Shopping for school supplies, a perennial time of year for most children under the age of 15. With a new semester upon us, we all have the task of buying more supplies for our educational escapades. My question is, why do college students get the short end of the stick when it comes to school supplies? When I was a youngster, I thrived on shopping for school supplies. Now, it is something I dread.

When I was a kid, I was overjoyed to go shopping for all of my notebooks, colored pencils, folders and red pens. I don’t want to brag, but I had the 64-set of crayons with the sharpener in the back. Nowadays, I don’t need much more than a few notebooks and some pens, maybe the occasional folder. However, I still can’t seem to find everything I need when I shop for my school supplies. Everything is sold out, every time I go. I know K-12 grades begin earlier than we do but, hey – leave some of the supplies for the old timers. Those munchkins clear out the shelves like nobody’s business, leaving just scraps for those of us attending higher education.

In addition to the awful speed at which kids buy up all of the supplies, someone needs to print the wide-ruled/college-ruled distinction in bold. A few time, I accidentally purchased wide-ruled notebooks instead of college-ruled and there’s nothing more regrettable. When you open up the notebook on the first day of class your whole mood just sinks. Oh well, you think, I’ll have to just remember the lectures for this class because I can’t use this notebook. I’m nearly certain I used this exact notebook in the third grade when I was learning to write in cursive.

The prices make us take a lap around the anxiety pool. Pens that cost over three dollars? Give us a break. It's not uncommon for college kids to check their bank accounts and realize ten dollars is going to have to suffice for the rest of the week and those important weekend activivites. We can’t be throwing around George Washingtons on fancy mechanical pencils and .7 lead. Give us $1 notebooks and 75 cent ballpoint pens. Trust me, sales will go through the roof.

Shopping for school supplies shopping has lost its glamour since we have grown older. No more dilemmas over which Lisa Frank folder is going to look cutest with your zip-up binder. No, these are the days when we rummage through the shelves of notebooks, looking for the cheapest (college-ruled) 5-subject on the market.

Happy shopping for this semester, my fellow students, and God speed.