A good backpack is vital to your success and comfort in college. You need to be sure it fits certain criteria before committing to lugging all of your books, notebooks, pens, laptop, gym clothes, etc. around in it every day.

One example of a high-quality backpack that will serve you well in college is the Surge backpack by The North Face. I have personally used this backpack nearly every day for the last four years of college and it has never let me down. It's comfortable, has plenty of storage and keeps my laptop safe and sound inside it's own pocket.

Features

This backpack has everything you need in college!

• Laptop sleeve to hold your laptop - The North Face's website states that the sleeve holds most 15" laptops, but it also holds my 17" just fine
• Lots of room in the main compartment - On a typical day I carry at least one textbook, a few 3-ring binders with notes, my laptop, and a giant planner that serves as my brain.
• Front pocket for pens and my calculator - This is a typical backpack organizer pocket, and it serves its purpose well.
• Quality Construction - After four years of service, this backpack is still in one piece. Other backpacks I see on campus have the stitching coming apart at the seams. This has not happened to my Surge.

Comfort

This backpack is the most comfortable one I've ever worn! I not only carry it around on my back every day at school, but I also take it on hikes fairly frequently. It sits well on me and has never hurt my back. The ventilated padding on the back and shoulder pads also prevents too much sweating, which is nice for hot August days here in the South.

Getting One

I highly recommend this backpack! I personally purchase mine on ebay before my freshman year. I'm glad I did because it worked this one has worked out great!

The North Face Surge 13 15 Laptop Backpack Daypack Latest Model 2011 NWT    US $77.95

The North Face Surge 13 15 Laptop Daypack Hiking Backpack Latest Model NWT    US $37.00

The North Face Surge 13 15 Laptop Daypack Hiking Backpack Latest Model NWT    US $78.95

The North Face Surge Men Unisex Laptop Backpack Daypack New Latest Model 2011    US $77.95

The North Face Surge Men Unisex Laptop Backpack Daypack Latest Model NWT    US $78.95

The North Face Backpack 13 15 17 Laptop Daypack Hiking Latest Model Selection    US $79.95

The North Face Surge Men Unisex Laptop Backpack Daypack Latest Model NWT    US $41.00

New North Face Black Surge Backpack Daypack GREY    US $66.99

The North Face Surge Bookbag    US $125.00

North Face Surge Backpack -2011- Black    US $85.00

NORTH FACE SURGE BACKPACK GREEN    US $59.99

THE NORTH FACE WOMENS SURGE BACKPACK SQUID RED    US $114.99

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If you will, imagine a random Tuesday morning at college. Your alarm clock goes off and you drag yourself out of bed. You have a lot on your plate today: a quiz during your 8 am class, homework due in your ten o-clock, you have a paper to write, and a professor's office hours to attend at 3. You glance out the window and it's pouring down rain. This is going to be a miserable day.

Although you can't stop the amount of work you have to do, you can make your day much more enjoyable by having the proper rain gear to wear. There are three things that will make rainy days on campus better.

Rain Jacket or Umbrella

Believe it or not, I have completed four years of college without owning an umbrella or rain jacket. For the last three of those, I've ridden a motorcycle into campus every day. Stupid. Yes.

I strongly recommend that you get either an umbrella or a rain jacket for rainy days. I personally would recommend that you get a good quality rain jacket (one made by a reputable company like The North Face).This jacket will make your walks through the rain to class much more enjoyable. Trust me, sitting through class in wet clothes is no fun.

A good rain jacket can also be used for snowy days if you're going to school somewhere cold. If you're going to a school like mine where the fall semester revolves around football, then a rain jacket will be indispensable.

Rain Boots

Equally important is a pair of waterproof shoes or boots. Having wet socks inside your sneakers is miserable. If you're a girl, get yourself a pair of those cute colorful rain boots. If you're a guy, a sturdy pair of waterproof boots will work.

My personal favorite: an indestructible pair of military combat boots. I've been wearing the same pair for hiking, motorcycling, and rainy days since 10th grade, and they still look new.

Plastic Bags

I've saved the most important for last. Being comfortable is one thing. Having your homework drenched, or your laptop ruined by the rain is the worst. Make sure you always keep one or two gallon sized plastic bags tucked into a pocket somewhere in your backpack. If you get caught in the rain, you can slide them over your papers or laptop. Trust me, the peace of mind is worth it.

With this simple set of rain gear, you'll be prepared for anything mother nature decides to throw at you!

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I had an interesting winter in my dorm during my freshman year of college. My roommate kept the window open all winter - even when the temperature in the room dropped below 30 degrees. The reason? He fell out of a tree and hit his head when he was 7, sustaining a pretty serious concussion. Ever since, he hasn't felt any cold. Seriously. He's from upstate New York, and never puts on a jacket. It always feels like a balmy 75 degrees to him. Weird huh?

All that just to say you might get cold at night! Since you'll be getting to school in the early fall, staying through winter, and not leaving until spring, you'll experience a wide variety of temperatures in your dorm room. The temperature fluctuations can also be very unexpected. I had friends that had so much heat blown into their rooms during the winter, that it was over 90 degrees every night.

