Back to School (?) Supplies
Across the country students and teachers alike are gearing up, or have already begun, for a rather interesting semester. Many colleges have transitioned to partial or complete online classes, most clubs and sports have been postponed or are finding creative ways to meet, and everyone's wondering what the heck is going to happen this fall. The ethical, financial, political, and social values playing into various universities starting classes this fall are an entirely different topic that is ripe with controversy, and as interesting as it is I will not be getting into that today.
Instead, this post is a bit more light-hearted with simple items and apps that I've found really useful during my now almost 16 years of school (preschool to junior year of college). I may write another post later on covering more things back to school, from hacks to getting your homework done on time, to making sure to schedule fun things with friends, and (attempting) to have a good school/work/life balance, hopefully everyone can get something useful out of this blog post.
Whether for school, hiking, or just life in general; I wrote down a list of things I try to just leave in my backpack so I have them at all times. These items are super handy for everyday situations and also the times when you're running late or get into a sticky situation and may need some extra help.
Everyday Emergency Kit:
Mask - I normally have one in my pocket as soon as I leave the house and keep one all me at all times, but sometimes when I'm rushed in the morning it's one of those items that can still be forgotten, so having a permanent backup one in my bag (or car) is really handy.
Hand sanitizer - personally prefer the non-scented versions, but there's a lot of fun ones out there from Bath and Body Works like warm sugar vanilla
Water Bottle - hydration is important! Make sure to bring a reusable bottle with you.
Snacks - as someone who easily becomes hangry when my blood sugar gets low and I've been running around all day, I always try to keep a couple granola bars of various flavors in my pack like Peanut Butter Cliff Bars, chocolate chip peanut butter LaraBars, or some homemade trail mix with pecans, almonds, raisins, oats, and chocolate.
Charger (plug in/cord) - it's amazing how fast your phone can die, and having an extra charger on hand is a lifesaver.
Mini med kit (bandaids, Advil, Tylenol, Claritin, antiseptic wipes, hydrocortisone cream, sunscreen, period supplies) - this is especially good for hiking or outdoor lab classes, but you never know when you may need a bandaid or an Advil.
Pocket knife or Multi-tool - again, just a super handy thing for when you least expect it. I have a mini-pocket knife with a blade, scissors, and tweezers that I keep on my keychain and I've used all those tools many times during the course of the semester (it's surpprisingly hard to find a pair of scissors on a college campus and even though the mini ones on my pocket knife take longer it's better than ripping sheets by hand).
$10-20 in cash for emergencies
Keys and Student Id - 'cause ya gotta be able to get into places
School Supplies:
Laptop computer or iPad - some sort of device that allows you to access the internet, take notes, send emails, etc.
Notebooks - I'm partial to college ruled or unlined, I like to have either a three-subject notebook where I can separate each section by class or using looseleaf paper in a binder and dividing the sections with folders. I like having one or two of these, for M/W/F classes and T/R to make things more convenient. For people who want to go paperless, Word and GoogleDocs are great and I believe there are some iPad note taking apps that you can use as well. There's also some cool reusable journals like Elfinbook where you can write on them, then scan and upload the documents, and erase the pages to start fresh.
Pens and pencils - my favorites are triconderoga pencils and pilot 0.35 or 0.5 black gel pens.
Sharpie - having a thick and thin point sharpie is really useful, especially for labs!
Planner - I feel like this item should have an entirely different section, because my planner is basically my life. I've tried sticking with an online planner, but there's something about writing things down that makes me really remember plans and stick with them.
Sticky notes! Fun and colorful, these are great for quick reminders to post wherever you need them.
Apps:
Email - a necessity these days, I have my personal and school email on my phone and laptop.
Notes - like sticky notes but for your phone and harder to loose
Voice memos/dictator - if you can't use your hands or have time to type, voice memos is a great option
Google sheets/docs/photos - general document and storage apps to access your files
Spotify/Apple Podcasts - I love listening to music when studying or podcasts when walking to class. If you want some inspiration, check out my July Favorites post or head over to the Create page of the website to see what I've been into lately.
Desmos Scientific Calculator - better quality than your phone's calculator, this is great for STEM students.
Fun Extras:
Bandana - super versatile from a head cover, mask if needed (though not as effective as the recommended cloth face masks), handkerchief, or napkin, use as an instant bag for small thing you need to carry, bandanas are wonderful creations!
Reusable utensils (fork/spoon combo=winner)
Flashdrive to save or transfer files
Lip balm - would recommend SunBum's watermelon lip balm with built in SPF
Instant drink mix (camping coffee/tea/electrolytes/lemonade/tang) - this is fun for when you're craving something other than water and don't really want to buy a full drink. If you have hot water available, mix in some instant coffee or a tea bag for a nice warm drink. Otherwise, electrolytes like Pedialytes raspberry lemonade or other instant drink mixes can be added to plain water and can give you a tasty boost to get you through the rest of the day.
Fun markers/art supplies - get creative! Notes can come out a lot cleaner and interesting if you add fun colors based on the material (using color as memory cues can also help you with studying).
Sketchbook - for some of my plant biology classes I like using sketchbooks so I can draw the plants the class is studying or tape in pressed specimens. Sketchbooks can be fun substitutes for normal notebooks as well, with a lot more freedom on the page.
Mini stapler, paper clips, and rubber bands - all come in very handy when trying to make sure papers or other items stay together.
And in your mind, try to stay motivated, positive, stay safe, and have fun!