My AS cousin is heading to college - what do i get him?

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I want to get my AS cousin something special for his high school graduation that will help him transition to college in the fall, but I don't know what will be most helpful. We're all a bit nervous about how he will do (including him!) because he has a lot of routines at home that he won't be able to continue and he has a lot of friends and family from home who will no longer be near by. I want to do my best to make him feel @ home and loved - and to help him with his big change.

So - what would have helped during your transition to college? Or what would you have liked to get for high school graduation in general?

Thanks for your help!

-seaswell

Has he got any kitchen equipment ?

If he has not then get him a decent set of pots and pans, and a copy of "grub on a grant". This is a book which is about how to feed yourself as a student.

_________________
Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity I am not a jigsaw, I am a free man !

Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.

1/do stuff preferribly with CV/resume in mind
2/Women are in it for the money
3/Everyone is in it for the money (including you).
4/Do not drink as much as I did - and if you have to drink in first year go cold turkey after the first year binge.
5/Brown nose as much as possible - it is good training for like (see 1 and 3).
6/Do not pick subjects where only the top 10% get laid/money. [I am a computer programmer and frankly I am bitter]

[Edit: also doing stuff from a no knowledge/first principle angle gets real tiresome and tiring, for everyone else first and you finally]

Woodpecker - great idea, especially the cook book about how to feed yourself as a student. I wish I had had something like that.

totierne - I'm also planning to send him a little letter with general college advice (I graduated five years ago). "Don't drink too much" will definitely be on there!

A friend of mine suggested a Netflix subscription, so that if he every got anxious in the dorms he could watch movies on his laptop with earphones. But I'm not sure if that would distract him from studying?

Money. Or maybe a book token or something like that.

This might sound silly, but the best thing anyone ever gave me while I was in college was a gift card for my favorite restaurant in the area.

The reason? Even when things are bad and you run out of money, you can still have your favorite food and it makes things just a little better. Plus, you can't waste the money on anything else. It's only for food.

Maybe not as a main gift, but a good one nonetheless.

I recommend getting him a set of real tableware, such as china plates and bowls of different sizes; metal forks, knives, and spoons; actual glasses; and porcelain coffee mugs. This way, he'll be able to enjoy a meal like the ones at home. This option is especially good if he's going to have an apartment or at least a dorm with a direct access to a bathroom (as opposed to down the hall) so that he'll be able to wash the dishes easily. On top of that, you can include extra little things that will help immensely, such as instant coffee, trail mix snacks, bottles of vitamins (to make up for the nasty cafeteria food), and a few humorous books.