Students blog

One of the most exciting parts of getting ready to go to college is buying and packing
things up for your dorm room. However, this can also be one of the most stressful times for everyone as you try to figure out what you need. Here are some items that you might not think of, but you will be sad if you forget!

First Aid Kit

I cannot stress this enough. You are entering a new environment with all new people and new germs that you might not have been introduced to before. Trust me. You will get sick and when you do, you won’t want to drive to the store to get medicine and supplies. So, make sure that you have a solid first aid kit with cold and flu medicine, a thermometer, allergy medicine, bandaids, a disinfectant, cough drops, electrolytes, and pain relievers. Having these on hand will be a lifesaver when you catch a campus bug or hurt yourself in your dorm.

Surge Protector

Dorm rooms never have enough outlets, and no one wants to be the fire hazard that causes a 3 am fire alarm to go off. Make sure that you have a couple of good surge protectors so that you have a few extra places to safely plug things in.

Headphones or Earbuds

It doesn’t matter what brand or kind but you will want some sort of headphone situation. Playing your stuff out loud in public or around your roommate can be annoying at best and a serious distraction at worst. You also will want the ability to tune the rest of the world out when people are being loud around you, or you just need an escape. Earbuds will provide that getaway and keep you polite to those around you.

Extra Charging Cords

I definitely recommend having a phone charger cord for your room and one for your backpack. Transporting one cord around can be troublesome when you forget it somewhere and need it that night. On the other hand, just having one cord in your room can be bad when your phone inevitably loses battery while you're out on campus. Keeping one with you all the time and another in your room nearly eliminates the possibility of being stranded with a dead phone and no way to contact anyone.

Comfy Clothes

I know it’s easy to think that you’ll dress cute every day in college and some days you might! However, the reality is that some days you might wake up for an 8 am lab and realize the effort just isn’t worth it that day. Then, you will want some socially acceptable comfy clothes that you can just throw on and head out.

I hope that this list alleviates some of that stress around knowing what to bring and helps
elevate that excitement around packing.

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Reading for recreation has become immensely popular for college students in recent years, and I can hardly say that I’m surprised. Being a new adult and experiencing life on your own for the first time can be scary. It definitely helps to escape to a different world where the problems are solvable, like when we were kids reading Hunger Games or Harry Potter. However, I know that it can be hard to find books to get into that allure and entertain you, especially when you may be feeling burned out from your academic reading. Here are 5 books to start you back into the magical world of reading.

5. The Grace Year by Kim Ligget

If you absolutely loved books like The Hunger Games and Divergent as a kid, then this is the book for you. It follows Tierney James as she enters her ‘grace year.’ In her world, this is the year that sixteen-year-old girls are sent out on an island to use up all their magic, so they don’t disrupt society. Think of it like a girl’s version of Lord of the Flies. This book is action-packed with an inspiring ending and maybe even a dash of romance.

4. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Video game lovers, this one is for you. This story is a love letter to video games and the creative process of making them. It follows Sam and Sadie, two best friends in the 80s who reconnect as college students and develop a popular video game just as gaming is becoming popular. The story follows them as they learn how to be adults and live in the real world.

3. Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

This is a sweet queer fantasy romance that involves a competition to become a town’s head witch. Wizards of Waverly Place anyone? This book also talks about how awkward it can be coming back home after you’ve grown up and changed. This is definitely something that commonly happens in college and maybe the main character Emmy can help you through that in your own life, too.

2. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

If you’ve seen the movie that this is based on, you should give the book a try! They actually have completely different endings. This book is about Robert Neville, the last man alive in the zombie apocalypse. It has science and action and adventure as he tries to survive.

1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

If you enjoy Knives Out and The Glass Onion, this book has very similar vibes. Avery receives a letter with news that one of the world’s richest men has left her his entire inheritance and she has no idea why. To figure it out, she has to go to his house and deal with his slighted family and the seemingly infinite number of puzzles that he left for her. This book is fast paced, adventurous, and has a little bit of romance on the side.

Hopefully these books can get you started into the mystical world of literature while in college. Reading is a great form of self-care, and these books are a great place to start. No matter what life throws at you, books are an excellent escape and can help us regain our composure before going back out into the world.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!