Luckily, there's a simple solution to the problem.

Take Two Blankets

If you're buying a bedding set that includes a comforter - great! You can use that comforter on your dorm bed for most of the nights you're at school. I addition to your comforter, I would recommend that you also take a lightweight blanket with you. This blanket can be used by itself on warm nights, and in addition to your comforter when it's cold.

You're probably also going to want to wrap up in something when you're studying at your desk late at night, or curled up on the futon watching a movie. An extra blanket will be perfect for this.

What Color?

One last thing to consider is the color of your comforter (and bed sheets for that matter). Make sure you coordinate with your roommate about what colors and patterns you will have in your dorm.

This may be important, and it may not. It wasn't an issue for me and my roommate, but I know it is for a lot of people.

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One thing that is absolutely essential for college is a backpack. You will carry your books, notes, calculator, pens, pencils, and snacks to your classes every day in one. Picking the right college backpack goes a long ways towards improving your school experience.

When picking a backpack for college, you need to consider three things: comfort, durability, and capacity

Capacity

Take the time to think about what you're going to be carrying with you to class every day. Each class is going to have different materials that you will have to have with you. These materials also vary by major. If you are going to be an English major, for example, odds are you will be carrying small literature books around every day. An art major might need room for a sketchpad, and (in my case) an engineer may need to have his laptop for every class. Consider what your planned (or unplanned) major and classes will be and look for backpacks that will fit everything.

School supplies are not the only things that will go in your backpack. You will also need room for pens, pencils, calculators, and other small random things. A pocket organizer will really help keep everything in place. Maybe you like music and want a backpack with a pouch for your mp3 player and a headphone jack. Or you might be a pro at eating chicken wings and want to carry those around with you. It's your life, so get a backpack that lines up with it.

Comfort

If you can, take a trip to the store and try on different sizes and styles of backpacks to see which one you like best. Some are designed to place most of the weight low on your back, and others carry more weight in the shoulders. I prefer to carry mine high on my back, but it's all personal preference.

I have had two backpacks in college so far. The first one hurt my back and made me hate carrying anything even remotely heavy to class. Luckily it wore out quickly and I got a second one that wore much better. With my current pack, I can put everything I'll need for an entire day, get on my motorcycle and ride to campus, wear it all day, then ride home, with no discomfort.

Durability

This might be the most important factor of all in a college backpack. Many packs will wear out in a very short amount of time. The seams on the shoulder straps and the top of the bag seem to always wear out first and leave you with a stringy, dilapidated mess.

This is an item where you should go ahead and spend a little bit more up front for a quality backpack. It'll save you money in the long-run, since you'll only have to buy one. Get a double-stitched pack that is comfortable on you, and that looks like it will stand up to 4+ years of wear and tear.

I personally use and recommend a backpack made by The North Face. I have The Noth Face Surge backpack that I purchased online 3 years ago, and it still looks as new as the day I bought it. It's comfortable on my back, and has space for my books and laptop. This is just one brand, and I encourage you to look around and see what works for you.

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Picking the sheets for your new bed is an important step in planning your dorm room. You need to be sure that you get the correct sheets for your bed, and that they match your chosen decor.

Sheet Size

Your college will provide details about what size your bed will be. Normally this will be Twin Extra Long. The reason for this is that it's the smallest size bed that will fit most people.

Finding Twin Extra Long sheets may be difficult. When I was a rising college Freshman, most of my local stores did not carry this size. Your experience may vary. Check around at your local department and home stores to see if they have what you need.

If you cannot find your sheets locally, then jump online. There are plenty of places to buy sheets online in any size you need. You'll probably also have a much  better selection buying online, which could be a big plus if you're looking for a specific color or pattern.

Dorm Bedding Decor

Now would be a great time to talk to your future roommate about your dorm room decor. You may be into death metal and black lamps, but that doesn't mean your roomie for the next 9 months is too. Save yourself the trouble and have a chat about your decorations and color scheme.

For some, (read: guys) this isn't going to matter. My roommate and I did no decorating at all, except for a F-15E poster on my side of the room, and a M1 Abrams poster on his side (I'm in Air Force ROTC and he's in Army ROTC, if you hadn't guessed). This worked fine for us, but it might not for others. Even you guys might want to coordinate what posters, and furniture you each bring.

No matter what kind of sheets you choose, make sure they are durable en0ught to endure a years worth of dorm living. And yes, you will need to wash these every now and then.

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Depending on where your school is located, it can get pretty cold during the winter months. I go to Clemson University in the upstate of South Carolina, and even here in the South it gets pretty cold between December and February. (Yeah I know, we only get 6" of snow a year, but to us Southern folk, that's a lot)

You may not have to take all of your heavy winter clothes to school right away. If you are planning on going home for a visit (or your parents are planning on visiting you) before it gets really cold, then you can just get pick them up then. Same goes for Spring. You can take it all home over Spring Break or Easter before you're in the move-out crunch.

