Posts tagged with supplies.

School supplies live longer in university

Kathy Dobson, August 13, 2009 at 9:28 AM

In less than a month, my two oldest are starting their second year at the University of Waterloo. But unlike my three youngest, who are still in public school, their professors didn't provide a list of important school supplies. I don't have to buy them a new pack of pencil crayons, a geometry set, or some markers.

Uh, come to think of it, I don't have to buy them anything. Now they buy their own school supplies.

The whole back-to-school phase is completely different for university-aged children. I don't have to buy them indoor and outdoor shoes. I also don't have to write their names on the back of their jackets, or inside their lunch bags.

I don't have to replace their ratty book bags every year. For one thing, they don't use book bags anymore. Apparently, book bags are only for public school and first-year university students. Any self-respecting university student quickly learns to use a messenger bag. According to my son, "It's more compact. You can stuff it under your seat during a lecture, and it doesn't get in the way on the bus."

Every year someone needs a book bag replaced. There's a hole in the bottom, one of the straps are ripped, or the zipper is stuck. Or the zipper has disappeared entirely. Lunch bags rarely last more than a year, either.

But for some reason, school supplies have a longer life span on a university campus. My two oldest are using the same messenger bags they did last year. All the zippers and straps are intact. They're using the same pencil cases and calculators, and their lunch bags haven't gone AWOL.

The most expensive part of back-to-school shopping for my three youngest isn't the binders, duotangs, notebooks or pencils. It's the clothing.

Every year they go through the August Growth Spurt. Overnight, their t-shirts, jeans and pants stop fitting. Their shoes (indoor and outdoor) are a couple sizes too small. Not to mention there's often a gap, or at least a flap, where the big toe rests.

None of that is a problem for my two oldest. They don't grow four and a half inches over the summer anymore, outgrowing their entire wardrobe.

Come August, their jeans and t-shirts still fit. Their shoes are also usually in good shape as well.

Of course, there are certain expenses that are unique to university.

Those math and science textbooks that were handed out for free in high school? Suddenly they cost hundreds of dollars. And for students in the sciences, back-to-school shopping often includes goggles and lab coats.

And unlike those lists mailed or handed out in public school, the list from university is more of a 'suggestion' of supplies you might want to consider having for each course. In fact, some text books are even indicated as being optional. My two oldest research the necessity of each item before they actually purchase it. They find out which books will be used during the course and which are 'nice to have.' They don't spend their hard earned cash on the nice to have books. Ever.

Even if I were in charge of buying the back-to-school supplies for my two oldest, which fortunately I'm not, I don't even know what the heck some of the items on the list are.

Like 'clickers.'

I overheard my daughter saying she'll have to buy a 'clicker' from the school bookstore before they run out. The only 'clicker' I was aware of is the one we used a few years ago, to train our dog to stop barking at everyone who came to our front door.

Assuming they aren't just messing with me, my two oldest assured me that the clicker they need won't be teaching them about not barking at strangers. Apparently it'll somehow be used for multiple choice quizzes given during a lecture.

Sometimes my two oldest need help paying for some of the more expensive items on their back-to-school lists, and we're happy to help them. Of course, just because my two oldest claim something on their list is absolutely essential, doesn't mean they'll necessarily get it.

No matter how much they insist they really need a car for second year.

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