What You Really Need

Whether it be the University, your parents or people you know, some people just forget to tell you some of the stuff you really need to have and know to have a smooth ride at ND.

1. The showers are public. You'll need to have sandals, and a shower-tote.

2. A mini fridge, to keep your Coke cold.

3. O'Neill is one of the best dorms on campus. Just about everyone at ND will argue the same thing about their respective dorms, but we, unlike those people, have proof, and that proof in Air Conditioning. (We're one of the few dorms on campus with AC.) Our rooms are around 14' x 14', so we have plenty of room.

4. Computer. Not only are they great for doing homework, researching papers and keeping in touch with your professors (they like e-mail... a lot!), but it's also a good source of entertainment. Laptops or desktops with flat-panel monitors are recommended since deskspace is limited.

5. If, however, TV is your thing, bring one. All dorm rooms have cable TV, and DVDs and videos are also great in a pinch.

6. A couch. A futon is a inexpensive way to solve this problem, and gives you an extra bed for visitors to sleep on. Papasan chairs are really comfortable and cheap, but also take up lots of space.

7. The University provides you with a bed, wardrobe, desk, and chair which are really quite awesome. However, the chairs are wood without any padding. A comfortable chair is worth more than gold bricks when you're sitting in front of a computer at 2 in the morning trying to crank out a 6-page paper. Unfortunately, this isn't a rare occurrence.

8. A cellphone. Notre Dame only offers room phones at an extra price. Cellphone reception is fine even in the dorm, so it is highly recommended that you buy a cellphone and bring it instead of paying extra for a room phone that you never use.

9. Dressy clothes. A suit (if you have one), a few ties, collared shirt, etc. Every now and then, you'll have a reason to dress up.

10. Warm clothes. Don't be fooled: the South in South Bend has no connotations with anything you usually think about the South. Usually right before Fall Break, the temperature drops til about mid-April. We usually get a few feet of snow throughout the winter, the temperatures during the winter can drop to single digits (with wind chills in the negative teens). So bring along boots, a heavy winter coat, and anything else you need to stay warm.

11. Posters. The rooms can look pretty mundane without something to spruce up the walls. This can get somewhat depressing in the cold winter months.

Here's a giant list for you; this covers mostly everything we could think of. Keep in mind that the following lists are only suggestions. After all, what you'll need is really at your discretion. If you have particular questions about what to bring, feel free to contact a member of the Orientation Staff.

Clothes	Personal Care	Room Furniture	Important	Other stuff
Underwear	Shaver	Radio	Glasses	Power strips/surge protectors
Socks	Soap	Clock	Contacts, solution, and case	Musical instruments
Swimsuit	Comb and brush	Stereo	Bike, Kryptonite lock	Extension cords
Towels	Shampoo	TV	Sunglasses	Raquetball racket
Washcloth	Toothpaste	Storage bins	Gym bag	Shoe polish, etc.
Shoes (dress, tennis, boots)	Toothbrush	Rugs	Backpack	Hockey equpiment
Sandals	Dental floss	Bedspread	Wallet	Clothes brush
Pants	Deodorant	CDs	Key chain	Chess set
Shirts	Cold medicine	Refrigerator (4.6 cubic feet maximum)	Money	Dust rag
T-Shirts	Other medication		Watch	Cards
Belts	Nail clippers		Checkbook	Plastic bags
Sports coat	Vitamins		Stamps	Golf clubs
Ties	Shower caddy		Envelopes	Mugs/glasses
Sweaters	Cotton swabs			Water balloons
Light jacket	Tissues			Can opener
Heavy coat (remember: it gets very cold in the winter!)	First-aid kit			Bottle opener
Umbrella (it rains a lot too)	Iron			Flashlight
Hats				Small toolbox
Gloves				Laundry bags
				Batteries
				Paper towels
				Shelves
				Futon/couch (you will have room!)
				Camera
				Frisbee
				Tennis racket
				Football
				Baseball glove
				Ice skates
				Pictures