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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Jack's What to Bring, III (Dorm: Furniture)

sponsored by 
La Crema Coffee and Roastery
La Conner, WA

Most dorm rooms come equipped with some furniture, usually a bed, some drawers, a desk, and a chair (well, at WWU anyway). Beyond that, students must bring what they need to feel more at home. This blog may be a little short, but should still get the job done.
Jack says: [That's what she said!]

Extra seating (...)
University-issued chairs can be back and forth. Some people get rigid, wooden chairs and some will get flexible, plastic and wheeled chairs. It seemed to be mainly on which dorm hall you lived in. Either way, one chair per person isn't enough. Bring at least one fold-up chair, or a couch of a manageable size to help with the seating and space issues.
[I personally use a fold-up camping stool I found on a beach]

(True story, here it is):

... And extra bedding
My roommate and I had a big cushion we kept on the floor, and it was essentially a dog bed; except we used it store-bought-new. It was a great place to sit and watch / play games, and it doubled as an extra bed if someone stayed over. This could work for certain rooms, but it's just a good idea to have a spare set of pillows and / or covers for any additional sleepers. This isn't exactly "furniture-level," advice, but if you get a large dog bed like we did, it counts as furniture.


Food
If you have food in your room, chances are you need to keep it fresh, have a way to prepare it, as well as store it. The shelves and drawers in my closet helped with some of the stuff like macaroni, ramen noodle packets, and cans of tuna just fine. I have a small, two-in-one fridge / freezer that was most useful the first quarter, when we actually kept food in it. Also, a microwave that got more an more use as we ate more and more midnight-on popcorn.
[Just think of your room as a boat: limited space, and there should always be food and rum...unless you're underage, of course].

Storage
The dorms I was in had built-in closets with built-in drawers, which helped for clothes, cleaning supplies, shoes, boxes, etc. Some of my friends on my floor had various sizes of shelves to suit their needs of storage vs. space. You might want to wait until the second or third week to bring in shelves, because usually by then your room will be in a semi-permanent state--as far as furniture is involved--and you can find the best type of shelving unit to use.
[Best to be creative in solving problems: Just grab an old, flattened box, and use it as a make-shift shelf].

Entertainment
A lot of people lately need ways to entertain themselves, and a majority of people are using appliance-grade ways of killing boredom. These are usually known as televisions, XBox (360)- / PS- (1, 2, 3) / Game Cube- / Wii- / Dreamcast- / Atari-ses (basically, any video game systems), and laptop computers. If you are one to use these, and won't use them as an excuse from homework (too often), then I recommend you bring them.
[Trust me, you're going to use electronics a lot].


Looking for good coffee in La Conner, WA? Look no further than La Crema Coffee and Roastery for your caffeine needs. Great coffee and timely service,  with seating, Wi-Fi, and parking available.
Personally, I like the dirty chai.

I claim no rights to Captain Jack Sparrow, Disney does.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Jack's What to Bring, II (Dorm: Daily)

sponsored by 
La Crema Coffee and Roastery
La Conner, WA

Last week, my co-host Captain Jack Sparrow was involved in an unfortunate accident while in the dark depths of the Adidas baqpaq, but is well on his way to recovery. That is why this week's post is late, but he will make a brief appearance in this week's list of things to bring to college.

Before the accident, showcasing a blended dirty chai
Jack says: [Over the next few posts, there may be some overlap with things to bring to college. This is because a few things I'm suggesting to bring weren't that easy to say 'they were just this category, and not that one.' So just take another swig...of apple juice...and keep reading.]

This post will center on many of the items I used on an almost-daily basis within the dorms. Most of it will be like 'well-duh' category, but it's always nice to have a reminder.

Bathroom and Laundry Supplies
Everyone needs the essentials, for obvious, hygiene concerns.
[Just because you're taking college advice from a 18th-century pirate, doesn't mean you have to smell like one].
  • Toothbrush / -paste
  • Towels
  • Shampoo & Soap
  • Sandals (some people prefer them for in or just after the shower)
  • Other personal items
  • Big, loose bag for laundry (plastic bins are big and awkward at times)
  • Laundry detergent and dryer sheets: possibly split with roommate--I had lots of detergent left over
  • Laundry card (if provided by university)
  • Clothes for wearing and washing are good, too. If you need help deciding what kind, follow me.
Cache of food
Even with the best meal plan, you're still limited to the hours the dining halls are open, and you're in college--which means you'll get peckish at midnight and all those odd-hours. Having at least a constant cache of chips, bread, or granola bars will stave off hunger until dawn. Also, a water bottle to refill is really handy, especially since you have to stay hydrated.
[Some form of a plate and cutlery will generally serve you well in this as well--but I'm fine with my hands and teeth].

Greenbacks
You should always have some means of currency on you, whether it be a few greenbacks, such as Washingtons ($1), Jeffersons ($2), Lincolns ($5); checks (yes, the kind your grandmother writes for your birthday), or cards, like credit and / or debit and / or gift. You never know when you might have an opportunity to go on an adventure. Also, having like $50 for the AS Bookstore is helpful for those days you need to buy a folder, pens, CDs, or a nice WWU-branded sweatshirt.
[You can always bum off a generous (and slightly more prosperous) friend. As long as you don't give them the duck and actually pay them back in a timely fashion, that is].

Office-like supplies
These are just downright helpful when you need them, and relatively cheap. And you can even let your friends use them!
[There you go! You can repay that debt you just got from last night's adventure].
  • Sticky notes
  • Stapler
  • Scissors
  • Pens
  • Paper clips
  • Rubber bands
  • Folders
  • Surge Protector 
  • Ethernet cable

Painter's tape
I had a roll of this with me in my art supplies, but little did I know how useful this stuff can be. Anything paper I needed to stick somewhere, I grabbed a bit of this tape. Something was falling down--tape.  Something broke--tape. I would recommend it for its helpfulness, and ability to leave wall-paint where it is.

[It's a miracle!]

Looking for good coffee in La Conner, WA? Look no further than La Crema Coffee and Roastery for your caffeine needs. Great coffee and timely service,  with seating, Wi-Fi, and parking available.
Personally, I like the dirty chai.

I claim no rights to Captain Jack Sparrow, Disney does.