Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Countdown to College: DIY Dorm First-Aid Kit

    Hey, folks! A couple people have been bugging me for a post of my two weeks of concert craziness. Don't worry, I'm getting to it. Still gathering photos and working on piecing it together for you. In the mean time, college is almost here, so I thought I would do a post or two on getting ready for school. It could be helpful if you're entering Freshman year and you're afraid you might forget something, or if you're an upperclassman, looking for ways to make this year even better. Anyway, without further ado, 

DIY Dorm First-Aid Kit

    First, you'll want to get a plastic container with a lid or a really sturdy cardboard box big enough to hold everything on the following list. Some of this stuff may seem strange, but pack it anyway because, in the words of my favorite "defective detective," you'll thank me later.
  • Band-aids. Okay, this is kind of obvious, but if I didn't put it on the list, someone, somewhere would forget them.
  • Neosporin or some other antibiotic ointment. The last thing you need is a gross, infected cut that your pre-med neighbor will have to drain the pus from. Do I sound like I speak from experience?
  • Pain relievers. Tylenol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Excedrin, Midol. Whatever your poison, pack it and at least one alternate in case you build up a tolerance. That's rare, but it happened to me in high school, so I'm always cautious. 
  • A hot pack. No, not a hot water bottle. A hot pack is usually full of rice or something and can be microwaved to relieve sore muscles. 
  • An instant ice pack. The kind you can squeeze and they get cold immediately. If you have a freezer that you can put a regular ice pack in, even better. 
  • A thermometer. Illness spreads like wildfire in dorms, and you may want to check for "flu-like symptoms" more often than you would think.
  • Alcohol wipes. Good for cleaning everything from wounds to the aforementioned thermometer.
  • Burn gel. Curling irons, George Foreman grills, and microwave burritos have one thing in common: the potential to burn the crap out of your poor little fingers.
  • Aloe Vera gel. Sunburns are no fun and should be treated ASAP. Aloe helps to speed the healing and stop the burn because, believe it or not, the burn keeps burning deeper into your skin until you cool it off with cool water/aloe etc. That's why sunburned skin feels hot even hours after you've gone inside.
  • NyQuil/DayQuil. Because sometimes you're having breakfast with the Grim Reaper and that test still has to be taken.
  • Cough drops. Because no matter how dry your throat, you don't want to be "that guy" during a lecture.
  • Benadryl. In case your allergies flare up or someone has a minor allergic reaction. NOT to be used in place of a doctor's visit in the case of an allergic reaction, but it can buy you some time and make you more comfortable.
  • TUMS. Cafeteria food takes some getting used to. Enough said.
  • Vitamin C tablets or Emergen-C. It's a good idea to take these regularly, but even if you don't, take them religiously if your roommate gets sick.
  • Biofreeze/IcyHot. For those times when you need an ice pack, but you have to go to class/work/water polo practice. Kidding. I mean, who plays water polo?
  • ACE Bandage/Equestrian wrap. Yes, that is for horses, but it also does an A+ job of dealing with twisted ankles/knees/wrists etc.
    Well, that's pretty much everything I keep in my trust first-aid kit. I hope this was helpful. Have a safe and awesome 2012-2013 school year!

3 comments:

  1. Add tweezers...pepto bismal...another back up for tums...peroxide...to help clean the infected area...otherwise I believe you have a good first aid kit...

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  2. Replies
    1. Ahh..yes the duct tape to hold the gauze on the infected area...lol

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