How to Make a College Survival Kit

Leaving home and going away to college is an exciting experience for anyone. Preparing your college student has everything they need to survive is tough. College survival kits are useful and fun gifts for any high school graduate heading to college.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry basket
• Detergent
• Fabric softener
• Roll of quarters
• Towels and wash cloths
• Computer paper
• Notebook paper
• First aid kit
• Screwdriver set
• Poster adhesive
• Calculator
• Pens and pencils
• Day planner
• Snacks
• Gift cards

Instructions

1. Find a laundry basket in the student's favorite color. Every college student needs a laundry basket. Use it to hold all of the other items in the kit.

2. Supply everything for washing clothes. Detergent, fabric softener and a roll of quarters are essential items for college students. Include instructions on how to separate and wash clothes if the student does not know how.

3. Buy a set of towels and wash cloths. Most high school graduates do not have their own before they leave home.

4. Include notebook and computer paper. College students always need more paper. Consider also buying spiral notebooks or composition notebooks for the kit.

5. Include two to three packages of pens and pencils for taking notes. Include a pencil sharpener if you don't buy mechanical pencils.

6. Make or buy a first aid kit with bandages, pain reliever, antiseptic and basic over-the-counter medicines.

7. Purchase a screwdriver kit or a six-in-one screwdriver for basic repairs. Include a do-it-yourself basic repairs book if your college student needs a little help screwing in a light bulb.

8. Place two or three packages of poster adhesive in the kit. College students always need this for decorating their dorm rooms or apartments.

9. Purchase a nice calculator for the student. Calculators are need for some classes and are also used in the student's private lives.

10. Supply a day planner for the student's class work and extracurricular activities.

11. Buy plenty of snacks that do not require refrigeration. Leave out the chocolate bars in case they melt before they are eaten.

12. Include gift cards to department stores and local fast food restaurants in the survival kit. Department stores such as Wal-Mart and Target have gift cards you can add money to online or at the store without having the actual card. Most fast food restaurants also have gift cards.

Resources

• Browse information about preparing students for college.
• Find help for parents with children in college.