myUsearch blog

If you or your child are heading to college this fall, you are probably a little stressed out about the move. The best advice I can give you is to SIMPLIFY! When I moved in to my college dorm, I was so worried about having everything that I needed; I bought much more than I should have. I hassled with my clutter all year and ended up throwing a bunch of it out at the end of the year. Remember: Your dorm room is tiny!

With that said, there are a few things that you will certainly need. The following is a list of bigger, more expensive items that are worth spending money on. I will follow-up with a list of smaller items, but I thought I’d start big so you can budget.

1) Refrigerator:  A refrigerator is definitely worth the investment. I used mine for every year of college because sharing a refrigerator with five roomates can be really scary. However, make sure your dorm allows them and your roomate doesn’t already have one.

2) A Light Laptop:  I have spent about $2500 this year on physical therapy for an injury that was caused by carrying an extremely heavy bag around campus. If you are planning to take your laptop to campus, make sure it’s a light one.

3) A Really Good Backpack: Since I’m on such a kick to prevent injuries, you should also invest in a really good backpack. Don’t worry so much about looks, just make sure it will protect your back. Also, don’t underestimate how much stuff you will have to drag around campus. If you have to go back home everytime you need something, you won’t have anytime to do your homework. I like this one, but since it’s such a personal thing, you should also check out these Laptop Backpacks.

4) A Desktop Printer: I can’t begin to tell you how much time I spent waiting in line for printers at the library or running to campus to reprint an assignment with one typo. Just get a desktop printer. It is well worth the money.

5) A Decent TV and DVD Player: My TV and DVD player were the only things that made it all the way through my college career. Roomates tend to respect the TV and DVD player, but they destroy everything else. I wouldn’t spend a ton of money (you’ll set yourself up for theft), but I would recommend buying something decent that will last through college and into your poor-post graduate years. Again, this is a really personal thing. I like this TV, but you can search for more TVs and DVD players

And that’s it. These are the only items that I would recommend spending money on. Anything else will probably be stolen or ruined. Stay tuned for more recommendations….

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