What you can’t leave home without

It’s finally here. After four months of living at home and actually having a curfew, it’s time to get back to school — aka freedom.

But first comes the preparation.

You’ve raided your local Target and bought the pencils, notebooks, non-perishable snacks and new laptop. And maybe you’ve hit up your local craft store too, DIY-ing at least 10 different school supply or clothes organizers. Your mom has probably taken you clothes shopping three times to find “weather-appropriate” outfits. Piles of coupons and cardboard boxes clutter your room. You feel completely prepared and you’ve packed enough to be able to permanently move into your dorm.

But by the time September rolls around, you’ll have already been forced to purchase  — without your parents’ credit card — several items from Amazon, make multiple Target trips and ask your mom to “please mail me the hoodie I left at home.” So much for feeling like you remembered everything.

Every college student goes through the same cycle. Fortunately, this official list of things to remember might make your experience a bit less dramatic next time around.

Medicine

I’m not sure why, but I assumed I would never get sick during the school year. But I quickly realized college was a hub for flus and sinus infections that would render me too feverish to leave my bed. So bring cough syrup, throat spray, Pepto-Bismol, Tylenol and allergy medications. Walking to the drug store while coughing your lungs out is never fun.

Thermometer

Along with medicine, this is something you always take for granted having at home. If you’re feeling sick but not sure if you should actually make an appointment for the health center — or if you need a completely plausible excuse to skip class for the day — a thermometer might help you make a decision.

Plastic silverware and cups

Doing dishes in a communal sink can be sketchy. Who knows what your floormates pour down there? Besides, there’s plenty of time for doing dishes once you move off-campus. For freshman year, bring a bulk package of forks, spoons and cups. Forget the knives — you won’t be eating food fancy enough to require that. The forks will come in handy for the Easy Macs and Ramens that you’ll inevitably buy from Quick Zone. The cups will be helpful when you’re splitting drinks with your friends, or you can just use them to rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth.

Swimsuit

Although the closest beach may be six hours away, there’s no reason to leave your swimsuit at home. If all your favorite machines are taken at the Pete’s gym or if you just want to work out without being exposed to the grunts of beefy weight lifters, try a slightly different workout by swimming at the indoor pool at Trees Hall. But be warned, you will probably lose all interest once the cold weather hits.

Earplugs

No, not headphones. I’m talking about the little rubbery noise-blocking things that you literally plug your ear with. If you’re a fan of taking naps in the middle of the day, these will help you block out the sounds of your floormates who never seem to stop socializing. Now you can wake up recharged for your four-hour night lab. If you’re trying to study on a Thursday night before a test and trap music is echoing through your hall, earplugs will be necessary.

External battery pack for phone

After browsing all possible social media outlets during boring classes, my phone would immediately die once I boarded the 10A bus, forcing me to entertain myself by eavesdropping on other people’s conversations. In order to prevent yourself from real-life creeping, keep a portable charger in your purse or in your backpack at all times. They’re easily worth the $10, and besides, you don’t want to get lost in the middle of South Oakland at 2 a.m. with a dead phone.

Febreze

Whether it’s because your parents are visiting and your room smells like old pizza and socks, or because your roommate just microwaved some suspicious-smelling food, there’s nothing better than a quick spray of Febreze to fix the issue. Or, if you live in a suite or apartment-style dorm and have to share one bathroom with up to five other people, Febreze is necessary for reasons that don’t need to be explained.

Tons of extra underwear and socks

When you’re running low on clean clothes, underwear and socks always seem to be the first to run out. It may be totally acceptable to wear a T-shirt a couple different times before washing it, but underwear, not so much. So if you don’t have a decent stockpile, you’ll probably end up doing laundry much sooner than necessary. Why not save those Panther Funds for Panera and do laundry less frequently?

For a more extensive list of your more typical bring-to-college items, try using the College Board’s website.

If you get these items during college prep season, otherwise known as summer, you should be ready for any college-related emergency during the next four years. Just remember to use your parent’s’ credit card whenever possible.

Cecile Truong primarily writes about college and social issues for The Pitt News

Write to Cecile at cet41@pitt.edu