August 22, 2025 • 24 mins
We wrap up our back-to-school series with practical advice for high school and college supplies, focusing on the transition between these educational stages and what students actually need versus what retailers want you to buy.
• High school students need quality binders and organizational tools to manage increased coursework
• Laptops and tablets become essential tools for high school students using online learning platforms
• Invest in a good printer with scanning capabilities for assignments and digital submissions
• Choose durable, multi-purpose backpacks for high schoolers, especially those involved in sports
• For college, remember "LESS IS MORE" – focus on necessities before decorative items
• Consider end-of-year storage issues when purchasing college supplies
• Pre-clean dorm rooms thoroughly before move-in and encourage ongoing cleanliness
• Use Amazon wishlists or gift cards to help supplement college supply needs
• Emotional preparation for parents is just as important as practical preparation for students
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of the
Gagas Pot.
I am your girl, charlie Shantae.
Thank you for joining me onanother episode.
Okay, here we go.
Y'all know, for some reason,sometimes I come on here and I
have it all together.
Sometimes it's just been hotmess.
And today I think it's likegiving a little uh, I don't want
to record, like the equipmentdon't want to record, but we
(00:21):
finna record, like why do whythe mic keep falling, like you
are a whole microphone, likeyour sole purpose is to be here.
But nonetheless, as I alwayssay, if it's a Friday, then it's
a new episode.
If you're not listening to iton a Friday, that is all good,
just glad that you are here.
(00:41):
And if you are not already,please make sure you are
following us at thegaggiestpoton IG and YouTube, and if you
want to follow my personal page,smartfitorg, smartfit
underscore orgy on IG as well.
So, as I always say, grab yourdrink or whatever it is that you
eat, drink or do when you arelistening to this, so we can go
(01:04):
home, go ahead and see my wordsgoing to be everywhere today, so
that we can go ahead and getstarted, all right.
So today we're going to closeout the last part of the back to
school series.
You know, here the kids havealready started school.
Your kids may not have startedschool.
I know, sometimes in the Westor up North they don't start
(01:26):
school until after Labor Day.
So if that is the case, thenthese rules still apply to you.
But even if your kid hasalready applied, has already
started school, then you knowthey this still apply as well.
Going forward.
So we're going to talk aboutschool supplies for high school
and for college, and I wanted todo this one last, because this
(01:48):
one is kind of like.
It's kind of like a two for one, right.
So high school and college Ifeel like high school is like a
transition for college, right,because in high school, like my
kid could, your kid could betaking college classes.
So I feel like some of thesupplies go hand in hand.
(02:09):
I feel like this microphonejust don't want a microphone
today and, um, I may have tohold it.
So you know, bear with bearwith me.
I don't want it way up here.
Okay, all right, it might look,but y'all finna get it.
See, that looks funky.
Okay, but y'all gonna get theword.
(02:31):
So, high school versus collegesome of the supplies are the
same, like I said, and shoppingis very similar.
This is the best time, I say, todetermine your child's needs.
Like is your child a visuallearner?
Is your child an audio learner?
You know?
Like do they do better with penand paper?
Do they do better withcomputers, slides, different
stuff like that?
(02:51):
So what I'm going to say is makesure that you are getting
quality supplies for high schooland college because, unlike
middle school and elementary, itlooks a lot different, like I
call high school, like juniorcollege, like junior junior
college or whatever.
So for high school, my firstbullet point is minimal supplies
(03:14):
are needed outside of the usualpaper and writing items.
Unlike middle school, anddefinitely elementary, you don't
need your crowns, your rulers,your glue and your different
stuff like this.
So, with that being said, Ipersonally always make sure that
I invest in a good bindertrapper, keeper or something
like that.
That way it's very durable.
(03:35):
Because they are going fromclass to class, the course load
is more, so it's going to beholding a little bit more
compared to your typical middleschool and elementary where they
just have just little flimsyfolders and stuff.
Versus high school, they needthe thicker two to three inch
binders because there is morework and there are more things
(03:56):
that have to be cataloged whenthey are in class.
This would be a good time toinvest in a laptop.
The reason why I say this is alot of the work is done on
Canvas, which means it's done onthe computer.
(04:19):
I say invest in a laptop rightnow.
That way you can determine whattype of laptop your child likes
.
Every child does not like aniMac.
Some kids may like HP orsomething like that.
So I feel like now is a goodtime to get your child a laptop,
just to determine, so they canget the feel and see if they
(04:41):
really like it.
New Face, I was like you need alaptop.
And he has a laptop.
He just has like just aMicrosoft.
I think it's like a little HPor something that I bought from
the store.
He loves that.
I tried to get him to use myMacBook for one day for the
homework and he was like Icannot do this.
Can it grow on him?
(05:02):
Absolutely, but I'm not goingto force him to do something
like this.
Can it grow on him Absolutely,but I'm not going to force him
to do something like this.
