Everyone goes through the phase of buying the aesthetic notebooks, felt pens, whiteboards, and making the frivolous promise to actually use them. “This year is different,” we all say… only to find those items 20% used, tossed to the side, and fated to collect dust for the rest of the school year.
College will be the first test in our adult lives for perfecting our work ethic. With our sporadic class times, numerous internships, looming deadlines, and a tight budget, it’s challenging to get our act together. What if I told you that a student is only as good as their school supplies? Moreover, that you only need 4-6 supplies to excel in your college career? Here is a short list of all the essential school supplies that will maximize your academic performance while minimizing expenses.
1. Planner
I get it: scouring Canvas for the important due dates is tedious. However, everyone needs a one-stop shop that shows how their assignments and tests are distributed throughout the academic term. This way, you can better schedule your social outings for the less busy weeks, all while planning when and how long you have to work on assignments or study. The planner doesn’t need to be fancy—just a reliable, calendar-based book that is solely used for academic deadlines.
2. Calendar
Google Calendar is a fantastic, free tool for keeping track of your weekly class schedule and day-to-day routines, but it is crucial to keep a separate calendar for big events. In my case, I used my calendar for indicating extracurricular events, school breaks, and midterms/exams, but if you are diligently using your planner, then only extracurricular events need to be prioritized. Similar to a planner, using this calendar for once-in-a-while, significant events can be a good chance to see what is to come long-term and ensure no double-booking occurs. Whiteboard calendars are worth investing in to save money long-term, but feel free to purchase a paper calendar if you only plan to use it for one or two years.
3. Loose-leaf Paper with a binder
Nowadays, most college students use their iPads for note-taking, but there is a charm to (and enough research that encourages) handwritten notes. I completely stopped using notebooks by highschool, because loose-leaf paper can be quite sustainable long-term. There won’t be a pressure to utilize the entire notebook for a class, nor the need to tear out pages and keep using the same, but now gnarled-up book. Unlike bound notebooks, just buying a packet of loose paper can be easily used for multiple academic terms. Additionally, it serves a dual function as scratch paper for the more calculation-heavy classes. As for separating your notes by subject, purchasing a binder and paper dividers/sticky notes is a must.
4. Index cards
Probably the most cheap and effective study tool: a deck of index cards. For most classes, making flashcards is the best way to practice active recall and retain information. It’s usually more efficient to use online flashcards, but for classes like organic chemistry, uploading photos of complex benzene rings can be agonizing. Use your best judgment on when handwritten flashcards are preferred, but never underestimate this simple, yet powerful item. Cheap tip: cut your index cards in halves or fourths to save on paper.
Conclusion
It’s great that with the advancement of technology, so many items can be stored in one place (generally) for free. However, with the risk of losing all your info with one mis-save, cracked screen, internet outage, or low charge, it’s always better to diversify electronic and paper-based supplies. There are more obvious supplies I omitted, like a backpack, calculator, or writing utensils, but the purpose here is to highlight the not-so-obvious, bare bones, necessary supplies to stay on top of your assignments and maintain a good academic record. Although college can be expensive and overwhelming, simplicity is always the key to success.