Your new home-sweet-home

You’re going to need to bring your own bedding, as the residence halls only provide you with a mattress. The mattresses are made to accommodate extra-long twin bed sheets, which are 36 inches by 80 inches. You’ll also need blankets and pillows, plus any furniture like futons, couches or end tables. Good luck fitting the extra furniture in your room though!

Um … What’s that smell?

Even though it may be a hassle to keep clean, nobody wants to be that guy with the odor. You need soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste. You’ll need to get yourself some deodorant and maybe some mouthwash too. You’re also going to have to keep your clothes clean, so pack laundry detergent and dryer sheets.

Finally, public showers are crawling with the unspeakable grossness of everyone else’s feet. You’ll need something like shower shoes to keep your toes away from the nasty.

Wasn’t it just raining?

Ask anyone who’s been here a semester: Kent State’s weather patterns are more unpredictable than Hollywood’s latest scandal. Unless you’re packing a weather-changing machine, you need tools to keep yourself both warm and cool. Clothes for every type of weather are required at all times — even in December. Fans are useful when it’s hot out and umbrellas are a must when the weather turns wet.

Despite popular belief…

You’ll be attending Kent State for your education, so school supplies are a given. You’ll need your books and a probably a backpack of some sort. You might need a calculator or a specific computer program, depending on your classes. Pencils, pens, notebooks — these supplies are pretty much the same as high school. Don’t forget about an alarm clock of some sort, but remember that most modern cell phones have an alarm setting on them. Also, owning your own printer might be a good idea.

Extra spending money

As much as tuition is today, you’re going to need a little extra pocket money to keep yourself social. You need cash to do your laundry, to send mail and to order pizza. Though living on campus means you have a meal plan, you’re not going to want to eat on campus every night. You’re going to want to go out to eat, to see a movie or to buy things at Walmart.

Chill out, dude

Under the stress that college is sure to bring you, you’re going to need something to keep yourself sane. Everyone’s got their own way of doing this. Books, television, video games, DVDs, board games, footballs — you name it, you bring it. In today’s society, most everyone has a computer. You’ll need to bring yours. Don’t forget to pack a cable wire to get more than three channels and an Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet.

Where’s my curling iron?

Most rooms in residence halls are relatively small. All this stuff sounds like a lot — and it is! You’re going to need some way to keep it all organized and uncluttered. Hangers for your clothes are obvious, but power strips and extension cords for your electronics might be less so. Stacking shelves and plastic storage containers can help keep your things orderly and out of the way.

Contact administration reporter Nick Glunt at [email protected].