So, in addition to his laptop.
He had a tablet as well.
He had an iPad as well.
I also suggest getting one ofthese, just like an iPad mini or
just a regular iPad orsomething, as when it's study
time, instead of lugging theirlaptop around they can take this
(05:24):
tablet around.
They can do the same thing andinstead of typing on there they
can write Little bit.
Easier to carry around theydon't need a big backpack, they
can just have like a carryingsleeve or something like that.
So make sure you do your duediligence.
You know like, don't get like aninety nine dollar laptop that
they have on.
So it's going to cost you acouple hundred dollars to
(05:46):
determine if your child likes acertain laptop or not.
I would say a MacBook would bethe last option because it is
more pricier than the others,but I would say four to six
hundred dollars would be a goodstarting point for you to get a
laptop for your child.
(06:07):
Um, a printer.
Oh, my goodness, a printer,because let's think how many
times have our kids come to usand go hey, mom, I need this
printed out.
Most of us probably do it atwork, but that's neither here
nor there.
But a printer.
Printers are very inexpensive.
This allows, like new face.
New face has his stuff on hiscomputer but he also likes to
(06:29):
write stuff down.
So he'd be like hey, mom, can Iprint this out so that I can
you it take my notes?
Different stuff like that.
A lot of teachers also say youcan bring in one piece of paper
to assist you with the test.
Only the notes that are onthere are only the notes that
you can use.
So he'll take that and thenhe'll write his notes on there.
Then he'll utilize it like that.
(06:52):
I also got a printer that servesas a dual purpose.
So not only is it a printer butit's a scanner as well.
This is because a lot of theirwork from what I noticed from
new face is once they completethe work, they have to send it
in via canvas.
Yes, I do know that you can useyour phone, your child can use
(07:13):
their phone to take a picture ofit and scan it, but sometimes
that's not always applicable.
So a printer that serves as ascanner will also get the trick
done.
And I also make sure that I geta color, not a color printer.
Yes, a color printer.
I meant to say not a colorcomputer, but yes, I do get a
(07:34):
color printer.
That way, if they need to printa presentation or something
like that in color, they have itthere.
You can do your due diligenceto see if you need an inkjet or
if you're going to do likelittle cartridges or whatever
you want to do.
I would just say, make surethat is a two in one, something
that is very practical,something that's very doable,
(07:55):
something that's not very big,something that does not take up
a lot of space.
Here we actually have twoprinters.
I don't know how we ended upwith that, but they're very
centrally located in our home.
It's in my office, so if NewFace needs to print something,
he can just come in there andprint it.
I also have a printer that isBluetooth wireless capable.
(08:16):
That way, if he has somethingon his phone, he can print it
off his phone as well.
If not, he can print wirelesslyfrom his laptop.
Or he can bring his laptop in,plug it into the cord and do it
like that top end.
Plug it into the cord and do itlike that.
(08:38):
And my last bullet point forhigh school is a quality,
multi-purpose backpack OMG.
This is especially important ifyour kid does sports, but also
if they're going to be utilizingand bringing their laptop back
and forth.
I know some high schools doallow the use of personal
(08:59):
devices in class to take notesor if they're doing like
something online.
I know they can't use theirpersonal for testing, but
something like submitting toCanvas or if they're doing
research in class or somethingof the sorts, they can use their
personal device for that.
So I always look for a backpackthat has like the back pocket
(09:21):
is insulated.
So most backpacks have whatthey call a laptop slot where
you can put the laptop in theback slot.
It's padded.
It's typically on the backportion of the backpack.
That way when you're carryingit it's flat against your back
or it can be in the front.
I've seen both.
Nuface has one where the laptopslot is in the back.
(09:44):
I also say look for amulti-purpose backpack that has
a lot of pockets, because a lotof kids do sports.
Now for new phase.
He does swim, so I typicallypick him up and take him to swim
, depending on which swim hegoes to, whether he goes to the
high school swim practice orwhether he goes to his
competition team, his travelteam practice.
(10:06):
So I needed him to havesomething that had enough
pockets that if he needed to, ifI forgot to get something
anymore, like he didn't packsomething in his bag he can
bring it with him.
Typically I have his big stufflike his wedge, his kickboard
and his flippers I typicallyhave those.
So he'll take a pair of jammersand his goggles and his
(10:29):
backpack has a compartment forthat, to where he can keep that
stuff on him.
It's not interfering with thebinders that he has.
It doesn't make his backpackany heavier or anything like
that.
I want to say he has a NorthFace backpack and it runs around
one hundred and ten dollars butit's very resourceful, very
(10:50):
lightweight, very sturdy,because these kids go through
backpacks like it's not nothing.
Parents and I mean this with allit's your kid do what you want
to do.
But I have gone to my child'sschool and I have seen so many
kids there.
They want the little cutebackpacks, the Hello Kitties and
(11:13):
the Bluey and different stufflike that.
