The first thing that the term “school supplies” makes me think about is a box of 64 Crayola crayons with a sharpener in the back and a pair of safety scissors that cannot cut anything larger than a Post-it. Luckily in college, “school supplies” can mean so much more than that.
To start, in college we are on the run so much and a good backpack is key. For those who live close to campus and can easily go back and forth to their dorm during the day, a trendy canvas shoulder bag or a Longchamp are could definitely do the trick. However, for those who live off-campus or in Narnia (Plimpton/110) it is absolutely necessary to have a bag that can hold all of your school/gym/work things for the day. Without a trusty bag, you may not be able to avoid making unnecessarily long 5 block walk back to your apartment. The most popular names for backpacks on campus right now are Herschel Supply Co., Fjallraven, American Apparel and LeSportsac. Check out the best backpacks post here. These are all great options because they are good quality, fit laptops and have tiny pockets for little things. You should definitely always be on the lookout for some more one-of-a-kind options though. And if you ask me, never be ashamed to go back to your old monogrammed L.L.Bean or North Face. You can also monogram any of the above if that is your thing. There are tons of places around the city that do embroidery, just Yelp “embroidery NYC.”
If embroidery is not your thing, you should definitely still personalize your backpack in some way. I suggest giant, oversized and mildly obnoxious key chains. Thanks to Stoney Clover Lane, you can decorate your backpack to be bold, bright, glittery, Miley-esque and just all around fun. The founders of SCL are two amazing sisters, Kendall and Libby. They donate a percentage of their sales to the Dream Foundation for adults battling terminal illness and Emily’s Entourage for cystic fibrosis. They have also paired with celebrities to create special lines that benefit charitable causes including the Red Cross, St Bernard Project, Audubon Wildlife Fund, Devon Walker Fund and more. Many of their key chains are even inspired by emojis! They sell for $25 and can be found on www.stoneycloverlane.com. Additionally, definitely check out Jonathan Adler’s accessory line. Jonathan is a potter and interior designer and the author of titles including “My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living” and a series on how to be “Happy Chic.” His key chains are mostly cartoonish animals with quirky patterns. The best part is that some of them have hidden USB’s in them.
As for what goes inside your backpack, definitely look into Miquelrius notebooks. Available on www.shopmiquelrius.com as well as in some small stationary stores around NYC, these notebooks have colored subsections, perforated pages and are all laminated in plastic so that they do not disintegrate halfway through the semester. Besides the colorful and cute inside pages, the covers are all done by international designers. Some notable ones are from Kukuxumusu, a Spanish graphic design company, and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, a Spanish fashion designer. The notebooks come in options of one to four sections and range from $5-$10.
Whether or not you “um, invented Post-its” like Romy and Michele, the sticky notes from www.knockknockstuff.com are useful and funny. Knock Knock products aspire to bring humor, function, organization and aesthetic into everyday life. All their sticky notes are witty and will make annotating your books much more enjoyable. They are also available in most Ricky’s and Urban Outfitters.
It is also very important to have a pencil case so that you can avoid being the annoying person who always needs to borrow a pen or pencil. I like to pick up unique pencil cases in my travels. They are a cheap souvenir and easy to bring home. If you don’t find one you like next time you’re abroad, see if you like neon translucent ones like the ones from Superdry or metallic ones like from Lisa Perry.