11 College Buys Parents May Need to Help With
Moving your child to college is an event. It takes weeks of preparations filled doctor appointments, purchases, and packing. Things have changed since you were a college student, but your child’s college may not provide a list of the most important items needed.
So what does a college freshman need for college? While your high school graduate may have a list of the things she wants for college, these 11 items will help her be prepared for the school year ahead.
A reliable phone
You want your new college student to have a reliable form of communication with you. If an emergency occurs or even a last minute question comes to your child’s mind, you want her to be able to contact you. Whether or not your child is good about answering her phone, you would like to know that she could call you at any time.
Before purchasing the latest and greatest iPhone, consider these factors. One important factor to consider is for what tasks your child will need a phone. Most students use their phones for a variety of purposes. Obviously being able to use it as an actual phone would be helpful. Additionally, being able to check email throughout the day is helpful. However, your freshman likely doesn’t need an incredible camera and a gigantic storage capabilities.
A second important factor is what quality of reception your child’s phone will receive on campus. Some carriers do not reach areas of the country as well as others. Constant dropped calls and delayed text messages will likely frustrate both you and your freshman.
A third important factor is how often your child uses her phone. Battery life on older phones can be fairly limiting. If your child goes out for the night, you don’t want her phone to die before she gets back to her dorm safely.
As a side note on phone batteries: you do not have to purchase an entirely new phone if your child’s phone has a frequently-dying battery. Portable phone chargers are an easy and cheaper solution. However, this requires your child to charge an extra item. A portable charger would be useless if she forgets to charge it.
Phones and phone plans can get expensive. You may or may not want your child to pitch in with some of the cost. This can be a tough call to make, especially when you know your financially strapped child has limited finances. This post, “Should You Pay for Your Freshman’s Education?,” may provide some helpful insights.
In addition to choosing or purchasing a phone, you may want to discuss how often you expect your child to communicate with you while in college. Most new college students struggle communicating either too much or not enough. Try to set the ground rules now before your child enters college, so she knows what you expect.
A laptop
Gone are the days when students solely relied on computer labs to complete their work. College classes today truly require you to have regular access to a computer. Online assignments, email updates, and electronic course resources are normal for most if not all college classes.
Although laptops can get expensive very quickly, most college students do not need the latest Windows tablet or MacBook Pro for their classes. A basic laptop or tablet is probably sufficient for your child’s needs.
Before purchasing a laptop, consider these important factors. First, your child’s college major will determine what capabilities her laptop or tablet will need to have. If your child will study media, design, programming, or something else electronic dependent, she needs a laptop with more capabilities. If your child is studying nursing, English, or something less electronic dependent, she will likely only need a laptop with basic capabilities.
Second, your child’s course requirements will determine what laptop or tablet she will need. Because your child is new to college, she likely will need to consult an academic advisor or an upperclassman student in her major about class requirements. Most universities will provide information about these kinds of requirements in orientation or online.
Third, your child’s preferred method of taking notes will determine what laptop will be needed. More and more, students prefer taking electronic notes. Some professors require paper notes only to prevent students from surfing the internet. However, for the most part, your child’s note-taking method is entirely up to her. If your child prefers to type her notes, a laptop will probably be a better option than a tablet. If your child prefers electronically writing notes, a tablet will probably work best.
A reliable laptop is entirely worth $100 more. Buying a cheap laptop that barely lasts a school year will end up costing more in the long run. Ideally, you want this computer to last to the end of her college career. If your child is accident prone, invest in a nice case or even a warranty.
A laptop can be an expensive investment. Having your child contribute to this purchase may be wise and cause her to take better care of it. Carefully consider which laptop will work best for your child.
A vehicle
Having a vehicle at college can definitely open doors, but it is not a necessity. Many college freshmen come to school without a vehicle. In fact, some schools do not allow freshmen dorm students to have a vehicle at college.
If you can afford to help your freshman purchase a vehicle for college, you may want your child to come home frequently with her own transportation. While this desire is perfectly normal, your freshman may struggle to adjust to college life due to these frequent visits. In my post, “How Often Should College Freshmen Go Home?,” I share how frequently visiting home can negatively impact your freshman and her college experience. Your child can get caught in this weird in-between, where she doesn’t fit in at college or at home. This is a truly miserable place to be.
Additionally, a car may or may not be necessary for your student. There are usually only a handful of reasons why a freshman would need a vehicle during the first year of college. One, your child has an internship or job off-campus. If your child does not have a vehicle, she will have difficulties with getting to and from her internship or job.