I seen a girl.
She had a blue backpack and itwas lighting up and I'm like
baby, that backpack is notpractical.
It's just a one compartment andit's not very strong because
it's intended for elementary,maybe even middle school.
It's intended for elementary,maybe even middle school.
It's not very strong, thematerials are not very strong.
(11:34):
It's not going to support theweight of the books and the
binders that you're supposed tohave in your bag.
Yes, they're cute, yes, they'refashionable, but, parents, I do
not recommend you get thesebackpacks for your children,
because if my child has abackpack I'm going to be looking
like so you're just notbringing no work home, you're
(11:57):
just not doing no kind of work.
You ain't got nothing to bringhome.
No papers for me to sign?
No, nothing, just nothing, huh.
So, parents, please refrainfrom buying these little cute
backpacks for your children,unless they're using it for
sports or something like that.
I would say that would would bethe only thing.
But other than that, thosebackpacks are not practical for
college.
They're not practical for highschool.
Okay, moving right along.
(12:20):
Oh, I like the flow it is.
Today, your girl came in hereprepared and organized.
Okay, college, oh, my goodnessand I can attest to this because
I've been there and done that,y'all forget.
I got Marco Polo, and whenMarco Polo went to college, I
was like every other parent outthere.
(12:41):
You need this, you need that,you're going to need this,
you're going to need that, whentruth be told, he need none of
that.
Need that, when truth be told,he need none of that.
So my first bullet point forcollege is less is more, and in
my notes I have it in allcapital letters, with a bunch of
exclamation points at the endLess is more.
(13:03):
Do not break the bank forcollege.
Okay, college ain't nothing buthigh school outside your house.
You want to be very, very, very, very, very, very minimal when
it comes to purchasing forcollege.
(13:24):
Now, with that being said, I'mnot just saying your kids should
only have a bed, bedding and adesk in their room.
Make your kids comfortable, byall means.
But in order to do that, youneed to set a budget, because if
you don't set a budget, I don'tcare what store you go to.
(13:45):
They got these fancy displayswith all of this stuff.
Send your kid off to college,the right way.
This for simplicity.
That for that.
Don't fall for it.
Okay, this stuff is cute.
These advertisements is meant toget you to buy this stuff.
Don't do it, okay, and I'mgonna tell you why here.
Um, and one of my next bulletpoints spend money on the needed
(14:12):
stuff first.
See the needed stuff.
You know your kid's going toneed sheets, they're going to
need bedding, they're going toprobably need a little small
dresser or something to puttheir extra clothes in.
They're probably going to needa little small desktop lamp,
pillows, pillowcases, differentstuff like that.
Yes, get that stuff.
(14:33):
Clothes hangers, a little arearug or something to put next to
their bed so when they put theirfeet down in the morning.
Yes, all of that stuff is stuffyou need Shower curtain,
toothbrush holder, soap holder,soap dispenser, toilet paper
holder, stuff like this, simple,small, functional, everyday
(14:55):
stuff.
Because, remember, high schoolis like their bedroom outside.
College is like their bedroomoutside their house.
So it should be high schoolminded, but outside your house.
Does that make sense?
Then, if there's a little bitof money left over, you can go
ahead and get extra items thereonce.
(15:18):
So like um, no, curtains is notnecessary.
But if they want curtains causethey want to decorate, or they
want the little fancy lightsthat go around their room or
something like that, all of thatstuff is good.
But that's not in a necessity.
Stuff Like these things are notpivotal to you being at school.
You could argue and say youknow, they want to decorate,
they want to feel like they'reat home.
(15:40):
They want to give the ambianceyou know, they want to give the
vibe.
I get that.
But if it's not in the budgetright now, it's okay not to have
it.
That's not to say that later ondown the line that you won't
have the money to get thesesupplies and these other little
things to help decorate yourroom.
You know, I encourage, if youhave friends and family, I
(16:01):
encourage the use of gift cardsor set up like a little cash app
or something so that they canget money.
Set up an Amazon wishlist tosee if people can help buy or,
you know, purchase the littlestuff to send them off to
college.
There's many different ways thatyour student can get everything
that they need for their dormroom or their apartment when
they go off to college.
(16:23):
And I said all of that to saythis.
And I said all of that to saythis Please remember that at the
end of each school year, yourchild has to move out of their
dorm room.
This is not like, unless theyhave an apartment that you are
personally paying for.
That is not a part of studenthousing.
They got to move out every May,every April, may, june even.
(16:46):
They got to move out.
So I say that to say thisremember when I told you don't
be buying all that stuff,because less is more, because
think about it, during those twoand a half months, while
they're home for the summer, yougot to have somewhere to put
this space, this stuff.
So what we did with Marco Polois, for the two summers that he
was there, we had to get astorage unit.
(17:08):
We had to pack up all his stuffand he had to get a storage
unit.
