Forget the dog, take stationery
By Marcus Keely Sentinel Writer

Please do yourself a favor and leave the black lights at home. For that matter, it'd be smart to say goodbye to Fido too. In case you didn't get the memo, pets are not allowed in the dorm room. And for those of you that love toast in the mornings, please, for your own safety and well-being, get up and walk to the cafeteria. Toasters, along with microwave ovens, and electric skillets are strictly forbidden.

If you or someone you know is about to enter college for the very first time this fall, I'm sure you have some idea of how hectic the planning stage can be. What should I bring? What should I leave at home? Do you think they'd really get that mad if I brought some fireworks and candles with me? How am I going to fit those fireworks in my bag? By the time you've actually compiled a list of what to bring your head is swarming with questions.

Sometimes it seems like the easiest thing to do is throw everything you own in a bag and sort out the mess once you get to college. NOTE: I know it's hard, but resist (I repeat, resist) the urge to take everything you've ever touched to college with you. To make things easier, your respective institution of higher learning (usually referred to as your college) oftentimes sends you a list of what you can and cannot bring to campus. Obviously this is a good place to start. You got into college, you should be able to understand that when it says "what you cannot bring," it really means you cannot bring those things listed below.

Now, I understand that sometimes the things you are not allowed to bring with you to college are those that seem most necessary to your happiness and mental well-being at school (i.e. waterbeds, pets, plug-in air fresheners, and George Foreman grills). But really, when you think about it you don't need any of those things. Plus, I'm sure you and Fido would be much happier if you left him at home. Allow mom and dad to take care of the dog. You should be worrying about that education you're supposed to be getting.

If the school-provided list isn't quite extensive enough for you, try checking some online resources. Surprisingly enough, the internet is a brilliant and extremely efficient way to exchange ideas and and thoughts on an infinite number of subjects. A simple "what to bring to college" search on Google opens the door to hundreds of great websites where you can hear from other people, oftentimes other students, what to take and what to leave behind.

One of my favorite sites is www.thedormitoryonline.com because it provides in-depth commentary on many questions that apply to the first-year college student. Another website, www.collegeconfidential.com provides a sounding-board for thousands of students across the world to discuss various aspects of college, including what to bring to school. For an easy shortcut, head over to the "college discussion" section, then take the link to "college admissions and search." From there you can click on "college life" and locate the discussion thread "A to Z: What to Bring to College." Provided there is an extensive and thoroughly exhaustive list of everything that you could possibly think to bring to college (and some things you'll never have thought of).

In the end, it never hurts to get some first-hand advice from friends and relatives who have been through the whole "off-tocollege" fiasco before. Oftentimes some sound advice from an older brother or sister is all you need to pack efficiently and smartly for college. And it's always a smart idea to ask your friends who are heading off to college in the fall to show you their list of what they are taking to school.

Though it takes a lot of work and time to get everything together for that big move to college, in the end deciding what to take becomes a memorable and oftentimes rewarding adventure. The best advice I can give you is to just have fun with it (and try not to max out your parent's credit cards). Oh, and definitely bring some stationary. You'll be wanting to write home to mom and dad when you realize that you need something you forgot at home.