From Elementary to College: Helpful Hints.
Jun 15 '09
The Bottom Line Keep it simple, durable, essential, and safe. This along with talking to your kids will save you time, money, and trouble.
Since I can only write one essay on this topic I am going to make it a 2 part essay. In the first part I will focus on things needed by elementary and high school students. In the second part I will focus on things needed by college students.
Elementary and High school
First of all most schools these days publish a list of needed supplies at the beginning of each year. It may sound "elementary" but get that list and get at LEAST that when you start. As a teacher, every year students would show up to school unprepared. This was a pain for the teachers and an embarrassment for the students.
Notebooks:
Typically go medium durability for this. 3-5 "subject" notebooks are ideal. I say subject in quotes because both as a student and a teacher I have rarely seen them used for more than one subject without there being trouble. So it is best each subject have its own notebook unless you are dealing with a half year class in which case it is possible to use the same notebook for both halves of the course. Stay away from character notebooks. I mean things like "Transformers, my little pony, whatever teen star is popular, etc" These are often only one to two subject notebooks and are made as cheaply as possible. If your child insists on having something like that it is easy to get a well built plain notebook and personalize it with stickers of your child's favorite characters.
"Trapper keepers"
Or whatever they might be called these days. These are often a must. They can be used more than one year and they spare notebooks and sometimes even textbooks, depending on the size, a lot of wear and tear. While the cloth/mesh ones with zippers are more expensive they are often more efficient and last longer than their plastic "character" brothers. The cloth ones can be personalized and labeled using paint or puffy pens from the arts and crafts department.
Backpacks: Durability is always best. If it looks like you could tear it apart easily. It probably could be. Steer clear of character related stuff because it is usually junk. Go for backpacks with leather or rubber bottoms because they will typically last longer. Get one that is the proper size for your child and the load they will typically carry. Padded shoulder straps and backs are a good thing especially when carrying home lots of books. Look at how they are put together. Make sure the stitching is well done and tight.
Calculators:
I am a firm believer in staying away from calculators until they are needed for things like the Sin Tan and Co sin functions. Kids need to learn their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables and not just for the test. As for brand name, I suggest Texas Instruments. They are pretty much the standard for education and are typically well built. For elementary the simpler the better. For most of high school a TI-130 series should be sufficient.
For the end of highschool and college I suggest the TI-83Plus or better for its graphing and programming capabilities.
Cellphones:
There was a time when I would say there was no place for a cellphone on a high school campus much less elementary. But times do change. IF your school allows it I would say the simplest cellphone with no texting enabled, and maybe not even a camera built in. I say allow a cellphone because of all that is happening these days be it as bad as a school shooting or your child needs to be picked up early for some reason, or wants to know if it is ok to go home with someone. No texting because they will do this any chance they get be it in class or during breaks and it is a big distraction. You can often set your plan so that they can receive texts but not send them if you just must have that ability. As for the camera phones... well sad to say in this day and age there is a thing called sexting where they will send pics of themselves or others through the phone in shall we say compromising positions. This can get them a bad reputation and potentially in trouble with the law. Also camera phones can be used for cheating. This was a popular pass time when I was teaching. It is also important that you as a parent look at their phones to see their call history both received and sent. Also look at any pictures or other documents on the phone. They may gripe about this but so long as they are under your roof and you are paying the bills it is your right and your duty.
Clothing:
As for uniforms or dress codes I leave that up to the schools. I see uniforms as having both positives and negatives. But I will ask this... At least look at what your child is wearing to school. It helps if you spend the time with them to pick out their clothes when they buy them as well. This will help stop a lot of problems before they start. Also do not have your child wearing clothing with their name visible on it. When their name is visible it helps strangers easily gain your child's trust. Also do not be afraid to look for your child's clothes at resale shops. Kids grow up very fast not only can you recycle much of your child's clothing at places like this. You can also find real bargains on clothes for your kids. I would stay away from shoes and intimates but otherwise go for it.
College Life:
Ok where to start?
Let's start with electronics.
Computers:
Your son or daughter may be begging for the latest most expensive computer out there. They might actually need it but chances are they will not. Do some investigation. What classes will they be taking now and in the near future? What are the requirements of the college's networks?
Laptop or desktop:
Laptops are traditionally more expensive and when something goes wrong or needs upgrading it is harder for them to be fixed or upgraded. But some programs DO require them... Desktops are more bulky with you having to buy and move many external components. But they are usually cheaper and have the ability to be upgraded over time. When the monitor, mouse, or keyboard breaks just buy a new one without all the trouble of a laptop. It is a trade off. Oh and get your computer paper and if possible other supplies in your home town. College towns typically jack up the prices to take advantage of college students. Same with on campus bookstores.
Furniture:
Unless your child is moving into an apartment it is likely that some furniture is going to be included in the room. This includes things like a bed, desk, and a set of dresser drawers and a closet. But it is always good to find this out. That is what orientation and other precollege activities are for. Typically unless your child has some specific need for special furniture such as a drawing desk for an artist or engineer. It is best that you save your money. Number one, furniture is expensive. Number two, you have to transport all that stuff home at the end of every school term. Rooms can easily be personalized with knickknacks, posters (often sold on campus every year), and other things. One exception to the furniture rule is a good computer chair. The chairs included with the rooms are often not geared toward proper ergonomics when it comes to computer use.
Video games:
Video games can be a welcome distraction and break from the stresses of college life. They can also be too much of a distraction. Use caution with them and as with everything use in moderation. Also it is good not to bring anything be it video game or otherwise with you to college that if it were to get stolen it would be "the end of the world!!!!" Be it in monetary value or personal value. Things often get stolen that is a sad fact. Another thing that will help is never to loan anything that you expect or must have back. Many people borrow things and shall we say forget to return them.
Clothing:
As when they were younger and in school, it helps to go clothes shopping with them. It is a great time to get to know them as well as it gives you input on what they are wearing and why. Believe me it can prevent many troubles.
Talk to your kids... Talk to them about anything and everything. Because if you don't someone else will. This includes talks about relationships, sex, drugs, and even simple things like no cheating. Be your child a boy or a girl get them some form of pregnancy protection and discuss with them how to use it properly. This may be a embarrassing subject but it is one that needs to be discussed. Yes many colleges will provide such things through resident assistants or residence life but do you really want to rely on them for such things?Sad to say you probably need to have had this talk with your kids before college but even if you have it is never a bad thing to refresh them on. Besides they may have some questions now that they did not have or did not have the guts to ask in the past.
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firebird1
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Member: James Blackmon
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Teaching, Computers, Pets, Games, Home and Garden. I write about it all.
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