can you help me make a list of office supplies needed for college?

[Grumpy's Gal]

Here's my budget project for this month and next:

We know a young lady who is headed off to college on a VERY limited income. It's a long story.

Anyway, I am on a somewhat limited income so I can start trying to make a useful gift for her within our budget.

I think a file folder box full of office/school supplies would be nice and useful. And if I start now, I can watch for the supplies to go on sale and fill it up over the next few months.

You guys are always on top of everything! Can you help me think of things she will need that would work in this category? She will be in a dorm.

I have on my list so far:

The file folder box
file folders
scissors
stapler
tape


Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Hedy]

highlighters
notebooks
post-it flags

 

[lillygator]

highlighters
Kinko's card for making copies, etc
binders
notebook paper
pens
index cards
disc's/cd's for pc's
Starbuck's or coffee shop card for late night coffee breaks

 

[HM]

various types/colors of pens
pencils
erasers/whiteout tape

backpack

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Backpack.....index cards, highlighters, notebooks, white out or white out tape, post its.

 

[mcco5543]

Make sure the pencils are # 2 pencils, it's the only kind she can take a scantron test with.

Is she moving into a dorm or just starting school? I am a college student myself and have a TON of ideas but most of the school supply list has been covered.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Is she moving into a dorm or just starting school?

both -- she will be a freshman in college and just starting college in a dorm.

She has nothing at all but a great attitude and is eager to start to college (she got a scholarship).

List away...........I need all the ideas anyone has.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

Computer discs and a good zip drive

 

[Mkrop]

For school supply stuff just kind of think of all the things you take for granted around your home, I always just assumed I would have tape and and paper clips etc but those were the things my mom always had at home but once I was on my own I realized those things don't just appear.

For stuff around the dorm room, clock radio would be helpful. Places like Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things are helpful but I don't know how much room she will have. Laundry supplies, bag to haul it, detergent etc

Also a nice gesture is to fill up a box of some of her favorite snacks. Walking to the caf or somewhere is a pain. Make some helathy or she might get the Freshmen 15 haha.

 

[feedindy]

Most of the school supply things have been covered, but other ideas for dorm living would be chip clips, stamps, stapler, pencil sharpener...

I am actually giving my graduating cousin a laundry bag filled with detergent, fabric softener and a roll of quarters.

 

[tangiblehope]

These couple of suggestions aren't really office supplies per say, but I think they would be helpful:

phone card to call home with
milk crates - when I was away at college my roommates and I would scrounge these up wherever we could get them. With limited space - they are perfect for holding books or even a stand for a tv!

Also - a dayplanner / wall calendar is great
three ring binders
perforated notebooks
calculator

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

you guys are great! Thanks for the ideas.

Please, if you have more ideas, list them here! I will check back.

If anyone deserves a happy college experience, it's this girl! She's only getting to go because she got a scholarship. So I know money is going to be very tight for her. Just trying to think one step ahead and try to get some of the things she may need so she won';t have to buy them.

Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[mcco5543]

OK!! I am a college student
(just actually moved off campus after 7 years)

Here's the best things anyone ever could/did give me.

Nyquil,Tylonal, a hot water bottle, band-aids, neosporin ..think medicine cabinet stuff.

(they are REALLY expensive at the campus bookstore/convienience store and at my health center all they ever gave us was sudafed and amoxacilin and robautssin no matter what was wrong with you).


Tissues

Hand sanitizer

QUARTERS QUARTERS QUARTERS..did i mention QUARTERS...Laundry is KILLER expensive and so is grabbing those snacks and drinks from those quickstands/vending. I nearly CRIED when I found an extra quarter floating around in my coat pocket.

A fun and funky/pretty container for her quarters

a GIFT CARD to bed bath and beyond/or Target or Wallmart would be amazing as she will want to pick out many of her own things.

Find out what shampoo/conditioner/soap she uses and purchase extra for her.

You could put together a photo album of her family for her to take with her. I had one and loved looking at it when i needed a good dose of home.

