College Packing List: Vision Care Essentials

Packing for college is hard. It’s tricky to know what you need vs. what you want to pack. Several things that make the need list, but are often overlooked: accessories for glasses, sunglasses, and contacts.
As a student, the ability to see is important for your education, but also just enjoying the college experience overall. From the moment you wake up to the end of the day when you fall back into bed, your eyes are hard at work, so why not take care of them? Here are vision-related items to add to your college packing checklist:

1. Contact lens solution: There’s nothing worse than packing your contacts and leaving behind the essentials that keep them fresh and long-lasting. Without proper care contacts can cause infections and other serious eye-related ailments. If you can, buy contact solution in bulk or stock up on the brand you love.
2. Cases for the contacts: Bring back-up cases, as they can easily get misplaced or lost in the shuffle of roommates. Also, place your initials on your case to avoid mixing and mingling lenses in case your new roomie also wears contacts. Remember to keep your cases clean and disinfected.
3. A bag or pouch to carry all the necessities: A little bit of organization can go a long way when it comes to most things college-related and it’s not any different for your personal routines. Making a habit to store all your contact’s needs in one place will save you a lot of time and stress when it comes to tracking down your essentials.
4. Glasses case: There’s nothing worse than damaging your glasses on the day of a final exam. Bring along an eyeglass case to protect your frames.
5. Lens cleaning kit: Smudges and dirt have a way of clouding our view of the world. Make sure you have lens cleaner and a microfiber cleaning cloth for your glasses.

Practice Healthy Vision Habits
Being away at college isn’t an excuse to develop bad vision habits. First things first, get your annual comprehensive eye exam and your updated prescription.  An annual eye exam can tell you a lot about your overall health. Through an eye exam, your doctor can detect signs of high blood pressure and other eye and health issues. Make sure you visit the eye doctor for a check-up in your hometown or even once you’ve settled into your new city. Eyeconic can help you find a doctor.
Keep up with contact lens care. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends replacing contact lens cases every three months. A study from the Journal of Ophthalmology explains that waiting to replace lens cases after 6 months increases the risk of eye infection by nearly 5.5 times. Yikes.
Symptoms of eye infections include redness, pain, and light sensitivity, and you should be examined by an ophthalmologist immediately if they occur. Waiting to get examined or treated could mean losing sight in the infected eye.

As for glasses, the routine here is easy peasy. Keep them clean, keep them in a case, and keep them somewhere you’ll remember. If you plan on spending a lot of time in front of a screen, consider blue-light lenses to help combat digital eye strain. 

Need to stock up on contacts? Ready for a fresh college look? Or maybe glasses that stay true to who you are? Check out what Eyeconic has to offer and start your first semester on the right foot. Shop Eyewear
Save more when you shop for an annual supply of contacts. Shop Contacts