If you're from a cold area to begin with, you can probably skip this list. But if you're from the Deep South and have never seen more than a dusting of snow, you may not have thought about it yet. Here's my suggested list of cold weather clothes and gear.

Winter Weather Clothes

• Hoodie or Sweatshirt - This will keep you warm walking to class on those chilly fall mornings.
• Warm Winter Jacket - A heavy jacket for those cold days will serve you well once the temperature starts dropping.
• Weather Resistant Jacket - Boy you'll be glad you have one of these during those winter storms. Whether it's rain, sleet, or snow, a rain-proof coat will keep you dry.
• Warm Shirts - A lot of college buildings are old brick or stone, and your classrooms may be a little chilly. Get yourself some long-sleeve waffle knit shirts, and you'll be nice and toasty.
• Long Pants - Jeans will be fine for most days, but you might want a couple water-resistant pairs for those snowy days.
• Boots - when things get wet and slushy, you'll want some good boots to keep your feet warm and dry. When things get messy here, I just wear my ROTC combat boots.

Winter Activities Gear

• Ski Gear - Some ski pants, gloves, etc. may come in handy when your friends decide to take a snowboarding trip over the weekend. If you have skis or a snowboard, then you've got everything you need.
• Cold-Weather Camping Gear - Hiking and backpacking is a very popular activity at Clemson.From here, it's only a short drive up to the Smokey Mountains. I've spent my share of cold nights on the trail, and a good quality winter sleeping bag and hiking gear will serve you well.
• Winter Running Gear - If you're a runner, you probably already have what you need. If you're not, college is a great place to start. Pack a pair of long pants and thermal-wear for those freezing winter runs.

If you're going to school close to home, then you may just leave your winter gear with your parents, and just pick it up when you need it. That dorm room can get pretty small once you start cramming stuff into it!

For more about what to pack for college, check out The Checklist.

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These will be your best friends in your new dorm. Odds are, you already have a laptop for school anyway. So go ahead and store all of your music in MP3 format on your hard drive and play them on your computer speakers.

There are several advantages to having external speakers for your computer. They are small, so they will fit on your already-cramped desk. They are also portable, so you can take them down the hall to your buddy's room to listen to your favorite tunes.

Not only can you listen to your music, you can also use your computer speakers to watch movies. When I was a freshman, guys on my hall would come down to my room at least once a week to watch a movie on my laptop. With 5 people in a dorm room, it gets a little loud and your laptop speakers just aren't going to cut it. Your external speakers will definitely give you the sound you need for everyone to hear.

One nice set of speakers to have would be USB powered computer speakers. With some of these, you don't need to plug them into the wall. With a shortage of power outlets in most dorms, this can be a big deal. When you're shopping for speakers, keep this in mind.

If you really want to get something nice, get yourself a set of 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound speakers. Two doors down from me freshman year, there were two guys that had surround sound in their room. They spread the speakers out around the room, and boy did it sound good! A set of these would be nice, but definitely not necessary if you don't want to spend the money.

No matter what kind of computer speakers you get, they will definitely serve you well during your time in the dorms.

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Moving into a college dorm gives you an opportunity to start fresh and new. But you don't want to show up without a toothbrush, right? Here is a list of what you need in the dorms.

• Bedding- the college will provide you with a bed, but you need sheets, blankets. Check with your college for the bed size. Often the mattresses are extra long. Don't forget your pillow.

• Toiletries- everything you need to keep you clean like shampoo, soap, or a toothbrush. A basket to carry toiletries to the bathroom and back to your room is really handy.

• Shower shoes or flip flops- some dorms showers are cleaned infrequently, at best. Besides, wearing shower shoes makes catching athletes' foot less likely.

• Laundry supplies- laundry soap and dryer sheets or fabric softener. Don't forget to take plenty of quarters. Always have enough quarters to do another load. You never know when you will need to do an emergency load of laundry.

• Computer- helps you study, and keeps you in touch with everyone back home. You may want to bring a laptop lock. Don't forget the cables.

• Cell phone- so you can call your new friends at college. Don't forget the charger.

• Clothes- all what you regularly wear, plus good pajamas. Your dormmates will see you in your pajamas, so these should be decent. And you may wear your pajamas to class one day if you oversleep.

• Alarm clock- so you don't oversleep.

• A few decorations like photos or posters- to remind you of home and show what you like.

• Small rug- for those cold mornings so you don't have to put your feet on the bare floor.

• Cleaning supplies- you don't have to get too elaborate here. A glass cleaner will take care of most of what you need, and paper towels are always useful.

• Message board for your door- so your new friends can leave you messages.

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• Kitchen items- ask if your college allows a mini fridge or microwave. A few snacks for midnight studying is essential.

• Medications- if you take any. A few band-aids or pain relievers are a good idea, too.

• Wallet items- your debit card, identification, health insurance card, and AAA card.

• School basics- backpack, binders, pens, calculators are all cheaper at home than at the college bookstore. Besides, this is what you came to college for, right?

I created this site to take the guesswork out of packing for college. View the full list to make sure you don't forget everything.  Keep coming back for more updates and tips on taking the leap into your new college home!

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