Prepare for College Guide

Heading off to college, and off on their own for the first time, is a very exciting and scary time. There are so many things your new college student will need to prepare for including where they will live, what supplies they will need for the new school year, and the tech gear they’ll want to stay up with their classmates. Here is a helpful guide we’ve complied to help parents and the high school grad prepare for their next stage of life.

We received a variety of samples and/or compensation
for this post. All opinions are our own.

 

 Outfit their Dorm

Perk up their dorm or new apartment with a high quality bedding set that will completely enliven their space. SWENYO offers very unique, top quality bedding sets including complete sets that come with everything you need to dress up their bed. The have bold, colorful duvet covers and mix-and-match pillowcases that allow you to make a totally custom bedroom. SWENYO’s duvet cover is made with 200-thread count percale fabric and printed with non-toxic dies. We’ve tried out their bedding and it was even better than we could have expected. The pieces are very well made, cozy, and dress up my son’s room effortlessly. Shop their complete bedding bundles sets to decorate their room in one easy step.

A new college student will look fabulous in beautiful custom tops and dresses that are designed exactly to their measurements. With eShakti, they offer a variety of beautiful styles that fit your wardrobe whatever your personal preferences. With bold prints, bright colors, or cool neutrals your look is going to shine. What’s really unique is with eShakti, many of the styles you can customize neck length, sleeve type, neckline, or overall length for a dress that covers where you need it to and fits your personality. All customization is taken care of for you with a minimal fee so your new styles will fit you just right. Visit eShakti to find your perfect dress or top for the first day of class.

 

Get them shoes that will start them on the right path for the new school year with ABEO Footwear. ABEO has lots of styles available including the Apex Tie athletic shoe with channeled air chambers and breathable mesh so they stay comfortable during their classes. Or, these cute Taylin flats that can dress up a pair of jeans and double for evening wear like their  shoes. This style uses ABEO B.I.O.system which is a built-in orthotics custom fit so it truly fits and conforms to their footbed. You can select a specific arch type to give stability and balanced weight distribution which reduces foot fatigue for their long walks across campus. Turn to ABEO for shoes with support, comfort and style.

 

Give them a space to store all their personal items, even if they’re sharing their place. The Sorority College Dorm Trunk is a fashionable way to store their items. It gives a large amount of room for storage and is a flexible solution that can be used for dishes, pantry food, clothes, extra blankets, or whatever they need in whatever part of their space. These durable trunks are leather-like and have a ridged exterior with two lower wheels a quality carry handle, and a place to add 2 padlocks to secure their belongings. Then, add a cozy fleece blanket for relaxing after a long day of class like the plush Me Sooo Comfy Dorm Bedding Blanket. You can find lots of perfect essentials for their dorm room at Dorm Co‘s website.

 

Encourage them to keep their space clean, by giving them the tools to make it easy. The new Reliable Steamboy 200CU is an eco-friendly steam mop that heats up in under 30 seconds. It uses straight water, no chemical cleaners or additives, and the power of heat and steam to clean and sanitize their flooring and carpet. The Steamboy steam mop is slim and compact so it can easily be stored in their closet or under the bed to not take up their precious, limited space. You can find Steamboy 200CU on Amazon and on Reliable’s website.

 

Prep their Kitchen

Going off to college for the first time will present them with a whole new experience unlike anything they have faced before. One of their new challenges will including figuring out cooking and preparing meals. A Ninja BL660 Professional Blender with Single Serve Cups is perfect for a new college student. The Ninja Blender’s individual cups can make a breakfast smoothie or blend up ingredients for salsa or other recipes without needing a big enough cup to serve a crowd. Kohl’s has all the essentials for heading back to school for stocking their kitchen, dorm, and any other needs.

 

Help them stay hydrated and healthy with Contigo water bottles. They offer a water bottle to fit every personality and need. The Cortland Water Bottle, pictured above, has an ingenious carry clip on the handle which lets busy on-the-go students clip their water bottle right onto their packs or bikes so it is easy to take with them as they head out the door. Man of Contigo’s water bottles feature AUTOSEAL technology so you always know when it’s closed for a truly spill-proof water bottle. Just press the button to release the automatic seal and take a sip, and release your hold to reseal. They have lots of designs including Shake & Go perfect for easily mixing up protein drinks and many others. Visit Contigo’s website to find your perfect water bottle fit.