And that was a cause that hewasn't thinking about because we
were like, oh okay, we'll justleave his stuff there over the
summer, he going to come home,whatever, whatever.
Nope, you got to pack up all ofthat stuff and put it somewhere
and you're not going tocontinue to lug it home,
(17:29):
especially if your child goes toschool out of state.
You're not going to get aU-Haul, bring all that stuff
back only two months later tohave to pack it all back up and
U-Haul it away, going to have toget a storage unit.
So that's why I say less ismore, because it's easier to
pack up the necessities andstuff like that, some items you
can give away or what have you,but it's easier to pick up the
(17:54):
stuff, the few items, and putthem in the storage, compared to
getting a whole bunch of stuffand then you're going to have to
get a bigger storage becauseyou have bigger stuff or having
to worry about lugging it backhome.
Marco Polo, he, like I said, wegot his storage, he left clothes
there and then he had clotheshere at the house, so that way
when he came home he didn't haveto do much.
And then when he would comeback here and then go back to
(18:16):
school, then he would just takea little bit more clothes with
him or he would swap it out,because we live in Florida, he
went to school in New York, sohe would bring his summer
clothes back and then he wouldtake more winter clothes and
then vice versa.
And my last bullet point forcollege ensure your child has
clean and supplies the firstdorm that Marco Polo went into.
(18:39):
I hope that he gives thesepeople their deposit back.
And it also lets me know thatthey didn't check the room.
Nor did they.
You know, they just ain'tchecked the room because I'm
going to spare y'all the details, but it was dirty.
But they just ain't checked theroom because I'm gonna spare
y'all the details, but it wasdirty.
But me being me, I went andbought a gallon of Fabuloso,
some Lysol, some Clorox, wipes,all of that stuff and by the
(19:01):
time um, he moved into that roomfor the summer.
That room was very sanitized andclean.
When I tell you I'm doing doors, floors clean, wipe down the
beds, mattresses, everything,because they had like the
plastic kind of like mattresses,you know like before we put the
(19:21):
bed cover on there and stufflike that, wipe down everything,
everything that was wiped down.
I'm talking about windowsills,windows, the little part of the
window where the little latch is.
I'm wiping all of that down.
I would have wiped the walls ifI could, but there was that
pain and I didn't want to messit up, so I was like we'll just
(19:43):
lice all this Got to clean.
Tell your kids keep it clean,because you don't know what the
people next to them are doing.
You would hate to get ants androaches.
I've heard horror stories indorms about ants and roaches.
You don't want them havingproblems.
You don't want to got problemsagain.
Like I said, marco polo went toschool in new york and so you
(20:05):
know there was occasional ratstory, you know, running through
the hall, different stuff likethat.
So always, like I said,pre-clean the room and then
encourage your child, you know,to keep it clean during the
school year.
Okay, now, since we're talkingabout high school and college
(20:26):
and you know, cleaning anddifferent stuff like that, my,
you can't make this up.
It's kind of funny, but it'snot funny.
So Marco Polo went to school inNew York and he wanted to do
the Summer Bridge program and Iwas like, and it was for 30 days
.
And I was like, oh my gosh,this is the first time he's been
(20:47):
away from home for a long time,that he hasn't been with family
, he hasn't been on, just likein a trip or something like that
.
Omg, like he's establishing hisfootprint in new york.
Like new york, new york, nyc,like city of dreams.
And I remember the day that Idropped him off and left, we
(21:08):
were standing outside the hotel.
Wait, was that the first timeor the second time I went back?
We?
I think no, the was the firsttime.
I can't remember if the firstor the second time because I
dropped him off twice, but oneof the times that I was there I
up walking.
I left the hotel, ended upwalking to um to the train
(21:34):
station and to get to ride thesubway to the airport.
And I was like, oh my god, likeI'm really leaving my kid here,
like this is crazy.
And y'all ever seen the movieswhere, like people get on the
train and then it's raining, andthen it's like that one rain
drop dropping down.
So I go to get to the trainstation and I'm dragging my
luggage and I'm on the train andthey're like I walk in and I'm
(21:57):
like looking like you could nottell me that I was not on the
set of a movie.
Okay, because this is exactlyhow it felt.
I sit down, I slide in by awindow seat and I'm looking at
everybody else come in, and thenI see a little window, a little
raindrop, like there was araindrop.
So I went in, I see a littleraindrop, it was dropping down
(22:17):
and I lost it.
Lost it Because I was like, ohmy God, my baby, like this is my
firstborn and like I'm reallyleaving him out here to the
savages of NYC, like what?
So that's my.
You can't make this up story.
Needless to say, my boy wasfine, he adapted.
(22:39):
You know what I'm saying, butdon't think he came back and
he's like you walk too slow andI'm like, bro, I drive
everywhere.
I got to walk everywhere.
I'm not trying to catch notrains and buses, but it's all
good.
So that's my.
You Can't Make this Up story ofthe week, as always.
