It’s been 24-hours since the violent backlast against CrunchGear’s laughable attempt at a back to school check list. Derek Punsalan wrote a great entry titled “College Frosh: Don’t break the bank,” and Paul Stamatiou got us back to reality with his “Back to College shopping list.” Paul actually left a comment after reading my crunchgear tirade.
Let me begin by saying that I’ve done the college living gamut. Freshman year I lived in a sweatbox barely big enough for the janitor’s mop bucket. My roommate came with few accoutrements thankfully, but it was still a challenge to fit even the bare necessities. I got all of this, no A/C, and a communal bathroom for approximately 700 dollars a month. So when sophomore year rolled around and Temple decided that they only had room for freshman housing, it was a no brainer that I should move into an apartment.
With that disclosure aside, it’s time for the official ELI HORNE back to school check list!
The Necessities
Obviously, going to school means going to class. Like it or not, at some point you are going to have to take notes and do some homework. For this I recommend
- A good non-spiral bound notebook with perforated edges for easy removal. ($2.99) I have yet to own a spiral bound notebook that didn’t begin “unspiraling” at some point, usually discovering this as its point barb jabbed me in the back through my bag. No fun. The perforated edges are important because you never know what that cute classmate of yours will be in a bind and needs to borrow a sheet of paper for that pop quiz.
- A good pen and pencil (10 for $3). This doesn’t mean run out and buy a Waterman. Just get something that is comfortable and not likely to explode. A #2 pencil will get you through all those scantron tests.
- A laptop if you can afford it. Like I said last time, there is no reason I can think of not to get an Apple Macbook. The computer is built like a rock, has great battery life, looks great, and is priced at $1,049 with your educational discount. Someone commented that 1k is still a lot of money and I agree, but when you compare specs, it becomes quite apparent that this is a bargain. And all current intel macs can run Windows XP through a variety of ways. I use one, you should too
- A thumb drive ($50). Whether you can afford a laptop or not, it’s always a good idea to have a large capacity thumb drive close at hand (pardon the pun). Amazon has a Sandisk 2GB thumb drive for $50. If you don’t have your own computer, this will hold all your files as you move from computer lab to dorm lab. It also makes for quick backup of your important documents or helps you trade big files with friends.
- A good bag. I’m a bit of a bag whore. I worked a stint as a bike messenger so I designed my own custom Reload mess bag. But if you don’t feel like dropping 200+ dollars, you can always pick up a smaller or non custom bag. I recommend them highly. All the cool kids have them, even if they don’t ride bikes.
- An mp3 player. I’ve only owned iPods, so I’m a little biased. I also don’t know how easy it is to manage an mp3 player if you don’t have your own computer to store the files, but hey, you need one. Snake those earbuds under your shirt and zone out during that boring lecture. Also great for exercising. If you end up with a nano, check out the Nike+ package. It’s awesome. I would also recommend picking up a good pair of headphones. It really does make a difference.
- A loud alarm clock. I am a master of disabling alarm clocks without actually waking up. It is at the point that I have to place the clock as far away from my bed as possible to enhance the chances that I might breach consciousness somewhere in the journey. Waking up is a key part of going to class. Gizmodo has some great reviews on alternative alarm clocks including a clock that rolls away and hides after you hit the snooze, a jigsaw puzzle clock and my personal favorite The Blowfly. Once the alarm activates, “it spins a propeller and flies up above you making ridiculous noises. The only way to stop it is to wake up, grab it, and set it back down in its docking station.” Tell me thats not the coolest thing you’ve ever heard. Quidditch, anyone?
- A surge protector. How are you gonna power all your gizmos without enough outlets? Derek beat me to this link, but I also endorse the PowerSquid. It accomodates the issue of those bulky power converters that strip surge protects fail at handling. Plus it looks cool.
The extras
These are the things that either (a) I didn’t have one but a friend did or (b) I wish I had. You can certainly get by without them, but if you are gonna live in a shack sized dorm, you might as well make it a “shackteau.”
- A fan. If you don’t have A/C, or an intense game of Halo gets you all riled up, pick up a small desktop fan. You can also get rectangular window units that help battle the overpowering scent of your roommate’s socks.
- A mini-fridge. I didn’t have one, but most of my friends did. This is key for late night snaking, or for over clocking that little black macbook.
College is the time to find yourself. The cool kids came up with interesting solutions that bypassed the money situation. Why buy a 3k 55-inch TV when you can rip apart that old project you found in the dorm basement and turn it into your own movie theater.
I hate to say it, but theft is a big issue in college as well. Derek said it best:
While bringing a personal mini safe could be viewed as overkill, personal security for valuable items carries no price-tag.
Get to know your roommate, and label your stuff. Consider dorm insurance, especially if you buy anything on CrunchGear’s list.
If you are lucky, you MIGHT get the same room for four years straight. Odds are you will end up moving around like the rest of us. Try to purchase things accordingly. Nobody wants to lug a 30inch CRT Trinitron down 12 flights of stairs when the elevator goes out because you “just had to have the big screen.” Consider items that might serve multiple purposes, e.g. get a big flat screen for your desk so that your laptop can serve as a pseudo-desktop, and then play movies/game on it. A little know-how and some elbow grease goes a long way.
The voices that brought out this list
I would like that thank everyone who took the time to write a response concerning that ridiculous list. The following people and their entries inspired me:
Great follow-up back-to-school list. You have to begin to wonder if John Biggs is scratching his head yet questioning why such a backlash ensued after his “cheat sheet” post. Biggs should have polled some real college students to find out what was necessary, what was frivolous, and what was down right unrealistic.
Thanks for the compliment. I really question how he got into a position to write incorrect stuff for such a well-read site.
Although when you think about it, his only job is to get readers and hits. Our entries and responses probably got him a bonus.
all very interesting.