You may have graduated from high school only a month or so ago. Maybe you’ve been out of high school for a year or two. Either way, if you’re heading to college this fall, you’ll want to take more with you than bedding and grooming products and plenty of clean underwear. If you’re looking to stay plugged in to the high-tech world, here’s your checklist of items you’ll absolutely want to take with you when you leave the nest and head for the college campus.
Cell phone. In this age of connectivity, the cell phone has become a staple. You can justify it in any number of ways. You can use it to stay in touch with everybody at home, and Mom and Dad to keep you informed of the latest family goings-on. And these days if you don’t have access to text messaging, well, you’re never going to make the A-list when it comes to all those fraternity and sorority parties! You’ll be on the go a lot, between classes and studying and work and other extra-curricular activities, and it’s simply the smartest tool you can have for people to reach you quickly. With the family plans so many companies are offering these days, you can get a nice phone for next to nothing. Just be sure that you don’t go overboard on the minutes. After all, you’re probably sharing the plan with your parents, and they’re most likely paying the bill!
Digital camera. Even if your cell phone has a built-in camera, the picture quality won’t be sufficient if you want to keep any of those pictures for future reference, once you get really old…like say, when you hit 30. Prices of digital cameras and memory are dropping steadily. Four- megapixel cameras can be had for less than $200. And the money you save on film and developing can be used for something more practical, like…
MP3 player. Come on, man. You HAVE to listen to your tunes when you’re walking between classes or trying to cram for that mid-term. And do you REALLY want to listen to the classical selections of your music-major roommate all the time? Whether you want something that’ll hold a few favorites or a model that’ll keep every song you’ve ever purchased, you’ll find yourself lost without it the first few times you forget to bring it along for the ride.
PDA. You’re going to need a way to keep track of your class schedule and friends’ phone numbers and addresses of all the fast food hangouts. Using an iPAQ or Palm Pilot will let you keep everything stored in one place. These days, companies are cramming more features into their devices. If you shop carefully, you can probably find a PDA with a built-in phone and camera that plays MP3s. It’ll be a little more expensive, but if you can save your parents money by selecting one device that’s cheaper than three separate ones, they’ll know they’re paying your college tuition successfully!
Laptop computer and color printer. You’ll definitely need something to plug all these devices into so you can share your music and store your pictures and synchronize your schedule and play your games. Portability is a must, since you’ll be going from the classroom to the library to the dorm room. And you can’t live without wireless connectivity, so you can access the Internet and send email and update your personal Web site while you’re socializing at the coffee shop and the pizza parlor. Oh, yeah…you can use it to write papers and do homework too, I guess.
A quality backpack. Please. How else are you going to carry all this stuff around and not lose an item or two?
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Danny Davids has worked in the computer industry for over 25 years. He has provided end-user support, training, and network administration services in arenas as diverse as the service bureau, health, education, communication, manufacturing, and consulting industries. He currently works as a network administrator for a government agency. He is married and has two adult children.
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