If you are not, please makesure you are following me on IG
(23:03):
at TheGagIsPod, and it's thesame handle on YouTube as well.
And before we get up out ofhere, we got the song lyric of
the week and this week the songlyric of the week is going to be
Grateful, by DJ Khaled,featuring Vori.
All right, I am a girl.
(23:24):
Charlie Shante.
This is the Gag.
Is Pod Bye, guys.
Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of the
Gagas Pot.
I am your girl, charlie Shantae.
Thank you for joining me onanother episode.
Okay, here we go.
Y'all know, for some reason,sometimes I come on here and I
have it all together.
Sometimes it's just been hotmess.
And today I think it's likegiving a little uh, I don't want
to record, like the equipmentdon't want to record, but we
(00:21):
finna record, like why do whythe mic keep falling, like you
are a whole microphone, likeyour sole purpose is to be here.
But nonetheless, as I alwayssay, if it's a Friday, then it's
a new episode.
If you're not listening to iton a Friday, that is all good,
just glad that you are here.
(00:41):
And if you are not already,please make sure you are
following us at thegaggiestpoton IG and YouTube, and if you
want to follow my personal page,smartfitorg, smartfit
underscore orgy on IG as well.
So, as I always say, grab yourdrink or whatever it is that you
eat, drink or do when you arelistening to this, so we can go
(01:04):
home, go ahead and see my wordsgoing to be everywhere today, so
that we can go ahead and getstarted, all right.
So today we're going to closeout the last part of the back to
school series.
You know, here the kids havealready started school.
Your kids may not have startedschool.
I know, sometimes in the Westor up North they don't start
(01:26):
school until after Labor Day.
So if that is the case, thenthese rules still apply to you.
But even if your kid hasalready applied, has already
started school, then you knowthey this still apply as well.
Going forward.
So we're going to talk aboutschool supplies for high school
and for college, and I wanted todo this one last, because this
(01:48):
one is kind of like.
It's kind of like a two for one, right.
So high school and college Ifeel like high school is like a
transition for college, right,because in high school, like my
kid could, your kid could betaking college classes.
So I feel like some of thesupplies go hand in hand.
(02:09):
I feel like this microphonejust don't want a microphone
today and, um, I may have tohold it.
So you know, bear with bearwith me.
I don't want it way up here.
Okay, all right, it might look,but y'all finna get it.
See, that looks funky.
Okay, but y'all gonna get theword.
(02:31):
So, high school versus collegesome of the supplies are the
same, like I said, and shoppingis very similar.
This is the best time, I say, todetermine your child's needs.
Like is your child a visuallearner?
Is your child an audio learner?
You know?
Like do they do better with penand paper?
Do they do better withcomputers, slides, different
stuff like that?
(02:51):
So what I'm going to say is makesure that you are getting
quality supplies for high schooland college because, unlike
middle school and elementary, itlooks a lot different, like I
call high school, like juniorcollege, like junior junior
college or whatever.
So for high school, my firstbullet point is minimal supplies
(03:14):
are needed outside of the usualpaper and writing items.
Unlike middle school, anddefinitely elementary, you don't
need your crowns, your rulers,your glue and your different
stuff like this.
So, with that being said, Ipersonally always make sure that
I invest in a good bindertrapper, keeper or something
like that.
That way it's very durable.
(03:35):
Because they are going fromclass to class, the course load
is more, so it's going to beholding a little bit more
compared to your typical middleschool and elementary where they
just have just little flimsyfolders and stuff.
Versus high school, they needthe thicker two to three inch
binders because there is morework and there are more things
(03:56):
that have to be cataloged whenthey are in class.
This would be a good time toinvest in a laptop.
The reason why I say this is alot of the work is done on
Canvas, which means it's done onthe computer.
(04:19):
I say invest in a laptop rightnow.
That way you can determine whattype of laptop your child likes
.
Every child does not like aniMac.
Some kids may like HP orsomething like that.
So I feel like now is a goodtime to get your child a laptop,
just to determine, so they canget the feel and see if they
(04:41):
really like it.
New Face, I was like you need alaptop.
And he has a laptop.
He just has like just aMicrosoft.
I think it's like a little HPor something that I bought from
the store.
He loves that.
I tried to get him to use myMacBook for one day for the
homework and he was like Icannot do this.
Can it grow on him?
(05:02):
Absolutely, but I'm not goingto force him to do something
like this.
Can it grow on him Absolutely,but I'm not going to force him
to do something like this.
So, in addition to his laptop.
He had a tablet as well.
He had an iPad as well.
I also suggest getting one ofthese, just like an iPad mini or
just a regular iPad orsomething, as when it's study
time, instead of lugging theirlaptop around they can take this
(05:24):
tablet around.
They can do the same thing andinstead of typing on there they
can write Little bit.
Easier to carry around theydon't need a big backpack, they
can just have like a carryingsleeve or something like that.
