You’re casually walking through the aisles during your weekly Target run when you spot them: the back to school bins. You break out into a cold sweat as you watch people dig through piles of dorm supplies, markers, and backpacks. All you wanted was a book to read by the pool, maybe a new swimsuit to mix up your beach style, and definitely a wide variety of snacks, but faster than you can say “sunscreen” thought of fall semester start running through your head:

1. Wait what? Didn’t school just end like yesterday?

Does anyone ever know what day (or even month) it is during the summer? It would probably be best to get a planner, or even just remember to use the calendar app on your phone for more than just scheduling beach weekends or work.

2. I definitely thought I had more time.

This summer flew by and you didn’t have a chance to do half of the things you said you were going to. Personally, I was supposed to finish my novel by the end of the summer, but here we are in August and that thing is not even close.

3. Ugh look at all the new first-years, they’re so lucky.

We’re getting perilously close to living in the real world, but they still have four amazing years of college ahead of them.

4. I can’t even think about buying school supplies right now,

We all want to pretend to have no responsibilities for a little while longer.

5. Hold up, these notebooks are 17 cents?

Definitely grab a few of these, few being the operative word. You’ll be tempted to get 20 since they’re on such a super sale, but that will only lead you to buy way too many and stuff them in a desk drawer at home and never touch them again.

6. Well I might as well get pencils too.

This is probably the only real necessity. Buy in bulk.

7. Oh I need different color pens to color code classes and activities.

If you’re anything like me, you will color code

until mid-semester when you’ve lost or lent out all these pens and then won’t be bothered to buy new ones. But you made the effort and that’s really what counts.

8. But that’s really it.

School is such a distant memory that you don’t even remember what school supplies you normally use. You might have used some paint too, but maybe you’re just confusing classwork with sorority crafting?

9. Wait pencil cases are on sale?

Maybe if you have one of these you won’t spend the first half of class digging around the bottom of your backpack for the one pencil you swore you heard rolling around down there.

10. I should go down the wine aisle

Back to school shopping looks a little different once you turn 21.

By the time you make it to the register your cart is overflowing and you are filled with the satisfaction that you’re ready to take on the new year. You’re so proud of yourself that you don’t even realize until you get home that you forgot to buy all the things you actually went for. Oh well, better luck next time!