Cleaning products- fantastic/toilet bowl cleaner/

Food is always nice Ramen Noodles or Cup o' Noodles and EasyMac n' Cheese will be her new best friends.

I don't know how far away she's going but how about some Stationary and Stamps ( I was FOREVER in need of stamps)

A book of "questions" from barnes and noble...i'ts a game to play with her new friends...I reccomend "what yould you do" or the "would you rather" series. It's a lighthearted fun (and sometimes gross) game to spark conversation and laugh a lot. ...a good icebreaker!

Tide to Go PEN (for immediate laundry stains)
Find out what laundry detergent/fabric softener/dryer sheets she prefers (she'll love you forever for getting her this!)

Picture frames (small!)

mini icecube trays for her tiny little fridge

I'm sure i'll think of more later.

Will she have a roomate? If so, some of this stuff might be irrelavent considering her roomate might bring some of these things (like cleaning supplies)

 

[nowellsl]

Three hole punch - my DD uses this a lot.
I'll second the zip drive.

 

[Mkrop]

Another thing to look out for is the deal that Office Depot or Office Max has where you can stick as many supplies as you can in a brown bag that they supply and then you 15% off.l I usually get them in the newspaper. I filled up a lot of stuff for my grade schooler during the off season for school.

 

[Plantlady]

I personally, dont' think much is needed in the way of school supplies.

Here's what I got for myself, when starting college.

pens
#2 pencils
Calculator (If required for college algebra... usually needs to be a graphing one)
stapler
a handful of one subject notebooks
backpack

I can see how some people would want a highlighter, I personally.. hate highlighters.

That's all I need.

You might want to get her a gift card for the bookstore on campus, then, if she needs something specific for classes (I had to buy blue books a lot for tests... or index cards, ect).. she can get it.

Some colleges have day planners that are college specific, they are a good way for an incoming freshman to get to know what's happening on campus.

The university will also provide a list of suggested supplies needed, as well as supplies needed for dorm living, you could call the university and get the list.

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

If you get her spiral notebooks make sure you get her the ones that have pockets for papers in them. My freshman year I had just a plain spiral for each class then had a folder for each class way to much stuff to keep up with. Then my sophomore year I just got the giant spirals that fold from the top instead of the side with a pocket in-between each section and stuffed my papers that I needed in there So I just carried the one spiral that held everything I needed no longer needed to worry about leaving my "English notes behind and oh no I forgot my math homework folder". I had one for my M-W-F classes and 1 for my T-H classes. After each test I just stuffed the papers I no longer needed into one of those plastic file folders so I had everything together in one spot at the end of the year for my finals. Get her a good eraser too not the cheap ones but the old style ones that won't leave pink behind when you try to erase this will be very important at when it comes to those scan-trons. Highlighters, Highlighters, Highlighters. Get her a book light too since she will be living in the dorms, never know when she my have late nights reading and want to lay in bed while reading.

 

[Cindy B]

I am a full time college student now.

I use a folder for each notebook. Each subject has its own notebook and color coordinated folder (matches the notebook) so I can recognize it by color.

Definetely a USB drive. I use that USB drive all the time from the schools PC's to my PC's at home. The school PC's do not permit downloads of emails with documents so I can't email my work to myself.

A USB drive eliminates all that mess.

I don't know about a dorm, since I"m a full time adult student at my own home.

 

[Tigger1221]

I am in college too and just wanted to say not to go overboard on the school supplies. I have so much stuff I never use and don't really need! What you really need are paper, pens, pencils, folders, stapler and hole punch, oh an I LOVE my highlighters. However, if you want too you could buy her really cute stuff. Pretty pens, pencils, cool pencil cup etc.


However Laudry is what broke me! My grandparents would bring me detergent, and quaters and I loved it! Also food! I hate grocery shopping

What you are doing is really nice.

 

[Cindy B]

Computer discs and a good zip drive

My schools PC labs (new building less than a year old) do NOT have disc drives in them --no floppy drives at all.

You may have some people use CDROM discs but mostly everyone uses a USB drive.

See, the PCs in school are Macs and everyone usually has a PC at home--the USB drives do not have that issue with compatibility