Welcome to College.
College is a time of change. You will meet new people, learn new subjects, explore potential careers, and maybe even meet the love of your life.
Going back to school can be extremely stressful, especially if you are moving far away from home. There is no worse feeling than being unprepared for the long semester ahead of you. Trust me, I’ve been there before. Moving in, meeting new people, and getting acclimated with the demands of your professors can be absolutely draining. Do not add further stress by putting off back to school shopping until the last minute. I learned this the hard way, floundered my way through my first calculus class, because I didn’t even have a notepad to take notes on.
Avoid college bookstores as if they were ridden with chickenpox and mono! Their markups are absolutely insane. Do not view the bookstore as a convenient, suitable place to grab supplies. Instead, think of it as a punishment for not planning ahead. Luckily, there is an alternative: Amazon Prime. With fast shipping, discounts, and perks, there is no reason to visit your campus Barnes and Nobles. I even bought my textbooks there, saving me hundreds of dollars.
We’re going to make shopping incredibly easy for you. Don’t spend hours comparing items, waiting in line, or dealing with sold-out shelves. We did all the thinking for you.
Your Personal Shopping List
Amazon Prime
Heavy Duty Backpack
Pencil Case
Mechanical Pencil Pack
#2 Pencil Pack
Multi-Subject Binder
Loose-Leaf
Personal Notebook
Amazon Prime
This membership is the key to saving hundreds of dollars through your college career. Fast shipping times will help you avoid buying new textbooks. The difference between a new and an old textbook can be as much as $200. Additionally, if you ever find yourself short on supplies, help is only one click away.
Heavy Duty Backpack
When you have classes back-to-back, it can be inconvenient to run back to your dorm to get your materials for the next course. Make sure you have something that can hold your textbooks, laptop, and notebooks. This isn’t high school anymore - there are no lockers in between each class. You need a battle-ready storage solution.
Available in multiple colors, this unisex backpack is suitable for any gender. Engineered with compression straps, a water bottle pouch and clip, and multiple pen pockets, its designers anticipated every need you could imagine. It even has a state-of-the-art suspension system, that lightens the load placed on your spine. This is a must have.
Get it Here.
Pencil Case
You’ll need a pencil case to keep yourself organized. You may think a pencil case is redundant, if you already have a backpack. But it is always good to keep yourself as organized as possible. Organization is absolutely essential for getting through college. You are no longer in high school, where you can get away with doing assignments the last minute!
The best way to become organized is through habit. Don’t leave pencils lying around in your backpack or table. Put them back in the case when finished. Have a system for keeping tidy at all times. A pencil case is a great way to start!
Mechanical Pencil Pack
At less than 17 cents for a pencil, this is an absolute steal.
The advantage of mechanical pencils lie in ease of sharpening (simply hit the button), and a sharper point. When you are struggling to decipher the physic’s professor’s hieroglyphics on the whiteboard, and your pencil breaks, you will be thankful that you bought a mechanical pencil instead of a traditional model.
Get it Here.
#2 Pencil Pack
Ah, the traditional #2HB pencil. You might remember these from your SAT days. As mentioned earlier, your go-to pencil will always be of the mechanical variety. Sadly, some professors still use Scantron exams, which may require a #2HB pencil. Better safe than sorry.
I’ve used Ticonderogas for all my life. The quality of their erasers are impeccable. Although I prefer a pencil where I can avoid the arduous task of sharpening, these are still a very solid pick for everyday use.
Get it Here.
Eraser
These erasers are so good, you’ll look forward to making mistakes so you can use them more. Their hi-polymer composition leaves little to no trace on any sheet of paper.
Get it here.
Binder and Holepuncher
This beautiful multi subject binder is extremely versatile. It is virtually indestructible, and built to withstand wear and tear. Put in some loose-leaf, and it becomes a notebook for lectures. Use it’s expanding pockets to hold handouts, homework to be handed in, and study guides. It can even save you money and space if you allocate each subject for a different class.
The binder is best paired with a binder-compatible holepuncher. Oftentimes, teachers will give handouts to accompany their lectures. Make sure you hold on to them with dear life, because they can be the key to passing your exams. As soon as you get a handout, holepunch it and stuff it in your binder!
Loose Leaf
Pretty self explanatory. If you wish to treat your binder like a notebook, you’ll need loose-leaf for pages. You can’t write on thin air!
Get it Here.
Personal Notebook
This sleek notepad is great for jotting down assignments and due dates. Stay on top of your assignments - the stakes are much higher in college! Also great for storing pickup lines to use at Friday night beer pong.
Enjoy the Ride
The transition from high school to college is not an easy feat. You probably spent countless hours getting good grades and studying for SATs/ACTs. However, the real challenge has just begun. Be prepared for a lot of all-nighters (both of the scholastic and alcoholic variety. However, like all things in life, balance is key. With proper time management, you can crush it in both academics and beer pong.
