What You Need to Know About College Survival Kits
High school graduates fresh off to college have no idea what awaits them. For most, it's their first taste of independence, and it's also the first time they have to deal with friends and roommates that may have very different priorities than they do. What if they're trying to sleep while there's a party down the hall? What if they need to repair something when they no longer have access to the household tool shed? What if they need to care for an injury and there isn't a first-aid kit on hand?
Those concerns are what college survival kits are designed to address. Their names and contents differ depending on the vendor, but the idea is that they're convenient packages that contain a host of things no student should be without. Sometimes they provide minor conveniences, like book lights, and sometimes they provide something invaluable, like a set of tools or bandages, but either way, no student should be caught without the items they contain.
Cost and Contents
Based on what's contained within a particular kit, the cost ranges from $36.00 to $80.00 or more. The Survival Kit offered at ms. & mrs.contains things like caffeine gum and laundry instructions, but it also contains a first-aid kit and a mending kit.
The kits on offer at The College Toolbox center around basic tools, like hammers and screw kits. They're ideal for a student that likes to build their own computers or tinker with things, and they're necessary for anyone that's not living in a college dorm and needs to do minor household repairs on their own.
Which Kits Provide the Best Value?
Although an instructional card that details how to do laundry might seem cute, it could come off as patronizing the student on the receiving end. There's really no need for kits that include pizza coupons and book lights; the Sunday paper has plenty of discounts for college staples, like pizza, for those who still use coupons, and book lights can be purchased at the local dollar store. Although having a first-aid kit is a really good idea, that can be purchased on its own for less than the cost of most college survival kits that contain them.
For anyone that wants to prepare their child for the adult world, the kits that provide an array of tools are excellent investments. These kits don't just offer immense practical value; they can be cheaper than buying tools individually.
They're All Grown-Up
When it comes time to send the kids off to their future alma mater, practicality wins over cute every time. While novelty-obsessed youths may not like receiving something like a set of tools nor understand their importance, they will be extremely glad to have them in a moment of crisis. The moment they move out they are on their own, and while mom and dad will always be there to support them, there will be times that they will have to save themselves. The best college survival kits ensure that they're able to do that.
