A New Yoga Pose: The Stuffed Suitcase

Whether you’re anxiously going through your stuff in a vague effort to pack or still holding on to the last vestiges of summer, the semester is undeniably upon us. For the Class of 2017, this is an exciting but challenging time. Faced with packing to go off to college, a bewildered freshperson turns to Bwog for help:

Hello Bwog!

I’m going to be a freshman this year and I was wondering if you guys could make a list of what to bring in August. Not necessarily a comprehensive list, but maybe just the essentials? :)

Thanks!

Bwog isn’t your mother, so we won’t do all the work for you, but we do have a short list of critical articles for dorm room life.

  • Printer
    • If you ever intend to print color, you want one. Color printing costs $1.00 per sheet from the few color printers on campus.
    • With the patching of the CTRL-Alt-Backspace trick on most NINJa computers, if you run out of your allotted print quota you’ll start paying $.10 per sheet. That can get pricey.
    • That said, it is a lot of overhead cost just to lug around a relatively large piece of office equipment.
    • Perhaps the most compelling reason to bring a printer is convenience: being able to print in the comfort of your room.
  • Food
    • If you can easily bring some with you, do: everything is more expensive in the city
    • You’ll be grateful for snacks when trying to entertain your new friends in an 87 ft2 single
  • Rain boots
    • Unless you want foot fungus.
  • Shower shoes
    • Because you really don’t want foot fungus.

  • Ventilation
    • If your dorm doesn’t have A/C, you need a fan.
    • Freshpeople, if you don’t live in Carman, this means you!
  • Lighting
    • The incessant buzzing of the standard fluorescent light in your dorm room will turn either you or your roommate into a flesh eating zombie
    • Whether it’s Christmas lights or a stand lamp, bring some form of illumination other than your laptop screen
  • Refrigerator
    • Crucial for the kitchen-less freshman dorms, and to prevent someone from absconding with your chocolate supply during finals
    • Don’t bring it with you! See below for the Green Sale
  • School supplies
    • Pens, pencils, notebooks and folders: standard stuff.
    • Don’t go overboard: even more so than in high school, you probably won’t use it.
    • That said, you will definitely need a stapler
  • Speakers
    • Make yourself heard, and thereby known, to your floormates.
    • Set the mood once you’ve successfully sexiled your roommate
  • Laundry detergent
    • If this needs explaining, you should learn how to use a laundry machine.
  • Cleaning supplies
    • Including but not limited to Clorox wipes, Swiffer/mini vacuum, Febreze for air and for clothes, paper towels
  • Extra set of sheets and towel
    • For when your friend voms in your bed and/or bathroom

Now, don’t go rushing out to buy all of these things. Many of the above and more can be acquired on campus at the Green Sale run by Columbia’s EcoReps; in particular, refrigerators! We’ll post more about the Green Sale in the coming weeks.

Have more suggestions for our incoming freshpeople? Unsure whether to bring your grandma’s antique lemon juicer? Well, you know what to do.