 

Make dinnertime effortless for when your new college student is in a pinch cramming for those big tests with THRIVE Life products. They have a full assortment of fruits and veggies, grains, dairy, cereal, snacks, and many more products. THRIVE Express Variety Packs are a perfect place to start. The kit includes a box 12 different products to give them a variety of easy choices that can be prepared in minutes. Each kit includes filling entrees like Southwestern-Style Chicken & Rice or Pasta Carbonara. Also included are soups and sides to round-up their pantry. THRIVE is a great choice for parents to send to their college students as it ensures healthy nutritious options without the worry of it quickly spoiling. The products are convenient and great quality. To see unique ways to use THRIVE products, visit www.thrivewithjodie.com for recipe inspiration!

 

Stock their kitchen with the small appliances they’ll need to cook and prep all their meals through the college years. BELLA has a full range of appliances to meet all their needs. Start with a rotating waffle iron to help them prepare a breakfast that will remind them of home. Fry up dinner without heating up the apartment with an electric skillet perfect for cooking up hamburger meat, diced chicken, or other filling meals. Let them plan get-togethers in style with BELLA’s linkable slow cookers. They can use one slow cooker for small individual meals or link up 2 or more when throwing a party to keep all their dips and appetizers warm and ready. Visit BELLA for even more appliances that are perfect for your recent high school grad.

 

Cool Gear & Accessories

Rokit Boost is a cool technology company that can keep your budding student up with the times. Their products that are perfect for a new student, like the SwageU EVO Bluetooth Headphones. They are comfortable ergonomic designed headphones that let you connect up to two devices with Bluetooth to switch between calls and music. With a long battery life, noise reduction, and a comfortable design you’ll be able to wear the SwageU all day long, if needed. Never let their gear run out of charge by equipping them with a powerful Omni-Charge USB Charging Hub that can charge up to 6 devices at a time at up to a 2.4 amp speed. It’s a perfect way to keep all your cables in one central spot and always be charged and ready for the day.

 

Having a comfortable seat to complete school assignments makes all the difference. Providing absolute comfort, HoMedic’s Quad Shiatsu Massage Cushion gives you a massage experience like never before. With three separate massage styles and control zones, the Quad Shiastsu Massage Cushion provides the perfect way to relieve back to school stress. Easily controlled with a hand remote, you can select a massage style perfect for you: quick, invigorating movements, deep muscle kneading, and gentle rolling. Complete school assignments in ease with HoMedic‘s Quad Shiatsu Massage Cushion.

 

Your devices say a lot about who are. So many of us keep our phones available all of the time. We use them for our calendars, to-do lists, social media, email, games, and of course, phone calls and texts. And when you are up studying late at the library, they become your lifeline to the outside world. It is so important to use a protective case for all of the wear and tear life can have on your phone, and it might as well showcase what you love most. Shutterfly makes custom iPhone cases that show off what is most important to you, whether that be a loved one, a quote that speaks to you, a collage of Instagram photos, or a landscape from your latest adventure. Available in a slim case or a case with a liner, these gorgeous cases are a must have this back to school season. I am personally sporting the “Gallery of Four” case on my iPhone 6 with pictures of my family on it, and i get so many compliments. I recommend the matte finish, it is gorgeous! Find more styles and information on their website here.

 

Jam Transit Touch True Definition Wireless Headphones are the perfect back-to-school addition for the tech savvy student. They will give you 12 hours of audio enjoyment on a 3 hour charge. The fold-up design makes them easy to store in a bag or locker when not in use. They connect with any Bluetooth device within 30 feet. I loved the fact that I can answer the phone if it rings while I am listening to music or watching a movie. The touch pad on the headphone responds easily with a tap to play/pause/answer or a swipe to change songs. You can even control the volume with a swirl of a finger. Available at Bed Bath& Beyond or at JamAudio.com, these are a definite must have in my back to school gear.

