Dmmetler Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 I am getting DD a backpack for Christmas for her classes this Spring. I'm trying to figure out what to put in it. Any ideas? She won't need a new calculator since she isn't taking a class that calls for a graphing one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlgaLA Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 My DD said 'phone and charger'. Maybe some nice pens? Planner? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Kid's backpack has things like: - binders - refill paper - graph paper notebooks/ moleskin notebooks - water bottle that fits snugly and won't fall out easily - umbrella - wallet - phone and charger - pencil bag with pens, colored pens/ markers for math, highlighters etc - small flashlight (he takes night classes sometimes) - ginger mints (he has low blood sugar issues sometimes) - ID badge (just something I made at home with phone numbers/ who to call in emergency) I made him a really cool planner but he never used it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Depending on what the campus/ terrain/ climate etc is like and her schedule (lots of walking from class to class?) a sturdier pair of shoes and a hat might be helpful too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlgaLA Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 After reading quark's list and realizing that it is for a girl: a small bag with feminine items (mine uses a makeup bag). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 How about a food card for the cafeteria. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Post its of all different sizes until she figures out which ones she likes. Ditto on pens/or mechanical pencils (my child is a pen and pencil snob) Depending on the phone you get, it might have a recorder. Ds likes to be able go back and re-listen to lectures for his foriegn language stuff. It helps him rewrite his notes so they look "just so" and allows him to make a specific mark when he knows he hasn't gotten all of the info down, but the instructor is moving on. Currently his classes are online, so no big deal. If they were in person a digital recorder app would be essential. Clothes that make her look non-homeschooled. We all know what it is like to be able to pick out the homschool kid. It has become increasingly important for legitamacy that Ds had clothes which blend. Bento box or some kind of snack container. Prepaid debit card for emergencies. Most of Ds' school stuff is similar to what he takes to conferences and she is well versed in those :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Feminine hygine products. Murphy's Law would have her be in the middle of class without you around. At least she will be prepared even if she is a bit embarrassed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 (edited) Emergency phone charger. I have a little card thingy that has a USB on one end and a tab on the other that fits my iPad and is supposed to be able to give it an extra boost. DH had a case for his iPhone that could store a charge, so if he couldn't charge his phone directly, the case would charge it. Also, sturdier case for phone or tablet? Nice gloves if she will have to walk across campus in cold. Also, small things like chapstick, mints, feminine supplies, small packets of Tylenol/Advil if you're okay with her taking those, bandaids. The kind of stuff that would be expensive to buy at a campus store that moms seem to carry, since she'll be on her own. Nice reusable water bottle. Edited December 3, 2016 by happypamama 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 3, 2016 Author Share Posted December 3, 2016 Clothes could be interesting. You see a lot of people on this campus dressed for the job they came from or are going to. Maybe polo shirts and khakis? DD is already going to stand out, just because she looks and sounds like the just turned 12 yr old she is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 (edited) Depending on the phone you get, it might have a recorder. Ds likes to be able go back and re-listen to lectures for his foriegn language stuff. Clothes that make her look non-homeschooled. We all know what it is like to be able to pick out the homschool kid. It has become increasingly important for legitamacy that Ds had clothes which blend. If you decide to go with the first, make sure she knows she needs express permission to record a lecture. For the second, I think it depends on the kid. Obviously she is not the same age as the other students, so it isn't her clothes that are going to make her stand out; she should wear what makes her comfortable, whether she looks like a homeschooler or not. ;) A water bottle and snacks, notebooks, a backup pen and ink cartridges. Oh, and at home, a three hole puncher and lots of clear front report covers for organizing the semester's readings. Edited December 5, 2016 by bibiche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 (edited) A planner or app for same. Raincoat the folds into pocket. Battery that can give phone a charge. Edited December 3, 2016 by Heigh Ho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Powerbanks for the phone. My phone died at the weirdest time and I had to use Skype to call my husband using a tablet. Luckily the entire campus had free WiFi. Cash for emergency. Sometimes the credit card machines are down so I tend to keep $20 on me. Cafeteria stores close early too for some campus so I ended up buying drinks for my kids from the vending machines. My kids had summer camp nearby so the college campus was a safer place to wait for hubby to pick us up. For my kids, heat packs. The small handwarmers that last 4 to 8 hrs. They forgot about evening wind chill so we had to stay put at a cafe to keep warm. Luckily that cafe stays open until 9pm and the drop off bay is right in front. So we ran out when my husband pulled up to the drop off bay. This was at a state university. I agree with flash light depending on campus. Some are so brightly lit and has backup generators that it is a non issue. Some corridors are quite dark on rainy days because the lights come on at 6pm by auto-timer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Yes, cash and packable raincoat are very good ideas! DS's wallet has both a debit card (with low bank balance) and some cash. Clothes I don't really know...maybe depends on campus/ area/ major? Kids at DS's college are usually dressed casually (some too casually). Only the culinary school and business majors sometimes have to dress in chef's clothes/ professional clothes. DS goes looking like a normal high school kid (tshirt and jeans or tshirt and khaki slacks) and it's never been an issue. One of DS's pals wears sweats a lot of the time and open crocs because he is picky about clothes/ shoes and no one has said anything. No one at the CC bothers to pick on younger kids. It's not a high school, it's a college. But again, this might depend a lot on the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 My dd12 keeps the following in her backpack: phone, charger, ear buds and spare ear buds composition books: graph paper, lined, and unlined (for drawing) multiple pencil cases: writing supplies, drawing supplies, girl stuff supplies (pads, pimple cream, compact mirror, brush, hairbands, etc) accordion folder with a flap calendar/planner lip balm gum, snacks gloves, hat water bottle inhaler I occasionally add a roll of quarters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 Reading the suggestions, my suggestion would be to not overdo it. She doesn't need a "college survival kit" - she doesn't need to pack as if she were going on a week long trip. Make sure she has enough things to write with (couple of pencils, pencil sharpener, couple of pens, eraser - ruler if necessary for class). Have a notebook for each class (or a binder with a section for each class). Some cash, maybe a cell phone. Don't weigh her down with umbrellas and rain coats and chap stick and band aids and everything but the kitchen sink. Of course, if it's raining or forecast to rain, dress her appropriately for the weather. But you don't want her backpack to weigh more than she does - the college textbooks will take care of that for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 One thing to think about... When DS first started taking classes at CC, he was signed up for 4 classes stretching from 9am to 9pm. He had this 2x a week. We chose this schedule due to the long commute we had at the time, before we moved to be closer to the college. The drive one way was 75 mins. So no way I could drive back and come back to pick him up. We brought a whole load of things with us, from books to 2 meals and 2 snacks to food for the dog too (because he came with us). Umbrella was always in the car so I didn't load him down with one but he had a larger water bottle (he was OCD about using the water fountain in CC at the time). Once he got used to things, I stopped hanging around campus and would go off to run errands or meet friends so he had to handle taking meals on his own etc. If your DD is only taking one or two classes a day, her needs will be a lot less. If she is taking 4, her bag needs to be larger (unless they supply lockers -- they don't at DS's CC). :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Actually, I think that there are some lockers....hmmm. They may be for people doing music classes, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.