18 things you don’t need for college

As you pack to go to college for the first time or return for another year, we’ve looked at tips for things you can leave at home or on store shelves. Here’s a roundup of things you don’t need.

Printer

MoneyTalksNews.com, Mashable.com, and Dealnews.com all suggest you forget about a printer. Wireless printing locations are now common on campus and professors are opting to accept work submitted online. Plus, ink is costly.

Extra bedding

First, many college dorms are stocked with extra long mattresses that require special bedding that may not fit mattresses a student uses after graduation. But the moms of the world have even less confidence in college students’ ability to care for any bedding whatsoever. “Let’s face it, most college students don’t bother washing their sheets – except when they return home,’’ writes MoneyTalkNews.

An ironing board and iron

This picture of an ironing board being used as a space saver in Jamaica Plain after a snowstorm says a lot about how Americans feel about ironing and wrinkle-free clothes. Even Monopoly ditched the iron game piece this year. And the iron’s fortunes are not going to improve with a new generation. Dealnews.com suggests students opt for a wrinkle-free wardrobe.

Tablet computer

A touchscreen computer isn’t easy to use for school-based tasks like editing a paper. Dealnews.com suggests college students would be better off getting a budget laptop for school.

Car

The personal finance experts at Kiplinger.com write that an average small sedan could cost a student $3,200 over a nine-month academic year to pay for gas, standard, maintenance, and insurance. That doesn’t include parking permits, any tickets or repairs in case of a breakdown.

Credit card

Credit cards for college students get the thumbs down from Bright Futura and Kiplinger.com. Sallie Mae, a financial services company specializing in education, found that student ownership of credit cards has declined from 42 percent in 2010 to 35 percent in 2012. Of those with credit cards, 33 percent of card holders had a zero balance, 42 percent had a balance of $500 or less, and just 24 percent had a balance of more than $500, Sallie Mae said. Researchers also found that 23 percent of parents help pay at a least a portion of their student’s credit card bill.

Bluetooth headset

This no-no comes from Mashable.com. Why? They say most undergrads avoid talking on the phone anyway.

Blu-ray player

Mashable.com suggests you find a better use for your shelf space by trying Netflix, Hulu Plus, or HBO Go.

Digital photo frame

These won’t be worth it until they either drop in price or improve drastically in quality, Mashable.com said. Plus, isn’t Facebook just one big photo album anyway?

Calculator

There are calculators everywhere, including on your phone and on your computer.

Vacuum or Roomba

Most dorms don’t have carpets so there’s no need to vacuum, said MoneyTalksNews. If your floor needs to be swept, many dorms loan out basic cleaning supplies for residents to use.

Textbooks

More colleges and university are offering rental progams for textbooks, according to Kiplinger.com. Or you can comparison shop online for new and used text books available for sale and for rent. Another option is to look into licensing an electronic textbook to access from a computer or mobile device.

Tool kit

If you need any repairs to something like a bed or desk, you call upon the campus maintenance staff to help you out, says MoneyTalksNews.com.

A pricey laptop

Most college students are using their laptops for word processing, Internet access, and streaming TV and movies, says Dealnews.com. Those kinds of applications just don’t require the kind of capabilities that high-priced laptops offer.

Desk and chair

Most college dorms are already furnished with a desk and chair, so you can just leave these items at home, says MoneyTalksNews.

iPhone

The next iPhone is expected to be released on Sept. 10, and by then most college students will already be back to class. And that’s reason enough to hold off on getting an iPhone before school begins, said Dealnews.com.

External hard drive

Everything that you once needed to back up on a portable hard drive now can find in the cloud, said Dealnews.com. Whether it be Google Drive, Microsoft’s SkyDrive, or Dropbox, you can keep your school documents in cloud storage.

HD TV

This one falls under the same category as the blu-ray player. Younger people are in tune with using services like Netflix and Hulu to consume TV and movies on their computers, according to Dealnews.com. Plus, most colleges and universities have television sets in residence hall common rooms and other meeting areas.