] Staying with the hardware theme, a jeweler’s screwdriver. Gotta fix them backup eyeglasses when a lens falls out.
[</em>] Suction hooks. Someone noted in another thread that they come in very handy for hanging towels and clothes by the shower stall
[<em>] Long CAT-10 Ethernet cable: The dorms are not wireless, a long cable allows the laptop to be used in bed, on the desk, pretty much anywhere.
[</em>] Pepper spray: a brilliant idea courtesy of my significant other. Not sure I agree, but hey, marriage is all about compromises
[/ul]</p>
<p>Yeah, pretty geeky, I know, but what did you expect with a handle like mine?</p>
<p>A sleeping bag in case of weekend outings or guests who need a place to crash.</p>
<p>A Brita pitcher for filtered water. (I’m not sure whether the tasty LA water or the lack of wireless everywhere will be more of an adjustment for my son!)</p>
<p>So do the dorms provide ANY length of computer cable? Like there’s a short one provided but you’re going for an upgraded longer one?</p>
<p>I’m hoping that 14’ is long enough for the ethernet cable. (c-5?) Best Buy had that or 50’, and there’s no way my daughter needs that much. And we forgot to buy suction hooks yesterday.</p>
<p>Hey, Fauxnom, Have you thought about where your son would fill up the pitcher? I never like the idea of drinking water from the bathroom. Also, those Brita pitchers can get kind of moldy, if they are not cleaned properly. We ended up buying several cases of bottled water from Costco. Although it is not the most environmentally-friendly thing to do, it was definitely sanitary! Bottles from Costco run .25-.35 each–way better than Trojan Grounds for $1.50 or more! We stored them under the bed. Some of the office places sell them and will deliver for free, if you order a certain minimum amount. (Office Depot, etc.)Just add on a printer cartridge or two, and no problem meeting the minimum.</p>
<p>There are generally water fountains in the halls- that’s how I fill my filter. Also, the sinks really aren’t that bad. LA tap water is rated pretty highly, and the bathrooms are cleaned every day.</p>
<p>bring an ethernet cable just in case, though. And remember to register your computer’s wireless ethernet address with ITS, so you can avoid having to accept terms & agreements every couple days. You need to register to use resnet (wired) too.</p>
<p>Yes on extra powerstrips. Gallon jugs of purified water aren’t that expensive, also.</p>
<p>Thanks for starting this thread, Groovy, I found a 25’ ethernet cord at Target for $14, so that should be long enough. I added several things to the shopping list, thanks to this thread. Target sells a multi-tool thingie for $7!</p>
<p>GraduatingMom - I’ve always assumed bathroom water is safe to drink (am I missing something?!!) We’re trying the Brita mainly so S won’t have to transport or stockpile water bottles, but that’s definitely a fallback option (especially the jugs - thanks jbusc). The Brita was so cheap at Costco that we figured it was worth a try.</p>
<p>madbean - S is being burdened with plenty of pictures, so your S is not alone! I bought a couple poster size foam core boards to mount pictures on (and the Command strips to hold them on the walls).</p>
<p>S just moved in yesterday to an apartment to start his second year. He asked me to help him refill his “tower” that I did for him last year. We got one of those small plastic 5-drawer units from Office Depot. (It’s about 3 feet high.) It is small enough to tuck away somewhere in the dorm room. This is where they can put (or you can help them fill) medicines, extra toiletries, tools, school supplies, stamps & envelopes, extra contacts, and other odds and ends like fingernail clippers that would otherwise get lost. S said he used this quite a bit during the year to stay organized.</p>
<p>BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Their air might bring pollution complaints, but residents of Los Angeles drink the nation’s tastiest tap water, according to the judges of an international competition.</p>
<p>FauxNom, No, there is nothing wrong with the water. I just don’t like the idea of it. I have seen too many maintenance people clean a surface like a toilet, and then use the same rag on the sinks. Yuck. I don’t want to drink water out of a faucet under those conditions. Also, parts my Brita at home can get quite black, if I don’t clean it faithfully with a bleach solution. I doubt most college kids would even clean theirs once! I suppose an environmentally-friendly solution would be to have a refillable water bottle and get water from the dining hall dispenser.</p>
<p>Uuuugh, I don’t know what the judges were smoking or drinking (other than tap water), but the tap water on campus and in the hotel during orientation was definitely not “the nation’s tastiest”. Or maybe it was, because it had a definite taste, which is not my idea of good tap water. Anyway, we got the Brita too, I figure if D can’t figure out that she needs to clean the pitcher and change the filter periodically, then (a) she should not be wasting my money by attending USC (b) deserves the stomach infection she is going to get :D</p>
<p>GradMom - Sadly, you could be right about the cleaning crew - yuck! But did you know the new Brita’s have a little sensor that tells you when you need to change the filter. Maybe that will help with the other problem.</p>
<p>Thanks for the cheerleading, Nikara. I think people from the northwest might be water snobs (in addition to coffee snobs), so I have to agree with Groovy that the LA water is way to tasty for my taste!</p>
<p>cc411 - It’s really sweet that your son appreciated your efforts enough to ask for a repeat performance!</p>
And 20-25’ should be more than enough.</p>