Throughout our K-12 experience, schools have given us a list of what to bring. Items to share with the class basket and enough pencils to last us a lifetime have made continuous appearances on the list. With the end of the year approaching, many students are headed to college, where this familiar list has now become a mystery. In searching for advice social media “influencers” had to offer, I found many different opinions. 

According to online “influencers”, clothes will be a hassle when they take up all your space. Trying to fit them in a tiny closet or let them find their way into a pile that might as well be a beanbag chair will only give trouble. Some solutions, when going home between breaks bring clothes and switch them out for a new school year wardrobe. If you don’t travel anywhere for breaks; try to find a store like Plato’s Closet to buy and sell clothes. This way you can make some money off of old clothes, and use that towards new ones. 

Most people have an idea of an “aesthetically pleasing” dorm room, I know I have. When the time comes for summer, taking all those items down is going to be tasking. Even throughout the year, all the space you can get in your room is going to be precious. The solution: bring only what is necessary, and decorate your room with a few particular items. You should not be going into college with tacky decor meant to look like a Pinterest board, make the room you. 

As for actual school supplies, the list is cut pretty short. Those sharing their college experience on social media explain that most of their learning is done electronically. Thus, a laptop or iPad would be at the top of the list. As for the usual, one notebook is said to do the trick. Being able to use the notebook to jot something down or to have paper if your professor requires you to turn in an assignment in person. 

It doesn’t matter how many checklists find I will always be lost unless I am hearing advice from my peers. Here are some of our future college-goers and their top item to bring with them when they go to college. 

Deanna Trinh- “I think that on the physical level of things, an iPad would be a good investment. But as for other things to bring along, a good mental fortitude as well as good study habits.”

Mya Gaudier- “I think I’m going to follow the route of ‘broke college student’ so the top item on my list would be lots of Ramen to make sure I don’t starve but so I also don’t go broke just by eating.”

Laurel Ales- “I think a computer would be the first choice on my college checklist. For me, this would be helpful because it would let me access textbooks, zoom classes, a virtual notebook, and a form of communication. Plus, any free time I had I could play games on it.”

Josh Gomez- “I think clothes and food would be my first options those to me would be the optimal choices for my survival of college.”