My College Survival Kit

Being a freshman, I have learned a lot about what I need and don’t need in college. I went stalking TikTok before I came here to SU and built the ultimate packing list and survival kit. Learning what you need and don’t need has become important and especially being a broke college kid on a budget has made my priorities straight on what I needed to buy. A college survival kit is not just snacks and drinks but things that you will actually use especially being super busy trying to find your place, starting classes, and decorating your dorm. especially at the beginning of the year, this list is a nesscessity. 

Reusable water bottle

This is a must! I cannot emphasize having a reusable water bottle more. I have a Stanley Ice Flow water bottle that I love. It has a straw and it fits perfectly under all the water bottle refilling stations around campus making it the perfect and convenient when walking around campus. It is on the higher price side, but I personally think that a more expensive reliable water bottle is better than a cheap water bottle that has a higher chance of cracking or breaking completely.

phone card holder

Personally, I think this is the most important thing you could ever purchase for college. It is all fun and cute to walk around campus the first week with a little purse but once you hit the second week of class and the cute outfits every day have stopped, you’re going to want to carry as little as possible. I have found this convenient for my ID card, debit card, credit card, and driver’s license. Being able to stick my phone up to the scanner outside of my dorm and be let in is much easier than digging into a bag, finding it, and then having to put it back in that bag so I don’t forget it. Having the phone card holder is much more convenient and lowers the risk of losing your ID card.

good sneakers

Wearing Converse, HEYDUDES, or Vans are nice because they come in all different styles, fun patterns, or colors but walking around campus all day every day you are going to want a reliable sneaker. Some sneakers that I have seen people wear around campus that they love are Nike, Hoka, New Balance, and Adidas. Having a comfortable sneaker on your feet all day around campus will ultimately help reduce the amount of pain in your feet later that night and reduce the amount of Band-Aids you are going to put on for blisters.

hand sanitizer

I know when I was shopping for everything that I was bringing to college this ultimately slipped my mind. I did not buy any, I forgot to pack any that I already had at home, and it didn’t seem to be that important. Well, I was wrong. Hand sanitizer is so important because there are going to be times that you wish you had some. Yes, the campus is clean but with all the sicknesses that go around in the Fall semester, you are just going to want it. I was sick for 3 weeks on and off and I know that everyone else around me was too and all I did was keep putting hand sanitizer on. College is a cesspool of germs and sickness that you want to try and avoid at all costs and hand sanitizer can help with that. 

tide to go pen

Tide To Go pens are super convenient when you are eating with friends in the dining hall or at scholarly eating an acai bowl and accidentally spilling some of it on you. Or even with dining on the go, which is huge, because sometimes you just will not have time to sit down and eat an entire meal, and you will have to take it to go. Some of the reasons why I think it is important are it is convenient when you are super busy, and it protects your clothes. As a dual major in legal studies and luxury brand marketing and management, I am consistently in business casual and business formal so having this ensures that my nice clothes are stain-free. Lastly it is portable and affordable. It is small enough to fit in a backpack pocket, coat pocket, and a medium-sized wallet, and at the same time, it is affordable which makes a Tide pen super nice to have.

Grab-and-go snacks

I know for me, this is super nice and convenient because I am constantly on the move and never in my room. Grab-and-go snacks are a quick little energy boost because as a college student, you are always on the move, and it is slightly unpredictable with study times and extracurriculars. This offers a quick way to fuel your body without needing to sit down for an actual meal. It is also nice to have things that are individually wrapped and portioned when you are studying at the library or just around campus because they are easy to throw in your backpack and are retally available when you are hungry but don’t have time to stop somewhere around campus. 

Six-foot charger

A six-foot charger will be your SAVIOR when you want to be on your phone in bed but also charge it. I was debating whether I was going to be bringing a longer charger or my regular one and when I tell you I have never been happier that I brought a long one is an understatement. It has saved me multiple times when I want to play a game on my phone or just aimlessly scroll through TikTok while I am lying in bed. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I recommend to ANYONE get a long charger for your room so you can use your phone in bed. 

• college
• first year
• Needs
• survival kit