Regardless of how I have an insane amount of unused and somewhat used notebooks, and I am no longer a college student, I will always love the feeling of getting new supplies. Also, regardless of how much technology I own, I am a pen and paper kind of person. It's August, and everyone's mind is going back to the schedules they have set, plus dreading it. I loved college because I love to learn. In preparation for the new year/semester, here are some of the must have essentials and tips before going crazy.
Agenda/planner.
This is the #1 must have. Whatever agenda you use, or style you have, an agenda/planner is a blessing for every student. This is essential because not only can you write down what is required from each class, but also keep track of work, internships, appointments, etc. I personally love large monthly/weekly agendas that is simple and cute.
Tip: set up a color code to specify which color is which for each category
Bag or backpack.
Every year, every person tends to buy a new bag or backpack. Either a backpack is chosen because it is sturdy, or a bag is chosen based on what is currently trending. I have gone from using backpacks all the time to using a large bag. I have a trimmed Vera tote from Vera Bradley and it is very useful depending on how much stuff I put in a bag for the day.
Tip: the size of the bag you get depends on how much stuff you will be carrying
Calendar or scheduler.
A calendar is a must have. You can find printables that are free online. When you do not have enough room on the monthly pages in the agenda, it's good to have a separate calendar to avoid a lot of clutter/a big mess
Tip: chances are that you would most likely use the calendar for classes. Develop a color code and write down tasks for the day/what is due on specific days.
Links for free printables: free printables, scheduler (click the scheduler template to save it onto your computer for future uses and print a copy)
Fire tablet, iPad, Kindle or tablets.
Those are good if you are the kind of person to want to use eBooks for textbooks, use a tablet to be more productive or do some reading when having some spare time. While tablets can be easily identified for entertainment purposes, they also can be great for being productive. The Fire tablet can be found on Amazon for $49 ($34 on Prime Day and Black Friday) for a device with 8GB of memory. With the iPad, the cost depends on which iPad model you are considering, how much memory you feel you need, and if you are getting an accessory along with the iPad.
Tip 1: if you have an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil or you use an iPad with a stylus, I recommend Good Notes if you want to write notes using the iPad.
Tip 2: the Fire tablet is great for light reading to relax; it is somewhat useful for email and calendar, but not for being productive
Laptop.
This is pretty simple and ideal, everyone will need to have a laptop of their own to use. Not only would a laptop be used for personal reasons, but a laptop is ideal for working on papers and projects for classes. A laptop is also ideal for entertainment.
Tip: if you have a MacBook (original, Air or Pro), download Self Control to block websites for a specific amount of time to minimize distraction.
