Get Handy: Ten Reasons to Buy Your Own Tool Kit

It’s 8 p.m. and already pitch-black when you get back from the library on a Sunday night. You flip on the lights in your room and reach for the cord to lower your window blinds. THUNK. Either you tugged the stubborn thing a little too hard or, more likely, the college maintenance staff hasn’t replaced the blinds since 1970. Whatever the case, the blinds are laying at your feet, and the screws that held them in place are rolling across the floor.

In times like these, calling your boyfriend makes you look helpless, whining to Dad will only reinforce his belief that you can’t survive on your own, and waiting around for maintenance to arrive three days later is just not an option. So what do you do? Fix it yourself! Here are ten reasons why a toolkit is as much a girl’s best friend as her jewelry box:

1. IT’S AN INSTANT FIX

Rather than having every passerby stare into your first-floor dorm room, just have a screwdriver on hand. They come in several varieties, the two most common being flathead and Philip’s head. Instead of waiting for maintenance crews to make it to your dorm sometime in the next 72 hours, just match the appropriate screwdriver to the screws that fell out, align the holes in the bracket to the holes in your window frame and turn the screw to right to put the blinds back in. Just remember: “Righty tighty, lefty loosey.”

2. IT’S A MAN MAGNET

Try as you might to lure them with flirting and sexy outfits, guys tend to respond best to the unusual. When you volunteer the missing tools to help build his next beer pong table, you can bet he’ll take notice. And that guy friend who is always making fun of your inability to unscrew the cap to your soda? He’ll be floored when you tighten the loose door handle he’s been ignoring for months.

3. IT WILL MAKE YOUR ROOM THE ENVY OF THE ENTIRE CAMPUS

Say goodbye to that awful blue sticky tack that stains the walls and gets everywhere. Make your room look a little less “Animal House” and a bit more “Greek” by buying some picture frames to nail into the wall. The standard household tool kit comes with a set of small nails and fasteners that might include brackets for hanging picture frames.

And of course you can’t have guests over when your picture frames are crooked. Buy a tool kit with a level, and you’ll never again have to wonder if the frames are hanging straight.

4. IT MEANS SAYING GOODBYE TO END-OF-THE-YEAR FINES

Forget toothpaste and whiteout. Those holes in the walls from hanging pictures might rack up some hefty damage fines by the end of the year, but instead of wasting your money paying the college to pay a handyman, just spend a few dollars on a tube of caulk.

An easy-to-use sealant, this stuff is what the professionals use to cover the holes you left, and it takes about five seconds to dab on the hole and wipe off excess with a damp finger. If your walls are white, the RA will never know the difference.

5. IT MAKES THE WORDS “SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED” A CHALLENGE, NOT A CHORE

Ever realize that bookcase you bought for a little extra storage space came in a flat box? Chances are that you’ll need to do a little work to put it together – work that probably requires an Allen wrench or a screwdriver.
But don’t call Daddy just yet. Just sit down with the instructions and the appropriate tools, and you’ll have it together in no time. It’s nowhere near as tough as your last history test, and you’ll have the satisfaction of building it yourself. These instruction manuals are made for the average person…and don’t you think you’re at least as smart as the average person?

6. IT PROVIDES THAT EXTRA CONFIDENCE BOOST

If you grew up in a house where Dad would never dream of letting you touch the lawn mower or your big brother would swoop in for so much as changing a light bulb, living on your own can be scary. But when you at least try to do something on your own, that slight sense of accomplishment can give you the confidence boost you need. Even if you find out the problem needs professional attention, you’ve still learned from your attempt, and won’t be left flabbergasted the next time something minor goes awry.

7. IT KEEPS THE SIMPLE THINGS FROM BECOMING A HASSLE

What is a wrench good for, anyway? Whether it’s a stubborn dial that won’t turn or a part of the heater that has come loose, little things always make it worth keeping a wrench around. The inconveniences are typically minor, but they’ll only stay that way when you have the right hardware.

8. IT MIGHT JUST SAVE YOUR LIFE

When you’ve used the blow dryer so much that the cord is just as frayed as your split ends, it’s not just annoying – it’s dangerous. Goodness knows you can’t just go around with wet hair until you have time to find the perfect replacement, so just turn to your trusty tool kit.

Many kits will come with electrical tape, which can be used to wrap frayed or damaged wires for the time being – after the appliance has been unplugged, of course. It’s also great for taming the octopus of cords your computer, cell phone charger, desk lamp and television have created. Tape together cords that are almost never unplugged, like the lamp and television cords.

9. IT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

Because you never know when your artsy professors will have their crazy whims, you should always be armed for academic battle. When a research paper is replaced by an assignment to build a scale model of the campus dining hall, you’ll already have your measuring tape in hand. And the box-cutter for the cardboard? You’ve got it covered.