August 8–14, 2007, Number 455
It seems like there's a lot of information to process before classes begin. Michigan Tech provides guidance and help from information packets to a crew of people who will help your student move in.
What to bring? What to leave?
An important topic every year for first year students is what to bring. With the average double room measuring approximately 12 feet by 15 feet, space is used up quickly. To start with, when your student receives their housing packet that tells them who their roommate will be, make sure they contact the person. There are several items in which only one is usually needed like microwaves, stereos, televisions, and refrigerators. Trust me, having the students decide ahead of time what each will bring makes life a lot easier, or at least move-in.
A general list of items to bring is listed on the Orientation website. For the most part, this list is pretty complete. I will touch on a few of the areas that often come up in discussions and cause some confusion.
Bedding
Probably the most talked about subject when deciding what to bring is bedding. The mattresses in the residence halls are a little longer than a typical twin mattress. This means for the best fit, you will need to purchase Extra Long twin sheets and mattress pad. These can be found at more and more stores as the school year approaches.
Many new students and parents either know firsthand or have been told that Houghton can get some pretty cold weather. While this is true, the residence halls have a tendency to stay pretty warm. When I came up my freshman year, I brought a full set of sheets with blankets and a comforter. I discovered quickly that all I ever used was a sheet and light blanket. Some of the nights during the winter, we would even open the window a crack to keep the room comfortable.
Storage
Since space is usually an issue in the rooms, selecting good storage devices is advisable. Stackable shelving or crates are nice since they take up a small amount of floor space and take advantage of the tall ceilings in the rooms. I also use plastic, collapsible crates that hold a lot but then flatten for easy storage. The removable, stick-on hooks (I recommend 3M) are great to use since they attach quickly and can hold a good amount of weight. When the year is over, simply pull the tab and they come off without leaving any marks behind.
Many students also look for items that hang on the back of a door, such as shoe racks. Again, it gets things off the floor and uses some of the vertical space. Another method of mine is to use carabiners. These small metal clips are great for mounting things to the underside of the bed frame.
Clothing and Laundry
This is where a lot of people, including me, seem to bring too much. Remember that students only have a closet/armoire to hang clothes in and a small dresser to put the rest of their clothes in.
I would only suggest a weeks worth, at most two, of casual clothing. Otherwise there is a good chance that space will become an issue. Students should bring at least one set of good clothes and a couple sweatshirts/hoodies for walking around, as the temperatures get lower. When it comes to jackets and coats, I would recommend leaving the heavy winter coat at home. There is really no need for it during the fall, so all it will be doing is taking up space. When your student heads back from Thanksgiving break, that’s when they need to bring all their winter clothing with them (boots, jacket, gloves, etc.).
The residence halls all have washers and dryers located within them, so doing laundry shouldn’t be a problem. The washers are free and dryers cost $0.25 for 20 minutes. I would recommend that students bring a roll of quarters with them for laundry. As far as laundry detergent, bleach, and stain remover, these are things that can be bought at one of the local stores so they don’t take up room in the car that is probably already pretty full.
Information
Personal and medical information is one thing I highly recommend student having, and I am sure many parents agree with me. They should have an insurance card and prescription card or at least a copy of their plan. This way if they have to go to the doctor or hospital, they will have this information readily available. If the student wears glasses or contacts, having the prescription will come in handy if they need to visit the local eye doctor. If your student is planning on working at Michigan Tech, they will need their social security card and driver’s license.
Remember, even though Houghton is not a large town, there are a couple of large stores (Super Wal-mart, Shopko, Office Max) that can help to supply the students. These stores stock up on microwaves, televisions, refrigerators, desk chairs and futons for a reason. They are usually quite busy over Orientation weekend, but they do have anything you may have forgotten or didn’t have room for. If something small was forgotten at home, students love getting care packages in the mail.
One last note, if your student will be a first year engineering major, taking the ENG1101 and ENG1102 courses, make sure they pack a simple, non-programmable calculator to use on the exams in the course.
If there are ever any concerns or topics that you feel should be addressed, please send me a personal email and I will try my best to include them in my future articles.
Until next week,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885