Hi, Paul. I'm "upgrading" my degree right now, and I work for the school, so I've been living in the dorm for a year tommorrow. Here's what I recommend, leaving out the snivvel gear (like a television) or stuff for class:

(ok, I edited this after the outage was over and had some time to think)

A couple of packs. Easier to preload them, and switch as the day goes along. Get something like a SOBrand Pack-rat to keep things like your calculator and your date book and the like in, swap it between packs as needed. This will save you a lot of time, and lets you switch between several smaller packs rather than humping one big monster all day. This is survival gear- it helps your back and knees survive. You might not think of it now, but...

Flashlights, get a couple. At least one BRIGHT one. Spare batteries.

Earplugs, good ones.

Keep six days or more of shelf stable food on hand, and at least two days of water. Being a good ETSer, you'll have three days of food and two of water anyway, but you will give into the urge and raid the pantry when you've eaten pizza or burgers every meal accept breakfast for a week.

Wash your issued garbage can with a bleach mix, then double line it. If you need to use it to hold water, you can trust it now.

Make sure you map out at least four routes home, including one on foot, and keep those maps on hand.

Bring your boots and field clothes. Have them on hand in your closet or trunk.

Duct tape, don't use it unless you need to. The yellow tacky stuff if for the walls, this is for emergencies. Grab zip ties to.


Things for class that are can't live withouts for me:
One or more thumbdrives (I have one around my neck, one more in my Pack-Rat.), good calculator, clipboards, tums, pepto, immodium, water bottles, hot pot. Use pencil- it doesn't fade, stick or run like ink will. Get good paper, the super-cheap stuff sucks when you need to go looking for something three years down the road. Plenty of socks, change them at lunch and you will feel better. At least one spare set of sheets- clean ones are good for your morale. A pocket ref, and a pocket pc ref if you are computer oriented in your major, or the pocket handyman if you are mechanical or civil enginnering oriented. A dictionary, a GOOD one. Milk crates.

Headphones for your computer. A battery back up that you've tested on your computer- do a dry run, KNOW exactly how long you have if you loose power with a full load of applications and goodies. Anti-virus, and firewall (zone alarm is free, and good enough for this computer geek). Plenty of blank CDs. Keep a spare mouse and keyboard at home- if you can afford it, a cheap CRT as well, so you just have to schlep your box. Back up everything to at least two places, and to hardcopy.

And a good roomate. If you don't have one of those, a foot locker and good locks.

For your car, tune up this week- oil, radiator fluid, oil and air filters, etc. Keep a decent tool kit in you car if you know how to use it. Have the Hayes book for your car in that tool kit. If it is going to be super cold where you are, a piece of two-ply currogated big enough to put under your battery, so you can pull it when it get's below -20.

Get yourself an ammo can, two bricks, a roll of aluminum foil and some fine chicken wire. Add some charcoal, and you've got a grill. Keep it in your trunk, don't flash it about. It lets you cook some real food when the dining hall really, really sucks (it will just suck most of the time).

Hobby. You need a hobby, it is the ONLY thing that will keep you sane. Make time for yourself every day. Eat right, exercise. Make sure you brush your teeth- it will go a long way to keeping you in good mental shape. Vitimin supplements will be useful. Caffeine is not your friend, it is a tool in the same class as fire. Sleep is your friend. Spend a lot of time with it.