Wednesday, September 2, 2009

I posted this on FreeMoneyFinance in response to this post: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2009/09/ten-things-college-students-dont-need.html,

My son is starting as a freshman, we just moved him into the dorms this past weekend.
1. He got his own books, some used and some new. (Some you cannot find the proper version in used form).
2. He got a decent laptop for a graduation present, (from his parents).
3. We got him a printer, very nice combo printer/scanner/copier for around $50.00, these have really come down in price. The copier and scanner functions will probably be used the most.
4. He's been there for 3 days and explored the campus and surrounding areas, read a book and surfed the net and still said it gets boring at times so I searched and found good deals on HDTV/DVD combo sets in the 19"-22" range and got him one. Cable service is supplied by the university. Hopefully he won't spend too much time in front of it, but hey, he is an adult now and needs to learn to mange his own time.
5. No cars allowed for freshman, a rule his younger brother loves.
6. No credit card, he does have his own debit card which I can monitor online.
7. Local branch of bank is very close to campus so there should be no ATM fees.
8. Still covered under our insurance.
9. Basic meal plan.
10. Government issued loans.
The only thing I may regret in the future is the TV. But probably not, it depends on the individual. My son has taken his academic life very seriously since early in high school so it should not be an issue.