College/Moving Away From Home

[Annella]

I recommend being a teachers assistant, just check out the boards near staff offices. I graded papers and had 20 hours a week at $10 an hour, pretty good money and I could do the work in between classes or on my free time.

Really? That sounds like a good job. I wouldn't mind doing that, I used to grade papers in elementary and high school. Wasn't that difficult of a job. Of course, since I'm going to a technical school that will probably change lol.

Annella

I don't think I'll have too big a deal with the alarm clock. I have 2 I could possibly use, but nowadays most alarm clocks need either an outlet or batteries. So either way there, I'm basically screwed. My grandmother tried looking for an old alarm clock too, the ones where you just wind it and off it goes! But she even looked at L.L. Bean and couldn't find one. I do have a smart clock that can run on an outlet and switch to battery power if the electricity ever went out. And it resets itself to the appropriate time even if it shut off for a second. That's the only reason I love it.
As for the kitchen supplies, The dorm comes with a stove, microwave and refrigerator and lots of cabinets. So we'll have plenty of space to put cooking supplies and store food. The plastic containers won't be a problem. My family basically COLLECTS them. But I think what I might do is save up and get those Gladware containers that attach to the lids. My grandmother got my mother a set and when she sends food over its not a hassle to try and keep the lid and container together. And the steamer, I can probably just borrow from my grandmother. She doesn't use it much and I only just reminded her of it because I wanted some veggies....FAST. lol I had to use a steamer in Home Ec and I loved it really. Cooked my potatoes in half the time.
The laundry stuff I can understand buying small. But if the beds are what I think they might be like, I think I'll have enough room to store them in, and I can buy a few smaller containers to put what I'm going to use in when I leave for the laundromat. As for clothing? I don't have that much to begin with. Most of it I never wear and plan to rid of within the next month. I basically wear jeans and t-shirts so I could wear one pair and a shirt one day and reuse them for a few weeks before they'll need washing. Gram always told me never to wash jeans, to spot clean them. The denim fits to your body and when you wash them they shrink and you have to rewear them many times to get them back to the way you were and most times they seem not to really fit like the used to. I will be going to a Housing Day down there to check out what the dorms are like in November, so I'll actually be able to see what space I'll be working with. I helped my boyfriend move into his dorm and if its anything like his, roomwise, I'll have more space than I need. I can also see where your coming from with the tools. From my beau's experiences, he's needed a lot of those that he didn't realize he would need. And one most EMBARRASING one that he must go out and get at the nearby walmart. A plunger

Sounds like your pretty well prepared. Of course college today is a lot different than when I went. I'm 61....lol  At that time there were a lot of restrictions about what we could have in our rooms. I see that things have improved. I had no idea you would have a stove in your room.....cool!!  The trick is to live well with the minimum required. Ah, I forgot about a plunger, and extra hangers that someone else mentioned. Also, a huge supply of zip lock freezer bags in the quart and gallon sizes can be used for all sorts of things. Be very picky who you hang with, study hard, but above all, have fun, because it is fun. It's all in the attitude.

[sapphiratigress]

lvstephanie

I can handle the bedroom to bathroom thing. I have plenty of small containers I can use for that. And they'd fit everything I need in them perfectly. My grandma is a representative for Avon so I get new slippers every year and are they oh so comfortable. As for the mini-fridge? I think it'll be a no-go because I won't have enough cash to get one in time and I don't know anyone who's got one that I could borrow. My improv for that would be to have a cooler in the room and switch out the icepacks everyday. But that would be too much work >_< I'm not sure what laundry's going to be like. Thanks for helping me with another question I could ask them tomorrow! I'm heading down for my college visit and I'm so excited! 
I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing with the meal plan. I have a feeling it'll be more economical for me if I do get one, but I'd like to cook my own food too if you know what I mean. If I could...I would get a crock pot and buy those crock pot meals and have them simmer on Saturday to have them stored and such by Sunday and the entire suite could have some if they need it. Crock pot meals tend to have a lot in them. Just a beef stew one and some biscuits could be a meal for a week for me.
I would  to join a ballroom dancing club. I don't think any of the colleges I've looked at has one I've always been interested in them. Even now. I want to learn how to ballroom dance...or salsa. I REALLY want to learn how to salsa. And its not really a sport but it is very active and that would definitely keep me interested in the activity. I haven't yet found a college that has a cool extracurricular activity yet >_< Books, I have no idea about. I haven't really thought much about the loan I'm going to have to get too. But I will soon though, I'll have to be. I'll take those websites into serious consideration because they may help more than I'd think they would financially.

[sapphiratigress]

jessicak83

I'd rather get something I can lock Then everyone will have to ask me for the key(or combination) bwhahaha!  I'm sure I can find something somewhere for a decent price. Or maybe I can get something for christmas. I mean hey..I gotta ask for something! Extension cords and power strips are must-haves in the house now. I could just nab a few of them. Now the surge protector ones, I'm going to have to go out and look for. I doubt I'll be moving my room around much, but I do like to change things up a bit. Even if its not major.
The first aid kit is a really good idea. Now that I think about it, I should have given my boyfriend one..him and his roommates are always pranking each other and its only a matter of time before one of them gets hurt. I think I'll invest in one of those for him first. I have a very super mini one here that I keep in my room. I haven't had to use it yet, but my mom had one at one point...I wish I knew where I put it. It had scissors and gauze pads and Ace Bandages too. But I'm sure I can find one like it. The cable cord is something I'll have to remember to grab. Nick(my  ) didn't have one either. He didn't know that you needed one to hook up the cable to the television. But the bonus is that they do have Wifi for the computers.
Hangers  Don't even get me started on hangers. My house has so many hangers, its nearly impossible to go into a room without seeing one. I'm POSITIVE I won't have a problem with hangers...as long as I just don't forget to pack them lol.