 

When living the college life one thing you can be sure of is change. It is important to be mobile and organized. If you are in living in a dorm room you may have to share a bathroom with everyone on your floor. Wether you move every semester or have the same roommates all four years, Caboodles is here to make sure your stuff stays your stuff and it stays where it belongs! Their The Le Sophistique™ 10-Piece Bag Set (at Walmart, $19.97) in pink and grey Chevron is the perfectly portable bathroom companion for dorm living. Or maybe The Goddess™ train case (at Target, $29.99) is more your style? Its auto-open trays, spacious interior, and locking latch make it the perfect Caboodle for any college student! Find out more about Caboodles here.

 

Study Supplies

Keep them on top of their notes and schedules with a selection of Pilot Pens. Try their colorful FriXion erasable pens or highlighters. With this creative ink, mistakes are no big deal! Literally, erase the ink and rewrite as necessary without marking up your notes. Go eco-friendly with B2P pens that are made out of recycled water bottles, how neat! Another great pick is their V5 Precise Colors that produce a clean and precise line with a unique liquid ink. It gives a completely smooth writing experience. Look for Pilot Pens in store near you or shop online on the Pilot website.

 

Casio makes an awesome new scientific calculator, the ClassWiz FX-991EX! It is the industry’s first unit with spreadsheet functionality. It can also convert graphs into QR codes which can be displayed on a projector screen. Fantastic for any high school and most college math classes. Solve integrals in Calculus, the normal curve and permutations in Statistics or angles in Trigonometry. I am amazed at how much this calculator can do. Make math a wizz in all of your math classes this school year with your ClassWiz FX-991EX calculator from Casio. Check out this calculator and all of their other ones at CasioEducation.com.

 

Rethink the traditional mouse and at the same time give more support to your fingers, palms, and wrists with all the time you’ll spend typing away to complete your assignments. The RollerMouse by Contour Design uses a rollerbar to control the movement of the cursor and a set of buttons to right, left and double click as well as handy buttons for copy, paste, and scrolling through the page. By moving the traditional mouse to right in front of you where your keyboard lies you gain easier access, control, and can reduce overall strain on your body. Choose from the RollerMouse Red, Red plus, Pro2, or Free2 to fit your budget and needs.

 

Find Scholarships

Help overcome the huge financial burden starting school can create with scholarships. Who wouldn’t love free money offered to apply to your tuition. Surprisingly, many of the scholarships available to students receive few or no applicants because potential candidates don’t know about them, or don’t want to invest the time to apply. With ScholarshipOwl all the struggle of finding and applying for scholarships is taken care of. Their site finds potential scholarship matches and then automates the process of applying for them! Turn to ScholarshipOwl for a one-stop service to find and apply for scholarship funding for college.

 

College Tech

College budgets can be tight, but the Asus MeMO Pad 8 is the perfect value tablet for every student. The 8-inch tablet has many features and and specifications usually reserved for high-end tablets. Some of the features you will love include ASUS PixelMaster technology and integrated ZenUI. When headed to class the MeMO 8 boasts up to 9 hours of battery life. So go ahead and surf the internet, play games, take notes, or even watch movies. It has an Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and Intel® Atom™ Z3745 processor. The Asus MeMO 8 is very user friendly and just the perfect size. Let it show off your personality by picking from 4 awesome colors: white, black, purple and gold. With price points starting at $199.00 Even your college budget can afford it. Find out more about it here.

 

Rip off your leash with a smartphone that doesn’t follow all the typical rules. ALCATEL ONETOUCH has done just that with an award-winning unlocked Android phone. Their IDOL 3 is loaded with incredibly sound leading as a priority and a powerful 13 MP camera on board. The screen is high quality with full HD and doesn’t hold to the norm, either. You can pick-up the phone and use either end as up, with a fully reversible interface! Ready to be amazed? The IDOL 3 is just $249 completely unlocked! No more payment plans and outrageous phone prices, just one price and you can move your phone with you to any carrier!

 

The innovation from ALCATEL ONETOUCH doesn’t stop there. They’ve introduced their affordable Onetouch Watch that can be paired with Android and iOS smartphones giving you flexibility. Use this Watch to monitor your activity and health including heart-rate, sleep cycle, steps and distance, calories burned and more while also connecting you to your phone. The Watch lasts up to 5-days on a single charge, depending on usage. Find the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL 3 Smartphone and ONETOUCH Watch at alcatelonetouch.us.