Schools

From Commack to College: Some Tips to Get Students Ready

Laptops, e-readers, extra-long twin sheets and rented textbooks fill the back-to-college landscape.

Tech tools, e-Readers and dorm supplies can all be found locally and shipped to dorms across the country. Local retailers give their opinions on the most popular items and tips for making the first year a success. 

Students leaving Commack for the first time may be surprised by the requirements of the dorms – Bed, Bath and Beyond spokeswoman Catherine Gentile said checking with the school is a must. Some schools have certain requirements or limits and some items – like toasters – are not allowed in many dorms.

Gentile said many locals usually pick up an area rug, bed bug mattress protector, twin extra long sheets, and mattress pads. The store also has a pack and hold feature where students can order their items at the store closest to the college to save time transporting the items.

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Most students forget hangers, laundry baskets, under-bed storage units, alarm clocks and extension cords, Gentile said.

Technology items also help students throughout the year – to save money, stay organized and go green.

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E-Readers help students do all three and can be purchased at a variety of locations. The Barnes and Noble Nook (starting at $149) can be purchased at store locations. The device also lets the user try out books while in the store for one hour. Borders' Ko-Bu (starting at $149) is also available in stores.  Amazon's Kindle (starting at $139) and Apple's iPad (starting at $499) both need to be purchased online.

These devices help students save money because many of the books begin at $9.99 and gift certificates or credit cards can be stored in the user accounts on the applications to allow students to buy books on the go.

Students looking to catch all their favorite shows can also benefit from the Slingbox, according to Michael Lopez, Best Buy manager. 

A Slingbox is a device that allows students to access their home televisions stations via their laptops at school. Lopez said these are used by students to catch sports games that are out of range at their colleges. 

Lopez said the most popular laptops are the Next Class (starting at $699.99), created by Best Buy and students to determine the most desirable features for college life. 

They include: extended battery life; low weight and practical style; built in webcam and microphone; backlit keyboard; fast processors with plenty of memory for music, movies and documents; full virus protection; preloaded with necessary software- specifically a full version of Office Home and Student. 

Students can also save money and go green by renting their textbooks online. One option for doing this is called Chegg.com. This website is a social media and book renting website that allows students to donate one tree for every book they purchase, in the country of their choice. They also allow students to become promoters (Chegg Champions) and encourage their friends to sell back, rent or buy textbooks. Textbooks can be rented for a semester and rentals can be extended. 

 

 


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