College Gift Ideas?

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InnocenceLost57
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College Gift Ideas?

Post by InnocenceLost57 »

SO I have nothing I want for christmas, and I was thining asking for some things I could use when I go off to college. Any suggestions?





So far I have:

Tool kit

DVD player

Change pouch & lots of change for laundry machines

personal care kit - nail clippers, nail file, small mirror, brush & comb, etc.

tupperware

cutlery, coffee mug

plug-in teapot

water filter

USB drive/flash drive

Amazon gift card



So anything else that you guys think might come in handy, or that those of you in college wish you had? I'm kind of out of ideas, so any suggestions are welcome.



Thanks!
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by Draco »

Money, or gift certificates for fooood places
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by sinical_sycology »

I got a PDA
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SirPostAlot
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by SirPostAlot »

Just a note ~ be careful of what you ask for b/c some schools ban certain items...

like i know water filters here are illegal...



and another thing ~ the majority of campuses have card-access laundary machines...

so saving change is pointless, b/c the machines to put money onto your card for the laundary only accepts bills...

again, here, they have the change area on the machines bolted so you can't use it...



so just look into your college you are going to attend and see what they ban, their laundary policty, etc...

Also, a lot of colleges have a list online of the "Recommended college items list"



---

One idea is books ~ like i am a finance person (leaning toward investment banking) so i just browse Amazon looking for good novels and informal books dealing w/ finance or investing - they aren't needed for classes, i just do it b/c i enjoy reading and everything...



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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by SexyLittleDoll »

Tool kit

DVD player

Change pouch & lots of change for laundry machines

personal care kit - nail clippers, nail file, small mirror, brush & comb, etc.

tupperware

cutlery, coffee mug

plug-in teapot

water filter

USB drive/flash drive

Amazon gift card



Ok heres what you don't need on that list...



Tool kit

Tupperware

cutlery

water filter



The coffee mug and plug in teapot maybe.. if you plan on drinking a lot of hot beverages.



Heres what you do need...



tampons

garbage bags

paper towels

baby wipes

IPOD!
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by Jaegermeister »

Oh no, you definitely need the tool kit. You won't use it much, but when you do it'll be damn useful. The cutlery you don't need, steal it from the dining hall. Same with dishes. Steal them. Definitely I love my iPod for walking around campus. A desk lamp is always useful. It's a big investment, but a laptop is pretty useful as well. A flash drive, eh, it depends on your major. Some majors will have you needing to cart around files and shit, like math, but I've never had any problems with needing one, especially with having a laptop. An alarm clock with an alarm that you can stand, VERY IMPORTANT. Wanting to throw it against the wall will not be a good idea. I splurged and got an alarm clock that will play my iPod.



While Jeff is right, a lot of items are banned, a lot of RAs are pretty chill and don't care about minor infractions on the banned item list. When I lived in the dorms (a long long time ago), candles were banned but I almost always had at least 3 candles burning, and my RA knew it. So I mean, hold off on some of the items until you find out how uptight the RA is, and also because sometimes dorms prepare for the banned item list and have microwaves in lounges or something like that.



Oh, also, speakers/stereo. Probably something that will hook up to your computer, beccause let's not lie, we all download our music and very rarely make CDs anymore.
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by InnocenceLost57 »

I've heard from several different people that tool kits are rarely needed, but are invaluable when you DO need one. So I think I'll keep that just in case.



Ipod I definetely have - I would like to upgrade mine, because mine's a 60gig color with photo capability, but honestly, the screen's too small to do much good. I've only used up about a quarter the space and have over 2000 songs; maybe I could convince someone to get me an ipod video 30gig just for the picture capabilities - I love the idea of having them on there, because it would be very convenient, but on so small a screen as the one I have, it's fairly useless.



Laptop is a definite, but that won't be until the end of this year. I was thinking the USB/flash drive (is there a difference?) because I use floppy disks a lot, and I hate carting them around - I'd rather have something on a keychain that has more space and is more convenient.



I wasn't thinking an actual water filter so much as one of those water filter pitchers, that wouldn't have to be attatched to a sink or anything. And i think a plug-in teapot or water boiler would be great for making things like soup and ramen in the room for when I don't have time or energy to go out - is this feasible?



Paper towels I can see. What would I use baby wipes for, just general cleaning up?



And you don't think speakers/stereo would cause a conflict with a roommate, or are people generally cool with that sorta thing?



I think an ipod alarm clock is a great idea, because I usually use my mom's old cell phone - i HATE alarm clocks. Can you get the ipod clock to actually beep, because I usually have music going while I sleep - or is that generally frowned upon?