So make sure you do your duediligence.
You know like, don't get like aninety nine dollar laptop that
they have on.
So it's going to cost you acouple hundred dollars to
(05:46):
determine if your child likes acertain laptop or not.
I would say a MacBook would bethe last option because it is
more pricier than the others,but I would say four to six
hundred dollars would be a goodstarting point for you to get a
laptop for your child.
(06:07):
Um, a printer.
Oh, my goodness, a printer,because let's think how many
times have our kids come to usand go hey, mom, I need this
printed out.
Most of us probably do it atwork, but that's neither here
nor there.
But a printer.
Printers are very inexpensive.
This allows, like new face.
New face has his stuff on hiscomputer but he also likes to
(06:29):
write stuff down.
So he'd be like hey, mom, can Iprint this out so that I can
you it take my notes?
Different stuff like that.
A lot of teachers also say youcan bring in one piece of paper
to assist you with the test.
Only the notes that are onthere are only the notes that
you can use.
So he'll take that and thenhe'll write his notes on there.
Then he'll utilize it like that.
(06:52):
I also got a printer that servesas a dual purpose.
So not only is it a printer butit's a scanner as well.
This is because a lot of theirwork from what I noticed from
new face is once they completethe work, they have to send it
in via canvas.
Yes, I do know that you can useyour phone, your child can use
(07:13):
their phone to take a picture ofit and scan it, but sometimes
that's not always applicable.
So a printer that serves as ascanner will also get the trick
done.
And I also make sure that I geta color, not a color printer.
Yes, a color printer.
I meant to say not a colorcomputer, but yes, I do get a
(07:34):
color printer.
That way, if they need to printa presentation or something
like that in color, they have itthere.
You can do your due diligenceto see if you need an inkjet or
if you're going to do likelittle cartridges or whatever
you want to do.
I would just say, make surethat is a two in one, something
that is very practical,something that's very doable,
(07:55):
something that's not very big,something that does not take up
a lot of space.
Here we actually have twoprinters.
I don't know how we ended upwith that, but they're very
centrally located in our home.
It's in my office, so if NewFace needs to print something,
he can just come in there andprint it.
I also have a printer that isBluetooth wireless capable.
(08:16):
That way, if he has somethingon his phone, he can print it
off his phone as well.
If not, he can print wirelesslyfrom his laptop.
Or he can bring his laptop in,plug it into the cord and do it
like that top end.
Plug it into the cord and do itlike that.
(08:38):
And my last bullet point forhigh school is a quality,
multi-purpose backpack OMG.
This is especially important ifyour kid does sports, but also
if they're going to be utilizingand bringing their laptop back
and forth.
I know some high schools doallow the use of personal
(08:59):
devices in class to take notesor if they're doing like
something online.
I know they can't use theirpersonal for testing, but
something like submitting toCanvas or if they're doing
research in class or somethingof the sorts, they can use their
personal device for that.
So I always look for a backpackthat has like the back pocket
(09:21):
is insulated.
So most backpacks have whatthey call a laptop slot where
you can put the laptop in theback slot.
It's padded.
It's typically on the backportion of the backpack.
That way when you're carryingit it's flat against your back
or it can be in the front.
I've seen both.
Nuface has one where the laptopslot is in the back.
(09:44):
I also say look for amulti-purpose backpack that has
a lot of pockets, because a lotof kids do sports.
Now for new phase.
He does swim, so I typicallypick him up and take him to swim
, depending on which swim hegoes to, whether he goes to the
high school swim practice orwhether he goes to his
competition team, his travelteam practice.
(10:06):
So I needed him to havesomething that had enough
pockets that if he needed to, ifI forgot to get something
anymore, like he didn't packsomething in his bag he can
bring it with him.
Typically I have his big stufflike his wedge, his kickboard
and his flippers I typicallyhave those.
So he'll take a pair of jammersand his goggles and his
(10:29):
backpack has a compartment forthat, to where he can keep that
stuff on him.
It's not interfering with thebinders that he has.
It doesn't make his backpackany heavier or anything like
that.
I want to say he has a NorthFace backpack and it runs around
one hundred and ten dollars butit's very resourceful, very
(10:50):
lightweight, very sturdy,because these kids go through
backpacks like it's not nothing.
Parents and I mean this with allit's your kid do what you want
to do.
But I have gone to my child'sschool and I have seen so many
kids there.
They want the little cutebackpacks, the Hello Kitties and
(11:13):
the Bluey and different stufflike that.
I seen a girl.
She had a blue backpack and itwas lighting up and I'm like
baby, that backpack is notpractical.
It's just a one compartment andit's not very strong because
it's intended for elementary,maybe even middle school.
It's intended for elementary,maybe even middle school.
It's not very strong, thematerials are not very strong.
(11:34):
It's not going to support theweight of the books and the
binders that you're supposed tohave in your bag.
