Anybody else getting ready for college?

[Chickerdoodle13]

As some may already know, I'm getting ready for my first semester at the Richard Stockton College of NJ. I leave on the 25th for an orientation retreat and then we have freshmen welcome week. We actually start on the 5th of September.

Today was the first day of shopping for all my college stuff! I guess this is the fun part, right? I got some sheets, some other bedding stuff, a coll seat pillow for reading in bed, a pirate welcome mat for outside my dorm, and a little night table cubby. The best part is that I have a single room, so I get to decorate everything myself!

I also got my schedule a few weeks ago. I get fridays off, which is great! Mondays and wednesdays I have "The Holocaust" and tuesdays and thursdays I have an intro to anthropology class, a discussion honors class, and a really easy english course. (This was just a required course, so I took the most recommended course by the upperclassmen.)

So is anybody else getting ready to start off their year at college? What are some things I might be forgetting for my room? Tomorrow I'm going to do more shopping and I'll be going for a laptop soon too. Two weeks ago I got a second checking/debit account with wachovia because there is one right out of our school.

 

[okiechick57]

I am way past the college days.......but wanted to wish you the best............ proud of anyone who goes on to highter education....only one of my 4 children is...one in the army now........... blessings for you........

 

[silkiechicken]

Good luck! I did that a few years ago... and every year when I move back into the dorms... I bring less... and less.. and less stuff. I actually just brought two weeks of clothes, my school supplies, a computer, and bed linens/shower items the first time round and now I think my roomates all wonder if I do anything other than sleep there.... Shoot I live in lab!

 

[peepkeeper]

Congrats! You'll have a great time. How does a freshman get the coveted Friday off schedule?? In my day you had to wait until your junior year! (brandishes cane). You should check out a website called (I think) collegelinens. Regular sheets won't fit on a college dorm bed, and you can get things you didn't know you needed (shower caddy and things like that).

I'm experienced because my 2 kids are in college.
Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Dustin Biery]

Something to think about when starting off to college is a microwave and a minifridge! Especially having a single room, I think they both will be a necessity! I am fixing to start my 7th semester at John Brown University! College is an experience of a life time. If there is one thing that I could tell you it is get involved on campus in some kind of club! Social networking is vitally important in college, especially when the harder classes start. Good Luck!

 

[Standard Hen]

How exciting for you.
My daughter just graduated college in May and was glad it was all finally over but it was very exciting when she was where you are now. Also single dorm rooms are hard to find so consider yourself lucky. The fridge & microwave thing, many times the colleges provide them for of course a fee through a company and it is worth every penny. Then you do not have to worry about lugging and moving more things. You might also want to consider a fan, the rooms can get very stuffy.
Also get some kind of lock for your laptop, even though you have a single room things happen? Laptops disappear like crazy.Don't forget an alarm clock, vital!
Your all set with your bank account which is good, my daughter went to college on the other side of the country for her first two years so there were so many things to consider, it was like setting up another home and the bank account was almost forgotton!
It is a very exciting time for sure, enjoy, be careful and good luck!

 

[Country Gal]

Don't forget a phone and answering machine! And you'll need one of those erasable marker boards for your door so people can leave notes when they stop by and you're not there! And a hotpot! Ramen noodles may become your best friend at some point... And don't forget a coffee pot!

Do you have your own bathroom or is it a community bathroom? If it's community, get a basket to carry all your shower supplies back and forth in, and obviously a robe!

Good luck!!! Gosh, I miss being away at college... I even kinda miss the community bathroom!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Cool! I got accepted to go to Stockton but decided to go all the way across the country to Arizona State instead. But that was eons ago. GEEZ am I that dang old!!

How are you getting around campus? Walk, bike, skateboard? Remember if you classes are back to back you may have to get from one side of campus to the other in a matter of minutes.

You need a microwave and a little dorm fridge. Sometimes you can rent those at the school by the semester. Depending on who is doing your mess hall food, it's either really good or even your chickens wouldn't eat it!! We had SAGA--Soviets Attempt to Gag America! Only good night was Steak night once a month! Like someone said, Raman may become your best friend. Also look some small TV dinner that will fit a dorm freezer.

Enjoy! There is nothing like going away to school. Be smart, be safe!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Wow! Thanks guys for all the advice!

I guess I'm pretty well set already, as I've already gotten most of the things you mentioned! A few weeks ago I got a freezer/refrigerator combo in black and it actually has two sections, like an actual mini fridge! I also got my microwave and my mom is going to get me a bunch of paper plates/bowls/etc.

Ramen soup is already my best friend! lol Actually, for my graduation gift, the neighbors next door got me a kettle that boils water without a stove. This will be great for so many things! I also got a shower caddy as a gift along with some towels and such. My grandmother gave me a bunch of practical things too, like laundry detergents, soaps, air fresheners, a mini sewing kit, and a bunch of other important things!

I think I'm just going to take my cell phone with me, since that will be easiest. I'm looking at getting a new phone, but the one I have should work fine. I'm actually buying a new car with a lot of my saved money, so whatever I don't have to buy, I'd rather not. I'm probably not going to take the car down first semester, but if I see I need one, one will be available for me. I know I'm taking my bike with me because there are tons of trails to ride down there! The college is one 1600 acres of land.

I think I'm taking a fan from home, but we're actually very lucky because we get air conditioned dorms. I think all the buildings are air conditioned. I actually had first choice to a lot of things because I'm in the honors program. That gave me a lot of perks like getting to schedule first and housing guaranteed all four years.

Today I'm going to get some new clothes and pjs. I'm really starting to get excited about this!

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Really? U of Washington no longer provides telephone service to students in dorms unless it is requested because as part of the community survey for students needs, 98% of students used cell phones and less than 1% had a land line phone in their rooms.