Parents, in about four months, your high school seniors (including me) will be headed off to college. I’m here to tell you how to make it easier for us.

While we’re off having arguably the best four years of our lives, it’s important you do not let us lose sight of the little things – the morale boosters if you will. No, I’m not talking about the small stuff you want like a stationery kit so we can write home, or a framed diploma to hang on our wall. (If you really want to frame our diplomas, however, see the side-bar below.) I’m not even talking about what we want (who knows how much of a tab we would run up).

I’m talking about the items we need to make our first year at college the best it can be. While MacBooks and Blackberrys are useful, below you will find a list of the top 10 important, convenient, and affordable gifts to provide us with for next year.

1. Shower Basket — Smelling good is important. Stuff a shower basket full of shampoos and soaps so we have a convenient way of cleaning ourselves. The most important item needed in this bundle, though, is sandals. Sharing a bathroom with 20 people can get disgusting, especially on weekends. If you don’t get us a nice pair of shower sandals, you’ll be lucky if we even use the restroom.
 
2. Extra Socks — Washers and dryers have the uncanny ability to feast on our socks… even when you, Mom, are doing our laundry. And think back to overnight camp — you would send us with about 15 pairs, but we would usually come home with two-and-a-half. Just refer back to the commonly known equation: Kids + Laundry = Naked Children. Disagree? I dare you. While you’re out getting us a couple more pairs of socks, consider one of those collapsible laundry baskets so our socks don’t end up on the floor (Oh! Detergent and quarters for the machines would be nice too). Please, help keep our feet shoed and blister free.
 
3. First Aid Kit — Since we all get booboos here and there, it’s convenient to have a small first aid kit in the room. Make sure there’s a bunch of cold medicine in it too; Nyquil, Dayquil, Airborne, cough drops and definitely Ibuprofen for those Monday mornings. Campus convenience stores charge crazy money for these over-the-counter drugs, and college kids are poor.
 
4. Day Planner — We might get a funny look on our faces when we open it, but we’ll appreciate a nice day planner on campus. It’s a good way to get us to write down our homework so we don’t forget to do it.
 
5. Duct Tape — I can’t really explain this one. You can do just about anything with duct tape though. Hang posters, repair breaks… tape your roommate to his or her bed. Just about anything.
 
6. Dunkin’ Donuts Gift Card — Enough said.
 
7. Nalgene/Sigg — Again, college kids are usually broke. At least get us a reusable water bottle so we aren’t paying for water. You can find them at Whole Foods. We’ll stay hydrated, and it’s good for the environment.
 
8. Gum/Snacks — Easy Mac, Ramen Noodles and Pop-Tarts are absolute necessities. There’s nothing like a quick snack or a wad of gum to keep you going during the week.
 
9. Small Tool Kit — I’ll be honest, I have no idea exactly why we need one. All I’ve heard from my friends in college is that a 6-in-1 screwdriver, at the very least, is vital.
 
10. Toilet Paper — No one likes wiping with sand paper. If you get us a few rolls of the softest toilet paper, we will easily be the most popular kids on our floor – if not our entire building.
 
Add to the list if you’d like. Oh, and don’t forget the MacBook.