Man I have a lot to learn before I go - I'm so nervous about it all. Bleh.
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by Fishhead »

I wouldn't be able to wake up to the ipod alarm clock. I have to have something extremely annoying just so that I can hear it..
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by nevermindmylife »

rice cooker... I lived off of my rice cooker... if you eat a lot of rice at home, bring a rice cooker... it can also make soup!
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

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And you don't think speakers/stereo would cause a conflict with a roommate, or are people generally cool with that sorta thing? [/b]


No not really. Unless your roommate is some gigantic breed of loser, there will probably be plenty of times when you're alone in the room. So as long as you aren't completely blasting your music you should be fine. You may though want to invest in a nice pair of headphones, in case your roommate is neurotic. Most roommates are pretty music cool though.
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sinical_sycology
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by sinical_sycology »

trust me get the toolkit, too many times have I found myself needing one and end up having to compromise using the straight flat tip of my bread knife....I mean I live in an apartment on my own (freshman) and I had to order a desk, tables, tv stands etc. and a toolkit would've made me happy
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"An educated fool is more foolish than an ignorant one." - Moliere -



"There are well-dressed foolish ideas, just as there are well-dressed fools." - Nicolas Chamfort -



"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain -



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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by Breathe_In_For_Luck7 »

I suggest headphones for the nights you're up late and your roommate may be in bed. A fan, it gets hot in the dorms and there's no AC NORMALLY. Picture frames. Egg-carton type pad for your bed (it may be uncomfortable). Surge protectors.
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by InnocenceLost57 »

ooo surge protector - good idea.



Are crockpots usually allowed? A small one of those might be nice, but I think they might not be allowed.



And are rice steamers basically like crockpots? I've never heard of that, but it sounds useful. Can you use it to cook other things as well?



Other suggestions from friends were -

lap desk

light for over your bed

sharpies!!

desk organiser thing, maybe some of those stackable shelves.



This is turning out to be more fun than I thought! Haha.
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Reach up



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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by SexyLittleDoll »



And you don't think speakers/stereo would cause a conflict with a roommate, or are people generally cool with that sorta thing? [/b]


No not really. Unless your roommate is some gigantic breed of loser, there will probably be plenty of times when you're alone in the room. So as long as you aren't completely blasting your music you should be fine. You may though want to invest in a nice pair of headphones, in case your roommate is neurotic. Most roommates are pretty music cool though.

[/b][/quote]



LOL the tool kit .. I never ever needed it .. but hey go for it and the baby wipes OMG I can't live without them.



Be prepared for the gigantic breed of loser roommate.. thats what I had my freshman year.
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by PurplePoemPuppet »

Depending on the dorm, the white board w/dry erase markers is always good. We actually had a magna doodle which was kind of fun!



A full length mirror can be nice because they usually won't have something where you can actually check your whole body out.



We had one of those big laminated calendars posted on the wall and my roommate and I would write everything we had going on so we both knew each other's schedule.



Unless you have a private bathroom... shower flip flops!!! Also, don't forget a shower caddy. Some dorms have cubbies in the bathrooms to store your stuff and some don't. I always bring my stuff to the shower.



Bring sponges, dish soap, and towels for your dishes. You'll have to wash them yourself and well... you gotta plan for clean up!



Don't forget plenty of hangers.



Door hangars are nice too depending on the closet type you have and the door you have. Good for towels/robes/jackets, etc.



Pushpins/tacks are awesome!



Do you have carpet in your dorm? Bringing your own rug can brighten your room and if you have linoleum flooring, a lot more comfortable!



Extra storage is really nice. I had a plastic bin thing, only about 8 inches tall and had wheels so it slid under the bed nicely. I've also seen people bring stackable bins. Works great.



Pain killers are your best friend when you're in need. Ibuprofen, tylenol, etc. Also, if you worry about getting sick, bring some nyquil/dayquil kind of stuff just in case. (everyone else who gets sick will love you too).



BAND-AIDS!!! Seriously. You just have to have them.



And to go along with the tool kit deal, depending on what you plan to hang, maybe have some small nails for pictures. Sticky tack for just the photos alone is good too.



A hanging shoe organizer for your closet is great if you have a lot of shoes and don't know what to do with them. If you don't have a lot of shoes, it's also great for storing stuff like your shower items or even clothes.





Umm, that's about all I can think of off the top of my head that hasn't been said already. Haha, good luck!

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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by Breathe_In_For_Luck7 »

I don't know about tacks and nails. I thought most dorms have concrete walls. Mine are concrete.
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by SirPostAlot »

jeez TJ must be nice, haha, my RAs (though called CAs here - Community Assistant) are strict...

rice cookers and crock pots (though they are the best things in the world) are illegal here, also, haha, i soo wanted to buy a coffee pot, but alas, also illegal...

worse comes to worse, you get the items and just store them for a couple of years till you live in apt.



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sinical_sycology
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by sinical_sycology »

dude what fucking school do you go to? Do they outlaw fucking dishes too or what? Sounds like a bunch of strict overdoing it assholes to me
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" - Jesus Of Nazareth -



"An educated fool is more foolish than an ignorant one." - Moliere -



"There are well-dressed foolish ideas, just as there are well-dressed fools." - Nicolas Chamfort -



"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain -



"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes." - Oscar Wilde -



REVOLUTIONARY - An oppressed person waiting for the opportunity to become an oppressor - Cynics Dictionary -
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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by SirPostAlot »

it is illegal to have any cooking items (they fear over-heating) ~ plus it runs up their electricity bills, which is understandable...



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Re: College Gift Ideas?

Post by Breathe_In_For_Luck7 »

It's a fire hazard and most schools have that rule.
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