7 Most Marketed Products You Don’t Really Need as a Student Posted Sep 25, 2021
Back to school season means that, over the next few weeks, you’ll face tens of buying experts telling you what and where to buy. From new clothes to new gadgets, stores are full of products meant to start the school year off right, and this is especially true for those heading off to college!
Compared to elementary school or high school, college is a whole new game because living in a dorm is the first experience many students have to go through alone. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and panic about what to bring with you, especially if you’re a first-generation freshman just starting out.
But here’s the truth: most of the so-called essential things you’ll find in shopping places don’t matter. If nothing else, they are just expensive college stuff that doesn’t really suit you or is necessary. There are products and services worth your money, like those you can buy an essay from - they literally write essays for you. Yet, let’s focus on the ones that are highly marketed.
College Products You Don’t Really Need
Printer
Even if students need printers from time to time, having them in their dorms is actually pretty unnecessary. Nowadays, most students submit their assignments online, and many colleges offer free or inexpensive printing in computer labs, libraries, and public areas on campus. Some of them are even open 24 hours a day.
Many universities allow printing your documents in on-campus computer labs, the cost of which is included in the tuition fee itself. A personal printer costs about $50 with an operating cost of $30 per person for ink changes and $8 per pack of paper - a nice sum to save.
New Textbooks
Recently, paper textbooks have been replaced by digital e-books. Depending on the university, students can purchase e-textbook subscription codes through their school or purchase e-textbooks from popular platforms such as Bookshelf and Google Books. With a single subscription or account, you can access textbooks on multiple devices, including laptops, phones, or even touchscreen tablets for taking notes.
On-campus bookstores are trying to capitalize on the high demand for programs to sell and rent used books, and teachers are adopting cheaper electronic editions.
A Very Fancy Computer
Laptops have become the main workplace for students. They need a laptop, but they don't need a super expensive laptop with advanced features. Excess memory and 4K displays are unnecessary, and they add to the cost of the computer. Students who want to take their laptops to class can consider netbooks, which are small, light, inexpensive, and easily perform simple tasks such as word processing and web browsing.
Most students use their laptops for word processing, internet access, and streaming TV and movies. So, a lightweight and cheaper laptop will do just fine!
Furniture And Appliances
The biggest mistake students can make when moving to a dorm is taking too much furniture. So, make sure you know the size of the room and what the campus already provides (cupboards, desks, chairs) before you decide to fill it up with more furniture.
Most colleges offer beds, lamps, trash cans, desk chairs, or cupboards. So, you can not shop for those and save your time and money. Most freshmen eat their meals in the cafeteria or other dining rooms on campus, and most kitchen utensils are expensive, bulky, and unnecessary. The same goes for cleaning equipment, as most of it is not economical or space-saving.
Car
Suppose you are concerned that your college residence is far from the main campus. In that case, most universities offer a campus transfer service that transports students on campus and possibly to a nearby neighborhood. And of course, there are always bicycles!
Many campuses also offer shuttles so that students can drop off. They can also use public transportation or service-based apps such as Uber or Lyft. Leave the car at home and keep maintenance, insurance, tickets, and other expenses in your pocket. Most college campuses are walkable and really close to wherever students need to go.
TV
Having a TV in the dorm is great, but not too necessary for students. This is another expensive item that takes up space and can eventually break down. Young people use services like Netflix and Hulu to watch TV and movies on their computers.
In addition, most colleges and universities have televisions in the common areas of the residence and other meeting areas.
Linen and Towels
Two sets of sheets are enough because you can periodically replace them. The same goes for towels: do not bring more than two bath towels and two hand towels with you to campus.
Final Thoughts
Many advertised products that claim they’re more than necessary for college are really far from that. Try to avoid them and save your money on more important feats - you’ll do fine with used or online textbooks and no TV. If an advertised product seems to be useful, think carefully before you actually buy it. Sometimes, it’s just good marketing that got you hooked.
