College packing lists are everywhere, but here at Lindenlink we thought we would make our own list of items that are not so obvious to bring to school, but in reality are very useful. Some of these things can be bought almost anywhere, but some are more personal. If you are reading this list after you’ve already moved in, don’t panic, just remind yourself to double check your belongings next time you visit home.
MITCHELL KRAUS | Editor-in-Chief
Instant rice
Something you are sure to not forget to pack is your cell phone. However, if you find yourself dropping that phone in the sink (like I did while brushing my teeth sophomore year), in a puddle or the toilet (please try your best not to do that), a bag of instant rice could possibly save the day. According to Gazelle.com, instant rice works much much better than uncooked rice.
With cell phones and other small electronics costing upwards of $1,000 these days, and water damage often not covered by warranty, buying a $2 bag of instant rice to have in your dorm could save you a huge headache. It could also help keep your parents’ blood pressure low when you don’t have to call them to say that your new phone broke.
If a small electronic device does contact water, turn it off immediately. The combination of running electricity and water is often what fries a phone. Remove the battery, SIM card and SD card if possible. Put the phone in the rice. If only one corner of the phone was submerged, be sure to point that side downwards. Leave the phone alone for a while, overnight is best. Hopefully it will come back on in the morning.
Instant couscous also works, if you’re likely to have that lying around.
MATT HAMPTON | Sports Editor
Ice cube tray
To my knowledge, refrigerators larger than a mini-fridge are not allowed in Lindenwood res halls, and, though full-sized refrigerators increasingly contain automatic ice cube makers, the dorm-sized versions do not. This makes the humble ice cube tray a necessary implement for residents who want to use ice on campus.
I wished I had an ice cube tray in my fridge when I bruised my arm last semester. Instead, I had to buy a whole bag of ice at the grocery store across the street and try to keep it in my fridge, which turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. Ice cube trays allow students to produce and store ice in more manageable quantities.
In addition to medical uses, ice frozen in the plastic chambers of an ice cube tray can be used to chill beverages in the warm Midwestern summer, so the ice cube tray is a useful item to pack if you have a fridge on campus.
MADELINE RAINERI | News Editor
Batteries
Luckily, I came to college with a car, and Lindenwood is right across the street from a Schnucks AND a CVS, so I could grab batteries. But what I didn’t anticipate is how expensive they are when you’re buying batteries on your own.
One of the first few days of my freshman year, living in Irwin Hall, I realized my lamp wouldn’t turn on. It was plugged in and everything, but when I flipped it over, I realized it needed batteries too. Not to mention, things like remotes, mini electric shavers, some calculators, and various other items require batteries.
My best advice is to buy a big pack from somewhere like Sam’s or Costco, and just save them for the years to come. I’ve found now that I live in non-traditional housing I’ve needed batteries so many times for random house things and I always need to keep them stocked.
