Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Her Campus Back-to-School Survival Kit

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Vanderbilt chapter.

Last week, Her Campus sent me their Back-to-School Survival Kit. I was super excited to open it, but I wanted to wait until my crazy week was over. This afternoon seemed like the perfect time, and actually getting to enjoy all of the products was a real treat!!! Here’s a peek into my Survival Kit, as well as some info about all of the AMAZING products I received. 

Swag from the HC Shop

So I’m no stranger to the HC Shop, but as a broke college student, I’ve never been able to actually buy anything. HC sent me and my team a ton of great swag, including this cute drawstring bag (perfect for overnight stays at a friend’s/boyfriend’s), these classic Wayfarers, and a funny “Procrastinating Audrey” sticker that promptly got placed on my laptop. The great news? Anyone can get hooked up with HC swag simply by visiting the shop! I’d personally recommend the Super Classy koozie, as well as the Campus Cutie tank- but only if you’ve been lucky enough to get named a Campus Cutie! 

Luna Bar Minis

I’m protein bar-obsessed. I eat at LEAST one a day, and I’ve been known to have one for every meal on particularly busy days. Luna Bars were my first favorite in the protein bar world, and they remain at the top of my list due to their wide range of flavors and yummy texture. They actually taste like food, as opposed to some of the gross bars out there that taste artificial and not at all like a “Cookie Dough Brownie.” My favorites are Peppermint Stick, Chocolate Dipped Coconut, and White Chocolate Macadamia, so I was really excited to find mini versions of the latter flavor in the Survival Kit! Kind of tempted not to share with my team…. JK! But not really. 

Chipotle Gift Card 

Seriously, it’s like the people at HC know me or something. I go to Chipotle every week, sometimes more now that school is back in session. So I’m really excited to use the Buy One-Get One gift card they sent me… probably tomorrow! What I LOVE about Chipotle is how easy it feels to make healthy choices. When I go to other fast food restaurants and get their “healthy options,” I always feel like I’m missing out on the good stuff. But at Chipotle, I actually prefer their healthy food, especially the burrito bowls, to their super-caloric burritos. Plus, their guacamole is actually the best. I struggle to find better guacamole, even at good restaurants!!! AKA this gift card = invisible by Tuesday. 

Poppin

I got introduced to this brand over the summer, and I immediately fell in love. I mean, how could you not, with a tagline like “Work Happy?” They have everything from cute notebooks to office furniture- their website is actually kind of intimidating, just due to the amount of products! My team and I are really thankful to get so many little notebooks and colorful pens, right in time for mid-term season! I know I get sick of writing with boring black pens in boring 5-subject notebooks, so these products will definitely bring some joy to my study time. 

SK Energy

I got addicted to Five Hour Energy shots freshman year, to the point where I had to take a serious break from them. I’m really excited to try these SK Energy Shots, which claim to provide “powerful, pure energy” without any jitters or a crash! After having such a bad experience with the Five Hour shots, I decided to do a little bit more research online before testing the product. First of all, I found that they were rated #1 in energy products last year, which was definitely reassuring. Then I discovered that both Colin Kaepernick and Erin Andrews (my favorite person in the world) both endorse the product. I’m officially sold!!! As I said, it’s mid-term season, so I’ll definitely be using this product in the near future! 

Neuro Sonic

My boyfriend introduced me to the Neuro drinks at his beach house two summers ago, and I’ve never been able to find them again. I really loved them that summer, though, so I’m pumped to have a huge supply of the drinks at my disposal! I love Neuro Sonic because it increases alertness, provides sustained energy, and supports mental performance, all while tasting fantastic! Plus, each drink is only 35 calories, which is definitely a plus when you’re trying to watch your waistline. I’ll be sharing these with my team at our meeting this week- they won’t even know what hit them! 

I highly recommend these products, especially since many of them are healthy alternatives to study snacks/drinks that we’ll all really need this month! Treat yourself and buy some of these products ASAP- trust me, you’ll be thanking me very soon! 

Stacey Oswald, originally from South Florida, came to Vanderbilt as a member of the class of 2015 and got involved with HerCampus her freshman year. She became assistant editor that year and is now the Campus Correspondent for Vanderbilt HC as a sophomore. Stacey is currently a columnist for Ask Miss A- Nashville and the life section of The Hustler. She's also very involved in her sorority, Kappa Delta, as well as Invisible Children. Outside of school and her extracurriculars, Stacey finds happiness in many sources, the most crucial being exercise and the sun. She loves to attend exercise classes and is an avid runner; she recently completed the Country Music Half Marathon. She also loves Vitamin D, especially when on the beach- though of course, she only soaks up the sun after applying SPF. A few of the things Stacey couldn't live without? Good food (especially from Sweet Cece's, Bricktops, and Samurai Sushi), great books (The Hypnotist's Love Story is a recent favorite), her family back in Florida, her wonderful boyfriend, and all of the great friends she's made at Vanderbilt.