As the semester begins, I like to take a few trips to some of my favorite stores as breaks from studying and homework. While there, I try to stay conscious of what I will really use or need. Here are some of my favorite back-to-school items I’ve picked up this semester.
- A nice oversized sweatshirt
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I honestly don’t think I’d be able to survive any semester without an oversized sweatshirt. While it may still be hot outside, this iron-deficient girl is always cold and is often freezing in her classrooms even when they are blasting the AC. An oversized sweatshirt helps keep you warm and cozy; for me, it is also like added therapy. I love to pull my hands into my sleeves and just take a few seconds to ground myself in the comfortable warmth.
- A new (to you) pair of sneakers
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When talking about back-to-school shopping, you can’t forget shoes! The perfect thing for me this year was a new pair of sneakers. Whether it’s jogging across campus to print a paper or running to class because I couldn’t find parking on time, a trusty pair of sneaks will help you move a little bit quicker. I know as a college student my budget isn’t huge, so a recommendation is to look at your local thrift shops. I often find nice name-brand shoes that may not be brand new in the box, but they are “brand new” to me. A sweet deal, conscientious shopping, and new shoes? I’m in!
- Notebooks/folders
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Okay, but cute notebooks and folders are my downfalls at retail stores. If it’s pretty and has an animal on it, I have to have it. But in all seriousness, a notebook and a nice new folder is something everyone needs when heading back into classes. Not only are folders super hard to reuse because of the wear and tear that the semesters bring on them, but they are also pretty cheap to buy and are a nice way to brighten your day. I mean, statistics class just starts off better when the first thing I see in my binder is a cute puppy dog!
- Sticky notes
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This one might seem basic, but I would die for my sticky notes. They are perfect to use to post reminders by your desk about assignments. Just assign one note to one class and write your week’s work on it. If you are heading to the library to work, just grab it and stick it to your computer to take it with you!
- Staple-less stapler
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My new discovery this year is the staple-less stapler. This small device gets rid of the wasteful staples that don’t work right half the time and are constantly getting jammed, and instead uses a punch and fold method to help hold your papers together. I like to use it for smaller in-class work that is more than one page, but less than five. While it can’t hold a lot of papers together, it does save a lot of staples from being used on papers that end up being thrown away.