Here's what Kiplinger's personal finance magazine says college students don't need: New textbooks, a high - end computer, a printer, a
pricey smartphone plan, cable TV (watch streaming videos on a computer), a car (especially
for freshmen), overdraft protection on
bank accounts, campus health insurance (assuming coverage under the family's health plan) and private loans, which carry higher interest rates and less flexible repayment plans than federal loans.