What Not To Bring To College!

Nope, Don’t Need It

Actually what I wanted to share here was that given that this is my third child to head off to college, I have learned that there are a few things you really don’t need to purchase and bring. If you haven’t started shopping for your incoming freshman yet, whether for things for their dorm or clothes; well, then, I am here to tell you that if you reside in South Florida, you probably shouldn’t bother. You see, my daughter has cleaned out just about every store and depleted me of my savored stack of Bed Bath and Beyond coupons. Ok, so I am kidding… sort of.

With so many great deals out there on  Overstock, Wayfair, Dormify, and Amazon in addition to the traditional big box stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s,  Walmart and Target, if you plan in advance, you may be able to save some money too and not end up running around trying to find items that could possibly be sold out.

Do You Need One of Those?

For instance, that printer you spent hours picking out. It turns out there are quite a few places around campus to print wirelessly and then you won’t have to pay for continuous refills of ink, which can actually be more expensive than a whole new printer.

Curtains. I know it says that students can bring curtains to cover up their closets because they have no doors, but, trust me; the curtains will spend more time on the floor or pushed to the side. And when they crash to the floor in the middle of the night, no one is happy.

Leave Alexa and/or Echo home. Sadly, UCF is not prepared for them yet and housing tells us it will be a year before the proper wiring will allow them to work.

We know air fryers are really popular and easy for college students to use. You are allowed to bring them but students living in the Rosen Dorms should know that the Orange County Fire Department will charge a false alarm fee for accidentally setting off the alarm in the room. Response fees are charged to your UCF account and can range from $350 to $600 depending on the number of fire units responding.

It is tempting to want to simply pack by taking everything out of the drawers and closet, but truth be told, if your student’s wardrobe is as ridiculously large as mine, it just won’t fit. Chances are they will be home or you will visit at least once before the “frigid” cold sets in, so perhaps they can exchange a few tank tops and bathing suits for some sweaters then. There simply isn’t room no matter how many under-bed boxes you buy.

My daughter’s summer roommate showed up with a 24 piece pot and pan set. While it was lovely, I assure you most of it was rarely used. As a matter of fact, when we packed up for summer there was an array of kitchen items strewn all over the counter and the girls weren’t even sure which belonged to whom. So, until your student decides that Giada is their greatest role model, kitchen items are best purchased at the dollar store.

Need Some Of That?

Finally, I encourage you to have your students’ converse with their roommates before arriving at school. My daughter lives in one of the apartment-style dorms with a full kitchen. She talked, texted, snapchatted, and so on with all three of her new roommates and still, we ended up lugging a microwave, shower curtain, toaster oven, coffee maker, and teapot to find that their apartment then had 2 to 4 of each. So, yes, we brought a few things home, but wouldn’t a little prior communication make this easier? I’m writing this off to Millennial’s inability to communicate and hope it gets better as time passes.

As for what to bring, we’ve got our Shopping Guide for New Students that breaks it down and has some great places to find what your student will need. Happy Shopping! Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.