Advice needed: What in the world do college students need today?
Hey Community-
I am not a parent but a cool aunt (self appointed title but can defend it 😏).
My niece is getting ready to go to college in the fall and she is struggling a bit since her parents did not go to college. They are super proud and so are we but you don't know what you don't know.
My wife and I are stepping in to help and already have plans to deck out her room like a doom room (she's staying with her Grandma for the first year) and we've discussed computers. Basically the fun parts.
The thing is, the two of us went to college when you took notebooks to class and had a tape recorder to record lectures. Basically we're the lady from Titanic when it comes to college.
What else do college students need to succeed today? Or what tech would be super helpful?
Added bonus - what did you get for your college student that is just collecting dust? I'd love to avoid buying anything useless as well. 😊
Comments
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Haha! I love this! I would love to hear what others think about this topic, as my daughter is heading off to college in August. She is our first child going to college, so I would appreciate some advice.
💻️ My daughter asked for a MacBook Air laptop as her graduation gift. This will equip her with all the tools she needs for her classes. She also plans to use her iPad to take notes and record lectures.
She's at orientation now, so I'm sure there will be more to come…
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I used a MacBook Pro throughout undergrad, it was great but depending on major I don't think more than a MacBook Air is really necessary. I also had an ipad that I used to take notes, which was great because I absorb things better when handwriting but could still have all my material for my classes in one place without weighing my backpack.
Not the most important piece of tech for school, but the one thing I used the MOST on campus was my headphones. Especially if she is not living on campus, they're the best for those long breaks between classes when you're trying to study in common areas around 50 billion loud people. I also brought my bike to campus because I thought I would use it to go from class to class, never used it once. It was still nice to have for weekends and for recreational bike rides but I never once used it for actual transportation lol.
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I've heard it said over and over again…it depends on the major. My son had a MacBook Air laptop and an iPad that he used to take notes. He wanted the lightest thing possible. Then in his dorm and later house he used an external monitor so that he'd have more space to see the spreadsheets he was working on.
Remember if you are buying a Apple…lots of campus bookstores sell them on-campus with a discount. You can also purchase on Apple's education page.
Bonus…they always do a special thing if you buy a Mac or iPad you can get a special deal on an accessory…aka FREE Apple stuff 🎉
This year it's AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad or Magic Keyboard.
The other tech item since she won't be on campus would be a Anker USB C charger…I've purchased 3 of these and love them! Don't forget a couple lenghts of UBC cords too!8 -
This seems silly but also a rain coat or umbrella, depending on where she is going to school. Even if she didn't use one in high school…she might in college. It's a long walk in the rain to your car or transit if you don't live on campus.
Also…find out what food options there are on campus. Give her some gift cards. It get expensive to eat on campus all the time…which she will probably want to do vs going home. Good news for her is that she won't be tied to dining hall hours…she'll be able to eat what she wants when. You might also ask her about her willingness to carry lunch or snacks with her and then get her something cool to carry it in.8 -
My current running list:
-Looking like Apple is winning - especially when you get free goodies. I love that. I did price the MacBook Air and it seems like a feasible option. Our girl is a gamer but I told her we will learn together about compatibility or if she can use a regular PC for that.
-Headphones are a must - especially when she's on campus for a bit. Maybe it's the freebie!
-Charger. Charger. Chargers. Gotta have battery life.
-No bikes. This one is easy. Ha.
-Rain jacket/umbrella situation. I feel like we can get a pretty good deal on this one.
-Solid backpack - I love Timbuk2's line since I was a commuter back in the day and if you time it correctly, they do solid sales.
-I think we'll leave food in Grandma's wheelhouse but I am going to make a note for that so we can discuss when we see her next.
Thank you all so much for chiming in, @jamielcash @Debbie11428616 & @KatherineGalland_KCT! You're the best.
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It looks like you have a solid start. Remember that Apple offers an education discount for students, which can save you some money. Some campuses also sell them at discounted prices.
Since your niece is a gamer, I should mention this…
Depending on the college she attends, they might have a gaming center. When we toured Grand Canyon University, AZ, they had a huge dark room set up for gamers. It was CRAZY! Kids were getting paid to test games for companies. Now that's the right idea…Getting paid to play! A perfect side hustle while going to college. 💵
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Those blue IKEA bags for move in! Some use them for laundry too! They last forever and fold up small.
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As an update to this thread - we did some research and we are going with the MacBook AirPro with the additional headphones.
Turns out she has a tablet that's still in decent shape for note taking so will look at that later on when it's time to replace it.
What we are doing for bedroom setup:
-We have a metal queen frame that will replace the old bedroom frame in her room. Grandma didn't seem upset by this move and I get room back in my storage closet.
-We have priced a desk and a solid chair and she picked out her favorite colors. Thank goodness for delivery.
-We also have a few pieces of tech that we have accumulated from various jobs such as an extra monitor, keyboard, and mouse so we can get her setup and she will even have a "tv" this way since she streams from her devices. Disclaimer: No equipment from Kaplan or my wife's current place of employment. In case IT is reading.
-Next up is heading up, getting the room settled, the computer setup, and getting registered for classes.
I feel as if I have adopted a child so definitely extra kudos to all you out there making things happen. It takes a community and everyone's advice has been great. :)
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Med kit with EVERYTHING they could possibly need. They get sick that first time and don’t know what to do and don’t want to navigate the health center or depending on university are sent to an Urgent care because health care doesn’t want “activity sick” kids there…🤦🏻♀️🙄
I made kits for all my kids friends as grad gifts and they all said “most useful gift I got!” 😂😂 Bandaids, thermometers, activate ice packs, tums, Benadryl, pepto/ gi upset, aquaphor, ibuprofen/tyleno, ( your kid only), antifungal for feet 😳 (don’t forget the shower shoes), pulse ox finger meter, alcohol wipes, wound care spray. If you do supplements those too…elderberry, emergenC or vit C. Point being..they get sick and just want Mom so make it as comforting as possible to be able to advise them over the phone if it’s a common cold or something that needs just TLC care.3
