People might be getting all geared up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day right now. But it’s not going to be long at all before college students have to start thinking about heading back to school for the spring semester.
If you’re not careful, it’s going to sneak up on you. And you’re going to have to rush to get yourself ready so that you’re prepared to get back to class.
One way to prepare yourself is by making a back to school supplies list and then purchasing everything on it. You’ll have a much easier time getting back into the swing of things at school when you have the right supplies on hand.
So, which back to school supplies should you make sure that you have for the spring semester? Check out some back to school ideas below and start stocking up on them now before it’s too late.
Contents
Laptop
In this day and age, it’s pretty much impossible to be a good student in college if you don’t have access to a laptop. You’re going to need to have a laptop to conduct research, write papers, email fellow students and professors, and so much more.
If you don’t have a laptop at the moment or if you have a laptop that’s on its last legs, you should change that by investing in one prior to the start of the spring semester. And the good news is that right now is a great time to pick up a new laptop for a great price.
There are all kinds of excellent Cyber Monday Chromebook deals that you can find out there at the moment. There are also going to be terrific deals to be had throughout the entire holiday season. You should find a laptop that fits your needs at a price you can afford and swoop in and buy it.
Flash Drive
If you buy a new laptop, it’s likely going to come with plenty of storage on it. You’ll also have the option of saving things to the cloud if your computer doesn’t have a ton of free storage on it.
But you should also be aware of the fact that there is a third option for you. You can invest in a flash drive that you can use to save files that you create on your computer if you would like.
This is often the best option for college students since they’re always making their way around campus and sometimes working on different computers. You can take your work with you no matter where you go with a flash drive. You can also share your work with other students and collaborate with them through the use of a flash drive.
For all these reasons, a flash drive is going to be a must-have when it comes to your back to school supplies list. Don’t forget to pick at least one of them up!
Printer
These days, a lot of college professors allow their students to email their assignments to them or to upload them to the cloud so that they can access them there. In fact, many professors now prefer this to students handing in assignments directly to them.
There are, however, some professors who still want to see printed-out copies of assignments put into their hands. If you happen to have one of these professors, you’re going to need to have a printer handy in your dorm room to print out your assignments.
You can also obviously use your printer for a million and one other things. It never hurts to have a printer around for the times when you need it most.
Pens, Pencils, and Highlighters
Although most colleges have gone almost completely digital when it comes to learning both inside and outside of the classroom, that doesn’t mean that you’re not still going to have to break out a pen or pencil every so often to take notes. You should have a pencil case with some pens and pencils in it for when you have to use them for one reason or another in the classroom.
You should also make sure that you have a few highlighters nearby for when you’re going through a textbook or reading a novel. You can use it to highlight certain things that you want to remember later on.
Notebooks
As we just mentioned a few seconds ago, there aren’t too many college students out there who are still taking notes exclusively by hand. Most have turned to their laptops and other devices to help them keep up with what’s going on in the classroom.
But just like you’re going to need to keep some pens, pencils, and highlighters around, you’re also going to need to have notebooks for each of your classes. It’ll help you keep your thoughts organized while you’re trying to learn new concepts.
Don’t sleep on the power of a few sheets of paper and a pen or pencil. They might be the only tools that you’ll need to master whatever it is that’s happening in your classroom at any given moment.
Folders
Speaking of staying organized, that’s going to be the name of the game when it comes to keeping your grades up in college. If you’re not able to come up with an organizational system that works for you, you’re going to end up getting lost halfway through the spring semester.
To keep tabs on everything that’s going on in all your classes, you should create a system for yourself using folders, binders, and more. They’ll help you to organize all the random papers that you’ll collect from your professors throughout the spring semester.
From the syllabus that you receive from each of your professors at the start of the semester to the assignments that you get from them, you’ll be able to keep everything in order with your organizational system. You’ll feel better about the way the semester is going when you’re able to keep all of the things that are going on at one time straight.
Index Cards
Throughout the course of the spring semester, you’re going to be asked to take a bunch of different quizzes and tests. And in order to pass them with flying colors, you’re going to need to study, study, and study some more.
Studies have shown that college students should spend anywhere from 2 to 3 hours studying for every 1 hour that they spend in class. That can add up quickly and amount to more than 30 hours of studying per week.
If you want to make the most of your study time, you’ll want to incorporate tools like index cards into the mix. You can ensure that you’re able to remember important facts and figures by writing them on index cards and using them to study. They’ll make it possible for you to commit them to memory easier.
Dry Erase Board
Going to class and studying are going to take up a lot of your time during the spring semester. But you’re going to have a lot of other activities going on as well.
You might spend some of your time working so that you can pay the bills. You might also spend some of it playing a sport or participating in a club.
Whatever the case, you should get into the habit of mapping out your days, weeks, and even months on a dry erase board. You should also write down any one-off events on your dry erase board so that you don’t forget about them.
A dry erase board might not seem like something that needs to appear on a back to school supplies list. But it has turned into a staple for most college students.
Backpack
As you’ve seen here, there are so many things that you’ll need to have on your back to school supplies list for the spring semester. You’ll need to have a good way to carry a lot of them around with you once you’re back at college.
If you don’t have a sturdy backpack right now, buying one is going to be one of the smartest things that you do. You should look around for a stylish backpack that will help you look good while also holding everything you need to be a successful student.
With a new backpack on your back, you’ll feel great about getting back to school in the spring. You’ll also feel great about your chances of landing on the Dean’s List by the end of the spring semester.
Check Everything Off This Back to School Supplies List Before the Start of the Spring Semester
The spring semester might not feel like it’s going to start anytime soon. But it’ll be here before you know it!
Start prepping for it now by working your way down this back to school supplies list and buying everything on it. You’ll start to get excited about going back to college once you start putting a collection of these supplies together.
Take a look at the other education articles on our blog for more college-related tips and tricks.
