Where do chargers go when they are lost? To some magical land over the rainbows, where they frolic freely in a shimmering paradise? Or perhaps they travel through the winding interstate roads in some dusty old RV? The true answer… probably stuffed at the bottom of some other kid’s backpack.

“I think that a lot of times they’re found in classrooms after the end of the day or in people’s lockers or left at home,” said English teacher Meghan Donohue, who keeps a box of lost chargers in her classroom.

Wherever they go, lost chargers are becoming a big problem. Ms. Donohue sees students with missing chargers every day.  Though she keeps a few extras in the room to lend, it isn’t always enough, and teachers aren’t provided with extra chargers for backups.

One of the main causes behind missing chargers comes from people not remembering they took them out or forgetting to bring them to school. When there’s work to do and other supplies to keep track of, making sure you have your charger gets pushed to the back of your mind.

“I think you’ve got a lot on your mind as far as your classes and keeping track of your belongings,” Donohue said, attempting to explain the phenomenon.  “You’re having to carry everything to class, and sometimes it’s hard to remember.  I’ve seen teachers forget their chargers as well.”  

Forgetting your charger isn’t the only problem. As several students such as Robert W. have experienced, you have to look out for your charger getting stolen. 

“I let someone borrow it, and they just took it,” said Robert, who can’t remember who he lent his charger to.  Now he has to borrow a lot of chargers and try to get the computer charged up at the start of the day.  

Whether it is outright theft, or just more forgetfulness, lending your charger is a great way to lose it.  Since so many people can’t keep track of their own chargers, trusting them to keep track of yours can be a risk.  They may be tempted to keep your charger instead of buying a new one from FCPS, or they might simply lose track of your charger like they did their own.  

Other than not sharing your charger, there are a few steps you can take to help make keeping track of your charger easier.  

“I think students should label their chargers,” suggested Technology Support Specialist Kristin Bretz. “I think you can use blue painter’s tape and write your name on it so that way people know whose charger it is.”

Another idea is to carry a tote bag so that a charger, with its long and dangly cord, is easier to handle with an armload of books.  If you do lose your charger, retrace your steps and ask teachers if they‘ve found any chargers in their classroom.  If you’ve put your name on it, they might even make sure it gets back to you.

 Though they don’t have an answer to the problem overall, they do let students purchase new chargers through FCPS.  The hope is that knowing you will need to pay to replace your charger (and likely have to tell your parents that you’ve lost it in the first place) might make you more responsible with the one you’ve been provided. 

So, where do they go? Of course, you’d hope they go home with you, but just hoping that you won’t forget your charger isn’t enough. Trying the strategies listed here can help maximize charger safety. But hey, even if you don’t care enough to do all that, at least look after your charger. You’ll be fine… Probably.

*Chargers can be bought from FCPS to replace missing ones

• HP Power Adapter = $38.00
• Dell Power Adapter = $80.00