Pre-school: Backpack Basics
It’s really close, folks. School is less than a month away, and it’s almost as exciting as the first day of preschool. What kind of school supplies should you bring to college? Really, it depends on what you are studying and which School you are in because you honestly don’t need a TI-84 Silver Edition if you’re a Blair kid, but here are a few handy supplies that I think everyone should have:
An agenda book will be your lifesaver. This calendar that you carry around, if you don’t already use a Google calendar on your phone, will keep track of your class schedule, your allotted time for homework, the meals you plan with your friends, your volunteer activities, all the concerts and Vanderbilt events you’ll go to… trust me, you’ll be able to do more if you organize more! (Actually following your schedule is a whole other topic.)
Binder and plenty of sheaves of looseleaf. Guys, you can officially say that you use college-rule with reason. None of that wide-rule nonsense anymore! While we are talking about binders, sometimes your professors will give you hand-outs, so a three-hole punch is practical. Oftentimes, I pair a binder with a folder so I can punch the loose papers when I return to my room.
If you aren’t a big believer in binders like me, then spiral notebooks will be your friends. Some people even opt for legal pads! Again, I would pair either of those with a folder in case of hand-outs.
In terms of writing utensils, choose your weapon for words. Pens, pencils, and crayons, oh my. Crayons, personally, aren’t my first choice, but do as you please. I like smooth-writing black pens so then I can quickly scrawl notes, but mechanical pencils are always in my pencil bag.
Carry along a few of your favorite colored highlighters, a small pair of scissors, tape, and a few paper clips! You never know when those will come in handy, but a mini-stapler will definitely be useful when you turn in your 15-page reports.
Post-Its are great for notes to yourself and for marking the pages of the textbook you have to read. Index cards, especially colored ones, are especially nifty for jotting down notes.
Also, it is nice to carry around a snack or two for brain fuel. Don’t worry about buying these ahead of time; with your exorbitant First-Year Meal Plan, you’ll definitely be stock up on your goodies.
If you are a music student, bring a stack of staff paper and a little ruler!
All in all, you are the ultimate decider of what you stuff in your backpack. You’ll probably tote around your textbooks and your laptop, so the fewer things you bring, the better for your back!