Back to School Part 1: 8 School Essentials That Will Make Your Freshman Year Easier

Hello everyone! Can you believe July is almost over?! It feels like just yesterday where I was writing about my summer goals, and now, we are almost near the fall semester. OK, so this may sound a little insane to those of you who dread this activity, but back-to-school shopping is one of my favorite things to do. Ever since I was in kindergarten, I would create a little list of all the things I needed to buy for the upcoming school year, and I have to admit, I have always been a little obsessed with the new trendy supplies that would help me organize (such as colorful notebooks, pens, markers, etc). To this day, I am constantly looking into new ways of organizing my notebooks, and finding new methods to make learning easier (and fun) for myself…and I don’t know, perhaps this is why I love school supply shopping!

As I was creating a list of the things I needed for the upcoming semester, I thought to myself why not share some of the things on my list along with some general back-to-school tips that will beneficial to you all? I will have two parts to this blog. The first part will be supplied I will be buying this year, and the second part (which I will be posting later on) will be about general back-to-school tips. I also have linked some of the items that I have bought online, just in case you all would like to purchase the same things! You are welcome. 😉

So, let’s begin!

SUPPLIES

1) Colored Pens

The first thing on my list of things to buy are colored pens. Now, this may not be something everyone goes out to buy, but if you are a visual learner like I am, then buying colored pens would be something I would suggest for you! For me, It’s sometimes hard to read my notes when it’s just one big monotone mess, so using color can really help with that! I have read numerous articles on how writing with colored pens can help you learn better as it helps to jog memory. Besides that, these pens will help to brighten up the dreariness of your notebook (and make your notes look much organized)! Buy them: Here

2) 5-subject Notebook

As a commuter student, I find that it is easier to buy one notebook for all my classes because it makes carrying things so much easier for me. It also helps me stay super organized throughout the semester. I like to get a 5 subject notebook because this easily fits all my notes for all my courses. Try to buy 5 subject notebooks that come with pocket folders. In my opinion, having pocket folders in your notebook is a great way to store additional notes/worksheets for each class, and it also saves you from buying/carrying extra folders. Yay! Buy This: Here

3) Adhesive Page Markers

Last year, I found myself getting really frustrated when I had to flip through my entire notebook to simply find one page that I wanted. After doing a little bit of research, I came across these adhesive page markers which are great to put in your notebook, textbook, or planner! The multicolored tabs are easy to write on and will be of great use when marking important material in your notebook, plus they make you’re notebook look pretty. ;D Buy this: Here.

4). Post-it Notes

The great thing about post-it notes are is that you can literally buy them anywhere! Post-it notes have always been on my supply list for a very long time, and I love using these to mark up my textbook and notebook. Using Post-It notes when I reading an assigned chapter helps me to remember the material better. Once I am done reading, I can take these post-its and place them correspondingly in my notebook so that I can refer to them when I am reviewing for a test. They are easy to carry, and just make note-taking a lot easier!

5) Mini Stapler

Buying a mini stapler will most likely come in handy when you have to turn in your final papers, or even your homework. Just because a lot of the work we do in college is turned online, doesn’t mean you won’t be turning in your work by hand. It’s always a good idea to be prepared and simply purchase your own mini stapler, that way, you wouldn’t have to run around looking for one when your work is due.

6) Planner

For me, buying a planner is a must because I like to write down everything. Writing down my weekly tasks helps me to prioritize my work and it also helps me to get things done efficiently. I would suggest that everyone should invest in some sort of a planner because not only does it prevent you from forgetting assignments or exams, but It teaches you to be organized which is a helpful skill to have throughout and after college. By writing important events, dates, assignments in my planner, I can focus on being on top of things when I have a lot on my plate.

7) Highlighters

Highlighters are great to use when you have to mark up important information in your notes and textbooks. I often use highlighters when I am going back to study for a quiz or a test. Highlighting important information will be helpful because you are marking up key information and key points which will make studying a lot easier.

8) USB Flash drive

Buying a USB Flash drive is great because if you don’t have access to the internet, you could still carry your assignments and have them saved in an additional space. USBs can come in handy during presentations or special assignments. One thing to remember is that you should always carry a backup copy of any important work you’ve done. After completing an assignment, make a backup on your flash drive and save it separately from your computer.  When the internet is available, make sure you’re at least backing up your work online to DropBox or Google Drive.