Coach’s Corner

Spring 2025

Seniors

For those who have not yet made their college decision, do it by May 1st!  May 1st is the ultimate decision day for you to declare your one college that you will attend in the fall.  Put down your deposit, accept any awards on the college’s portal, and begin packing! Grab a tub and begin to throw in items that will make your new home away from home comfortable.  Here is a list of what to bring with you to college:

Dorm Room Organization and Storage

• Bedside lamp
• Alarm clock/clock radio
• Storage bins
• Desk lamp
• Fan
• Drying rack for laundry
• Bulletin board and pushpins
• Dry-erase wall calendar/board
• Mini toolkit (including screwdriver, hammer, wrench)
• Picture hangers (double-sided tape for concrete walls)

College Linens and Laundry Supplies

• Sheets and pillowcases (2 sets. Check with college for size needed — some college twin beds are extra long.)
• Towels (3 each of bath, hand and face)
• Pillows (2)
• Mattress pad (Check with college for size needed)
• Blankets (2)
• Comforter/bedspread
• Clothes hangers
• Laundry bag/basket
• Laundry detergent, fabric softener and stain remover
• Lint brush
• Mini sewing kit

Desk Supplies

• Electronic storage media such as memory cards and USB flash drives
• Stapler and staples
• Printer paper (if you decide to bring a printer)
• Pens and pencils
• Pencil holder and sharpener
• Notebooks
• Folder with pockets
• 3 × 5 index cards
• Sticky notes
• Paper clips and binder clips
• Rubber bands
• Tape
• Scissors
• Highlighter pens (multiple colors)
• Ruler
• Stackable desk trays (at least 4)
• Stamps and envelopes
• Extra print cartridges (if you take a printer)

Electronics and Technology for First-Year Student

• Laptop (printer is optional; there are usually computer labs where you can print)
• Portable speakers (if you want to play music from laptop/MP3 player)
• HDMI cord, Ethernet cord for computer (check if your room has wireless)
• Surge protector
• Extension cords
• 3-2 prong adapters
• MP3 player
• Headphones
• Cell phone
• Charging cords

Shared-with-Roommate Items

• Audio equipment
• TV and DVD player
• Coffeemaker/hot pot/microwave, if allowed
• Small refrigerator (if one isn’t provided)
• Area rug
• Posters/art

Toiletries, Beauty, and Hygiene

• Antacid
• Aspirin or other pain relievers
• Vitamins
• Adhesive bandages, antibiotic ointment
• Cough drops
• Shower caddy
• Shower shoes (flip-flops)
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Hairstyling products
• Bath and face soap
• Travel soap container(s)
• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Dental floss
• Comb/brush
• Tweezers
• Nail clippers
• Hair dryer/straightener/curling iron
• Razor and shaving cream
• Lotion and/or facial moisturizer
• Cotton swabs
• Contact lens supplies

Clothing

• Underwear/Socks
• Pants/jeans/leggings
• T-shirts/Sweats/shirts
• Pajamas
• Slippers and/or flip-flops
• Sweaters
• Light/heavy jackets
• Gloves/scarf/hat, possibly snow pants
• 1 pair of boots
• 2 pairs of sneakers or comfortable/walking shoes
• 1 set of business-casual clothes
• 1 pair of dress shoes
• 1 swimsuit
• Bathrobe

Household and Kitchen Items

• Paper towels
• Trash bags
• All-purpose cleaner
• Plastic storage bags
• Wet wipes
• Tissues
• Bowl, plate and cup
• Coffee mug
• Water bottle
• Silverware
• Can/bottle opener
• Umbrella
• Backpack
• Sports equipment
• Backup pair of eyeglasses

Juniors

Academics and extracurriculars are key in creating a strong profile to colleges.  Pay attention to the details, not only focusing on your studies, but also in building your schedule for next year, and in outlining the roles you take on within activities.

 Items to consider:

1. Everyone is in a club or team. Were you the leader? What did you accomplish? Did you really help your community? How did those accomplishments change you and help you grow? Colleges want to find out how your involvement shaped you.
2. Ask yourself why am I participating in this activity? What is it that interests me in this role? What do I want to achieve in the future?  Asking these types of questions will help you to see what is unique and special about your goals and hopefully you can jot down ideas to share through applications and essays later.
3. Now is a great time to think about what you may want to write about in a college essay. Come up with a few topics, and bullet point under each, what you would write about.  Right now, it is idea-generating time.  You can write your essay later, after you take some notes!

Freshmen/Sophomores

Begin to question what subjects you enjoy most, what you enjoy least and research fields tied to your abilities.  This will help you to see what courses may be advantageous to take that will give you more information to decide what area(s) of study are best toward career fields.  There are 16 career clusters that contain pretty much all careers out there.  If you can begin to narrow down these clusters, you are on your way to making a decision on fields of interest and a potential major.  No need to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life right now, have fun exploring your options! 

• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
• Business Management & Administration
• Education & Training
• Finance
• Health Science
• Government & Public Administration
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
• Manufacturing
• Human Services
• Marketing
• STEM
• Transportation and Logistics