As you’re doing all your back-to-school shopping, you’re probably buying lots of essentials: pens, notebooks, sticky notes, and other boring items. Beyond the basics, there are a few items that fly under the radar that will make your life all the easier.
Coming from an incoming junior, I’ve learned a thing or two about what you actually need to keep in your backpack and what is a complete waste of space. I am somewhat of a maximalist when it comes to school supplies, which means my top five underrated products are ones that I use a lot.
Let’s dive into the top five underappreciated supplies you should consider adding to your cart:
1. WHite out FLUID/TAPE
I am a sucker for handwritten notes, and believe it or not, some professors actually require you to take physical notes. I’ve had a few classes where handwritten note-taking is mandatory, and many classes where it is highly recommended. I prefer to write with a pen, and I make a ton of mistakes (I’m only human, after all).
That’s where white-out comes in. No trying to make your error look natural, no scraping the ink off the page — just a quick swipe and you’re ready to correct your mistake. Personally, I prefer the liquid Wite-Out; however, most people recommend the tape version.
My favorite part is that it is cheap, quick, and makes my notes look ten times better. This product is especially helpful if you are a perfectionist who feels like an entire page is ruined if you accidentally write “recieved” instead of “received” (I’m guilty of this one).
2. MINI STAPLER
Imagine this: You stayed up all night finishing your essay that’s due today in class. You go to campus, proud of your hard work, until you remember… you need a hard copy. You go print it out, but to your dismay, you don’t have anything to hold your pages together. Boom: mini stapler.
I’m not joking when I say I’ve lived this scenario a few too many times. In each instance, the mini stapler that I had lying around from high school saved me. Once, I was printing out over 300 papers and the stapler I was using ran out about 30 papers in. I almost shed a tear when I found my mini stapler waiting for me at the bottom of my bag.
While this purchase won’t be the most-used item in your backpack, it will be there for you when you need it the most. Plus, you can buy super cute ones now, like this Hello Kitty one I found on Instagram.
3. WHITEBOARD & DRY-ERASE MARKERS
If you buy any of the items on this list, make it this one. “Whiteboarding” is one of the most common and most effective studying methods you’ll see people doing in college. You go to a whiteboard, pull out a marker, and write down everything you need to know for your next exam. It makes your brain actively recall information and helps you retain it by physically writing things out.
While your library and other academic buildings may have whiteboards, I promise you will not want to walk there in the middle of the winter at 9 PM the night before your exam. A much easier solution is having your own personal whiteboard in your room that you can use whenever you need it.
I have saved myself many walks to the library by having my own whiteboard, plus I’ve been able to lend it to a few friends who were in need of some last-minute studying. It’s also nice to carry a few dry-erase markers in your bag in case you can’t find one, or if a professor needs one (I’ve saved a class or two by doing this).
4. EXTRA LAPTOP CHARGER
This one is by far the most useful item that I carry around in my bag every day. I do not use a MacBook, so I cannot attest to its battery life, but my laptop dies quickly. For the first year, I would haul my laptop charger from my dorm to class every single day, which worked, until I’d forget it at home.
Forgetting my charger constantly ruined my days until I caved in and bought an extra one. Not having to worry about whether I packed my charger that morning saved me a lot of stress during my sophomore year (and a lot of trips back to my off-campus apartment). I was always at peace knowing I’d have a charger when I needed it most.
Depending on what computer you use, you can usually make a generic online search and find a charger that will work for your laptop. If you’re lucky, your laptop takes the same charger as your phone, which also saves you from having to carry around an extra phone charger. This has been a lifesaver for me!
Quick Tips: What I Don’t Use
As I mentioned earlier, I am a maximalist when it comes to school supplies. I have tried a lot of different things, and there are a few that I would not repurchase or pack for school simply because I have never needed them. Here are some items I would recommend you leave at home this fall:
- Calculator: If you’re a non-STEM major like me, you probably don’t need a calculator — I took statistics and used my computer’s built-in calculator instead of using the one in my bag (sorry, not sorry)
- Portable Charger: While this is good for going out, academics-wise, it makes more sense to just bring an extra charger since there are outlets galore at academic buildings
- Loose Leaf Paper: Whenever I need a piece of paper for an assignment, I just rip one out of my notebook, which makes it totally useless to carry around loose leaf paper
- More than One Folder: While I had a folder for each class in high school, most professors have moved away from physical copies of assignments, which means you really only need one catch-all folder
Conclusion
These four products have saved me a lot of headaches over the last two years, and I’m certain they’ll save me many more over the coming months. While they might not be essentials for everyone, they are everything to me and will continue to be some of the most underrated college supplies in my eyes.
Hopefully I’ve influenced you to go out and buy yourself a new product that will make your life just that much easier this fall. And if I didn’t, I understand, but don’t come looking for me when you need your essay emergency stapled! Just kidding… maybe.