Dear Heloise: I noticed several people have written about items that you can give to a graduating student to take to college (a hammer, nails, a tool kit, etc.). Has everyone forgotten that the college will have maintenance people who already have these tools and will help students if they need to assemble things?

People mean well, but don’t overload kids with things that they’ll most likely never need or use. They are only a temporary resident of their college dorm. It’s not as though they’re going to be needing a bunch of tools, a big first-aid kit, and a bunch of other things.

Think in minimal terms: a laundry bag, an alarm clock, soap (for both laundry and their body), and other things that are easy to pack and cause less clutter. After the first month, the students will have a bette

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