Two, your child lives off campus. If your child lives at home or at a nearby apartment building, having her own vehicle would be beneficial. She can have the freedom to drive herself to and from campus. Having her own vehicle also allows her to get around on her own safely.
Three, your child has unique medical needs. If your child requires regular visits to a doctor or a therapist, she would greatly benefit from having her own vehicle. Although her resident assistant or roommate may be able to provide occasional transportation, expecting either to be a consistent form of transportation is unrealistic.
Whatever you decide, be sure you consider your child’s options. Your child may be able to carpool, take public transportation, or bike to most locations safely. Purchasing a vehicle and paying for insurance may end up being the best option for you and your child, but consider these other possible alternatives first.
A small refrigerator
I did not purchase a small refrigerator during college. I was fortunate enough to have roommates with a small fridge many semesters. However, there were some years where I was not so fortunate. Having a small fridge would have been helpful, especially with my busy college schedule.
Having a refrigerator can help your child maintain a healthy eating schedule. Many freshmen struggle with eating regularly. For $100 or less, your child can have regular access to fresh foods in her dorm room. Helping purchase a refrigerator can be a way you can communicate that eating regularly is important.
Many freshmen struggle with eating healthily. Eating good food can be a struggle for freshmen, because fast food and junk food are much more convenient. However, having a refrigerator will help your child have easy access to fruits and vegetables.
Many freshmen struggle with eating too much. Stress-eating, binging, and overeating cause many students to gain the “freshman 15.” This would be my one word of caution: having easy access to food can cause unwanted weight gain.
You want your child to start the semester with a balanced schedule that includes healthy food. A small fridge may be a way to help your child begin the semester on the right foot. Be sure your child checks with her future roommate before making this purchase, because her roommate may be willing to share a refrigerator.
Quality luggage
Luggage can be an afterthought when moving to college. Storage bins and hangers may seem more like the pressing need for your child. However, if you purchase quality luggage before college, this luggage can last well into your child’s adult years.
How much luggage does your child realistically need for college? Generally, owning a variety of sizes is helpful. For example, a travel-sized bag, a medium-sized bag, and a large bag provide your child with options for future trips.
Your child may be more concerned with how trendy her luggage looks, but purchasing quality luggage (that may not always be the most stylish) will help more in the long run. In addition, having a duffle bag or overnight bag can be helpful for those weekend trips and short holiday breaks. She will not regret having a variety of luggage options for future travels.
Bedding and accessories
Some college-bound students care a great deal about bedding, while others have no feelings on the matter. Help your freshman prioritize her sleep by finding comfortable bedding for her dorm room. She may be able to fund these purchases with graduation gifts in the form of money or gift cards.
Depending on your child’s dorm room setup, she may be sleeping on a bunk bed or on her own bed. Before making any purchases, be sure you know what kind of bed she will have during the school year. During student orientation, she can easily figure out what is her dorm’s setup.
There are a few items that I would highly recommend regardless of your child’s dorm room style:
First, a mattress topper is essential to a good night’s sleep. Most dorm mattresses are thin and cheap. A foam topper will impact the quality and quantity of your child’s sleep. A memory foam topper, although more pricey, is preferred by many students (including me).
Second, more than one set of sheets is extremely helpful. Laundry is usually an afterthought for most freshmen. They usually are not used to being solely responsible for cleaning clothes, towels, and bedding. Having one extra set of sheets helps during those weeks when your child forgets to clean her laundry until late at night.
Third, a light blanket will come in handy. Your child’s future roommate may prefer the room warmer at night. While your child should have a say in the room temperature, she will likely have to compromise. Being prepared for this situation with a light blanket will help her prepare for this possibility.
Fourth, a comforter or quilt will be useful. If your child’s room is unusually cold (due to weather or a roommate’s wishes), having a comforter will help her be prepared. Your child can layer with the thin blanket and a comforter or quilt to keep her warm on cold nights.
Fifth, an alarm clock will be helpful. While your child could merely use her phone for an alarm clock, sometimes an actual alarm clock can help her sleep more. A phone provides many distractions that can keep her up late at night or in bed when she should be getting up and heading to class.
Sixth, a small fan or sound machine is handy. Dorms can be very loud at night. Even if your child wants to go to bed early, she may have a hard time doing so due to noise. A small fan or a sound machine can provide white noise that blocks out a noisy roommate or next door neighbor.
College is a new and exciting experience for your freshman, but she may not know how to prepare. You can help her by considering and purchasing some of these 11 items. Your freshman will be grateful that she was prepared for the dorms with these college buys.