Yes, they're cute, yes, they'refashionable, but, parents, I do
not recommend you get thesebackpacks for your children,
because if my child has abackpack I'm going to be looking
like so you're just notbringing no work home, you're
(11:57):
just not doing no kind of work.
You ain't got nothing to bringhome.
No papers for me to sign?
No, nothing, just nothing, huh.
So, parents, please refrainfrom buying these little cute
backpacks for your children,unless they're using it for
sports or something like that.
I would say that would would bethe only thing.
But other than that, thosebackpacks are not practical for
college.
They're not practical for highschool.
Okay, moving right along.
(12:20):
Oh, I like the flow it is.
Today, your girl came in hereprepared and organized.
Okay, college, oh, my goodnessand I can attest to this because
I've been there and done that,y'all forget.
I got Marco Polo, and whenMarco Polo went to college, I
was like every other parent outthere.
(12:41):
You need this, you need that,you're going to need this,
you're going to need that, whentruth be told, he need none of
that.
Need that, when truth be told,he need none of that.
So my first bullet point forcollege is less is more, and in
my notes I have it in allcapital letters, with a bunch of
exclamation points at the endLess is more.
(13:03):
Do not break the bank forcollege.
Okay, college ain't nothing buthigh school outside your house.
You want to be very, very, very, very, very, very minimal when
it comes to purchasing forcollege.
(13:24):
Now, with that being said, I'mnot just saying your kids should
only have a bed, bedding and adesk in their room.
Make your kids comfortable, byall means.
But in order to do that, youneed to set a budget, because if
you don't set a budget, I don'tcare what store you go to.
(13:45):
They got these fancy displayswith all of this stuff.
Send your kid off to college,the right way.
This for simplicity.
That for that.
Don't fall for it.
Okay, this stuff is cute.
These advertisements is meant toget you to buy this stuff.
Don't do it, okay, and I'mgonna tell you why here.
Um, and one of my next bulletpoints spend money on the needed
(14:12):
stuff first.
See the needed stuff.
You know your kid's going toneed sheets, they're going to
need bedding, they're going toprobably need a little small
dresser or something to puttheir extra clothes in.
They're probably going to needa little small desktop lamp,
pillows, pillowcases, differentstuff like that.
Yes, get that stuff.
(14:33):
Clothes hangers, a little arearug or something to put next to
their bed so when they put theirfeet down in the morning.
Yes, all of that stuff is stuffyou need Shower curtain,
toothbrush holder, soap holder,soap dispenser, toilet paper
holder, stuff like this, simple,small, functional, everyday
(14:55):
stuff.
Because, remember, high schoolis like their bedroom outside.
College is like their bedroomoutside their house.
So it should be high schoolminded, but outside your house.
Does that make sense?
Then, if there's a little bitof money left over, you can go
ahead and get extra items thereonce.
(15:18):
So like um, no, curtains is notnecessary.
But if they want curtains causethey want to decorate, or they
want the little fancy lightsthat go around their room or
something like that, all of thatstuff is good.
But that's not in a necessity.
Stuff Like these things are notpivotal to you being at school.
You could argue and say youknow, they want to decorate,
they want to feel like they'reat home.
(15:40):
They want to give the ambianceyou know, they want to give the
vibe.
I get that.
But if it's not in the budgetright now, it's okay not to have
it.
That's not to say that later ondown the line that you won't
have the money to get thesesupplies and these other little
things to help decorate yourroom.
You know, I encourage, if youhave friends and family, I
(16:01):
encourage the use of gift cardsor set up like a little cash app
or something so that they canget money.
Set up an Amazon wishlist tosee if people can help buy or,
you know, purchase the littlestuff to send them off to
college.
There's many different ways thatyour student can get everything
that they need for their dormroom or their apartment when
they go off to college.
(16:23):
And I said all of that to saythis.
And I said all of that to saythis Please remember that at the
end of each school year, yourchild has to move out of their
dorm room.
This is not like, unless theyhave an apartment that you are
personally paying for.
That is not a part of studenthousing.
They got to move out every May,every April, may, june even.
(16:46):
They got to move out.
So I say that to say thisremember when I told you don't
be buying all that stuff,because less is more, because
think about it, during those twoand a half months, while
they're home for the summer, yougot to have somewhere to put
this space, this stuff.
So what we did with Marco Polois, for the two summers that he
was there, we had to get astorage unit.
(17:08):
We had to pack up all his stuffand he had to get a storage
unit.
And that was a cause that hewasn't thinking about because we
were like, oh okay, we'll justleave his stuff there over the
summer, he going to come home,whatever, whatever.
Nope, you got to pack up all ofthat stuff and put it somewhere
and you're not going tocontinue to lug it home,
(17:29):
especially if your child goes toschool out of state.
You're not going to get aU-Haul, bring all that stuff
back only two months later tohave to pack it all back up and
U-Haul it away, going to have toget a storage unit.
