It is so important you start the college semester off right. Your first priority is making sure you have all the back to school essentials and a few special school supplies that will put you ahead of your classmates.
If you’re intrigued, keep reading to discover the school supplies every college student needs this semester:
1. Pens
Even the best of us can forget pens and pencils for our college classes.
You want to stock up on several quality ink pens and pencils so you are thoroughly prepared in-case you misplace one or two.
You can even get creative with this and buy nice pens like a Fineliner pen or even a fountain pen. A great back to school pen is the Optiflow gel pen or the Lamy Safari pen.
2. Bullet Journal
There is no better way for college students to manage their time than the bullet journal.
Invented by Ryder Caroll, the bullet journal system is an amazing way to keep track of your school work.
The bullet journal system has become famous at this point and is one of the most widely used ways to stay productive during the college semester.
The system transforms a dot grid notebook into a productivity machine. If you would like another safe option, a traditional planner and calendar work great too
3. Calculator
A quality calculator can really save you during a test. The best calculator for college students is typically the TI-84 calculator, but as long as you have a quick and working calculator with most of the functions you will use for the class, you will be fine!
You want to calculate some and get used to your device before the test, so you can be ready and quick when the time comes to calculate something!
The main thing to consider when buying a calculator for a college semester is that it has all the capability and functionality you need for your classes.
You can’t go wrong with a TI-84 calculator.
4. Notebooks
A quality notebook is well worth the purchase for increasing your organization and productivity as a student.
Everyone gets normal notebooks, but if you go for a nice, quality notebook like a Leuchtturm, Clairefontaine, or a Rhodia,you will notice the difference.
5. Post It Flags
Another classic that is too often forgotten.
Post It Flags are one of the best ways to stay organized with your textbooks and readings. They are super useful for flagging important pages that you will need to go back to when studying.
Post It Flags are usually in assorted colors. This allows for extra organization by matching colors to classes, chapters, or even topics and ideas.
If you are looking for a new organizational technique that will push you past your previous semester, Post It Flags are a great solution.
6. Blue Books
If this is your first semester in college, you may not be aware of blue books, but they are very often used throughout your college experience.
Blue books are actual little books with about 20 pages of lined paper and are often used for taking tests.
They are most used for tests with open-ended questions with long, several paragraph answers but they may also be used for tests where you need to write an essay.
7. Highlighters
This is a college essential many people can’t live without.
A highlighter is super useful for making a textbook skimmable and allowing you to better memorize the important bits of a chapter or reading.
If you haven’t tried out a highlighter, this is the time to do so.
8. Index Cards
Index cards are a classic school supply that should be in every college student’s list to buy. They are a great way to memorize and store information before tests.
They are extremely cheap and portable, and allow for quick 15 minute study sessions on the go. Index cards are one of the best methods for memorizing, and definitely should be on your list to buy for college.
9. Smart Pen
This school item will bring you one step ahead.
The Smart Pen is a pen for taking notes that allows you to listen back to the lecture from when you took the note.
The Smart Pen and paper allows you to replay a part of the lecture just by tapping the notes you wrote during that part of the lecture.
It is an innovative tool that can help you get a step ahead this semester.
10. Notebook Laptop
You will have access to on-campus computers, but having your own laptop for lectures is crucial for many classes – and getting a notebook laptop with a detachable monitor will give you a legup on note taking and research.
The Microsoft Surface and various other notebook laptops allow for the screen of the laptop to detach from the keyboard to allow you to have a tablet that you can write notes on and read online textbooks and normal books on.
After you are done, you can click the screen back on the keyboard and then you have a fully working normal laptop again.
