Online chat today covers “Off to College”

Dear Readers: Recently, I went back to my alma mater, Texas State University (called Southwest Texas State University when I went there in 1969), in San Marcos, Texas. I gave a presentation to students who were spending six weeks living on campus attending Math Camp, as I have for more than 10 years. The subject was “teamwork: What are the variables?”

You may be wondering what this has to do with Heloise hints. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in education, in business administration and in mathematics, along with a teacher’s certificate. Teamwork can encompass everything from work and family to roommates, classmates, study-group members and just about anything in life! Jura Koncius, a reporter from the Home section of The Washington Post, accompanied me to gather information from the students and my presentation for a special “Off to College” story she was working on. We both learned a lot from these hopeful, enthusiastic and wonderful students.

The paper is hosting an online chat covering this topic today, Thursday, Aug. 6, at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT)! Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, for the direct link and for some helpful hints that will help students and parents alike with the transition. Also on my site, under College Corner, is a checklist of things a student might need for school. Join us with your input and questions!

Here are some hints that we have printed in this column before to help both student and family:

•Don’t take everything under the sun! Space is limited in a dorm room or a shared apartment.

•Find out what is allowed and what’s not. Some dorms don’t allow microwaves in the rooms.

•One set of bedsheets is probably all you need. Take them off, wash and put back on the bed.

•If the student is responsible for cleaning the room, pack necessary cleaning supplies — a bottle of vinegar, liquid dish soap and microfiber cloths usually will get the job done.

•Find out how many electrical outlets are in the room, and if extension cords are allowed.

Please join me, along with Washington Post reporters, for this one-hour live chat to get hints and answers to questions you or your student might have. Hugs, Heloise

P.S.: If a student is going away from home for the first time, it’s vital you give him or her the tools to succeed. Send the student off with the right supplies and a positive attitude, and take lots of pictures! Remember, you can buy items that may be needed, and a thrift shop is the perfect place to look for some things.

Dear Heloise: My husband and I get through supermarket checkouts super-fast, and we have our groceries bagged exactly the way we prefer them: We bag the groceries ourselves. We can still watch what is being rung up, and the customers behind us appreciate that our transaction takes far less time. Schroeder Baker, via e-mail

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate