Everyone knows that you need paper and pens to get through school. But that’s boring. Here are some things to pick up to make you a little more happy to go to class, and that will make the year fly by. This list, by the way, is in no particular order as I feel they are all essential and therefore they’re all #1.
Insulated, Durable To-Go Mug: Getting out of bed on a cold morning sucks. Paying an arm and a leg for a coffee also sucks. By investing in a good mug you can make your hot-beverage-du-jour at home for cheaper than buying it elsewhere, and you can keep your drink hotter longer thereby prolonging its wonderfulness.
An Extra Phone Cord: You know as well as I do that at some point you’re going to fall asleep totally delirious (whether it be from staying up for an obscene amount of time studying or drinking your weight in alcohol) and forget to plug in your phone. Instead of waking up grouchy that your phone is at 5% and having to try and make that last, just stash an extra phone cord in your backpack. Seriously there are outlets and USB ports everywhere. You will thank me for this.
Granola Bars: I’m willing to bet that at some point you will be hungry. I’m also going to tell you that no one likes it when you’re hangry. Keep a snack or two in your backpack so that this situation can be avoided. Also because it’s cheaper than buying something either on or off campus and we all identify as the “broke college student” at heart. Don’t be broker than you have to.
A Bag: It can be a plastic shopping bag if you have to, but please bring something. That hoodie you wore this morning because it was cold? It’s hot as balls now and you need somewhere to put it other than your body. That thermos you put your coffee/hot chocolate/tea in because I told you to? You’ve finished your drink and don’t want to carry it anymore so it has to go somewhere. The phone charger that I told you to bring with you every day (you never know when you’ll need it)? It’s easier to put it in something and leave it there than to unpack and repack it every day. You get the idea, right? Right.
Pens: I said I wouldn’t talk about pens but I lied. You can, in fact, do this part wrong. But you shouldn’t. So when you’re buying pens for the term, the ONLY two things you should be concerned with are: is it comfortable to hold for hours on end without pause, and does it write nicely with ink flowing smoothly like the tears of angels. If you cannot answer yes (with certainty) to both of these questions then drop whatever pens you have and try some new ones. And don’t get pencils with the intention of erasing your notes. Ain’t no one got time for that. Just scratch them out and insert the right stuff. If you really must, then rewrite them at home to make them look pretty.