Refrigerators. Refrigerators are clearly useful in college. They keep food fresh and cold and can even keep cheese from going bad. No one comes to college without somehow accounting for a refrigerator. Computers are useful, too. Whether or not you bring your own computer, you’re always going to keep in mind where you’re going to type your next essay, check your Facebook and your Gmail. Pillows are also useful you need something to sleep on, right?
These are things I could have remembered to pack for college even without my mother’s help. However, there are many things, both small and large, cheap and expensive, colorful and in gray-scale, that your mother never told you to pack, but by the end of your senior year of college, you or a friend should have in your possession.
The first item is crucial for surviving Rochester winters that item is a Snuggie. The invention of Snuggies revolutionized the blanket industry. Whereas, before Snuggies, comfortable blankets were sufficient in both providing yourself with the apex of comfort and for seducing the opposite sex with pure coziness, now anything short of Snuggies is sinful. Someone in your room/suite/house should own a Snuggie, so when it comes down to Rochester’s frosty nights, you have a soft companion to envelope you in warmth. (Quick side note onesies, as long as they have footsies, are acceptable substitutes).
For at least the past decade, video games have become a staple of college life. College rooms sometimes seem to be incomplete without some platform that allows for ‘Mario Kart,” ‘Guitar Hero,” ‘Halo” or even just ‘Pokmon.” The advent of modern technology, though, calls for the purchase of one system Nintendo Wii. ‘Wii Sports” is actually one of the greatest games to come out recently. Who needs to beat out aliens as Master Chief when you can bowl a 300 and KO your friend, all without changing the disk?
I’m sure that you, like I, were repeatedly reminded to eat healthily. The freshman-15 is no myth, and I’m slightly surprised that I’m not 40 pounds overweight from all the pizza and beer I’ve consumed in college. But there’s no avoiding this caloric intake, and I say there’s no point living life unless you’re going to enjoy it. That’s why a room should always have at least one box of Cocoa Puffs and one container of NesQuick chocolate milk. There’s nothing like starting the day with a chocolaty bowl of Cocoa Puffs, or ending a long day of classes with a tall glass of chocolate milk or hot chocolate. These two items are essential to staying happy.
There’s also nothing more clutch than a person with a bottle opener. If you’re a guy, it’s the perfect opportunity to show off your gentlemanliness when a girl is about to use her teeth to open up a bottle of Corona and you can whip out your ‘I wlkerwl3 NY” bottle opener to save the day. If you’re a girl, then owning such an item, while not ladylike, is definitely a testament to your resourcefulness and independence (from the need for someone to open your bottle), which are definitely important characteristics in a modern-day woman.
Owning a few seasons of your favorite TV show can never hurt either, especially for weekend afternoons. ‘Family Guy” and ‘The Office” are recommended. ‘Grey’s Anatomy” earns a demerit because that show is truly, truly awful.
Bringing these items to college is a must. Your mother may remind you to bring a refrigerator, microwave and towel, but these items just listed are those that you’re going to have to remember on your own. Frame this article and you’ll be fine. Win, win, win situation.
Epstein is a member of
the class of 2010.