So that's why I say less ismore, because it's easier to
pack up the necessities andstuff like that, some items you
can give away or what have you,but it's easier to pick up the
(17:54):
stuff, the few items, and putthem in the storage, compared to
getting a whole bunch of stuffand then you're going to have to
get a bigger storage becauseyou have bigger stuff or having
to worry about lugging it backhome.
Marco Polo, he, like I said, wegot his storage, he left clothes
there and then he had clotheshere at the house, so that way
when he came home he didn't haveto do much.
And then when he would comeback here and then go back to
(18:16):
school, then he would just takea little bit more clothes with
him or he would swap it out,because we live in Florida, he
went to school in New York, sohe would bring his summer
clothes back and then he wouldtake more winter clothes and
then vice versa.
And my last bullet point forcollege ensure your child has
clean and supplies the firstdorm that Marco Polo went into.
(18:39):
I hope that he gives thesepeople their deposit back.
And it also lets me know thatthey didn't check the room.
Nor did they.
You know, they just ain'tchecked the room because I'm
going to spare y'all the details, but it was dirty.
But they just ain't checked theroom because I'm gonna spare
y'all the details, but it wasdirty.
But me being me, I went andbought a gallon of Fabuloso,
some Lysol, some Clorox, wipes,all of that stuff and by the
(19:01):
time um, he moved into that roomfor the summer.
That room was very sanitized andclean.
When I tell you I'm doing doors, floors clean, wipe down the
beds, mattresses, everything,because they had like the
plastic kind of like mattresses,you know like before we put the
(19:21):
bed cover on there and stufflike that, wipe down everything,
everything that was wiped down.
I'm talking about windowsills,windows, the little part of the
window where the little latch is.
I'm wiping all of that down.
I would have wiped the walls ifI could, but there was that
pain and I didn't want to messit up, so I was like we'll just
(19:43):
lice all this Got to clean.
Tell your kids keep it clean,because you don't know what the
people next to them are doing.
You would hate to get ants androaches.
I've heard horror stories indorms about ants and roaches.
You don't want them havingproblems.
You don't want to got problemsagain.
Like I said, marco polo went toschool in new york and so you
(20:05):
know there was occasional ratstory, you know, running through
the hall, different stuff likethat.
So always, like I said,pre-clean the room and then
encourage your child, you know,to keep it clean during the
school year.
Okay, now, since we're talkingabout high school and college
(20:26):
and you know, cleaning anddifferent stuff like that, my,
you can't make this up.
It's kind of funny, but it'snot funny.
So Marco Polo went to school inNew York and he wanted to do
the Summer Bridge program and Iwas like, and it was for 30 days
.
And I was like, oh my gosh,this is the first time he's been
(20:47):
away from home for a long time,that he hasn't been with family
, he hasn't been on, just likein a trip or something like that
.
Omg, like he's establishing hisfootprint in new york.
Like new york, new york, nyc,like city of dreams.
And I remember the day that Idropped him off and left, we
(21:08):
were standing outside the hotel.
Wait, was that the first timeor the second time I went back?
We?
I think no, the was the firsttime.
I can't remember if the firstor the second time because I
dropped him off twice, but oneof the times that I was there I
up walking.
I left the hotel, ended upwalking to um to the train
(21:34):
station and to get to ride thesubway to the airport.
And I was like, oh my god, likeI'm really leaving my kid here,
like this is crazy.
And y'all ever seen the movieswhere, like people get on the
train and then it's raining, andthen it's like that one rain
drop dropping down.
So I go to get to the trainstation and I'm dragging my
luggage and I'm on the train andthey're like I walk in and I'm
(21:57):
like looking like you could nottell me that I was not on the
set of a movie.
Okay, because this is exactlyhow it felt.
I sit down, I slide in by awindow seat and I'm looking at
everybody else come in, and thenI see a little window, a little
raindrop, like there was araindrop.
So I went in, I see a littleraindrop, it was dropping down
(22:17):
and I lost it.
Lost it Because I was like, ohmy God, my baby, like this is my
firstborn and like I'm reallyleaving him out here to the
savages of NYC, like what?
So that's my.
You can't make this up story.
Needless to say, my boy wasfine, he adapted.
(22:39):
You know what I'm saying, butdon't think he came back and
he's like you walk too slow andI'm like, bro, I drive
everywhere.
I got to walk everywhere.
I'm not trying to catch notrains and buses, but it's all
good.
So that's my.
You Can't Make this Up story ofthe week, as always.
If you are not, please makesure you are following me on IG
(23:03):
at TheGagIsPod, and it's thesame handle on YouTube as well.
And before we get up out ofhere, we got the song lyric of
the week and this week the songlyric of the week is going to be
Grateful, by DJ Khaled,featuring Vori.
All right, I am a girl.
(23:24):
Charlie Shante.
This is the Gag.
Is Pod Bye, guys.
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