What’s In My Backpack?
August is here! And that means it’s almost time to head back to school. Before we start moaning and groaning about how we don’t want summer to end, it’s important to remember great thing that comes with going back to school; back to school shopping!! Below, we have compiled a list of everyday back to school essentials!
Check out our complete back to school essentials list here.
Before getting into the details of what’s inside my backpack for this year, it’s important to talk about which backpack is best for you. This year, I am using the Pink Collegiate backpack. I purchased this backpack because it is cute and big enough for all the items I carry around with me day to day. If you’re not a backpack person, I would definitely recommend getting a large tote bag. Check out this one I found at Target!
What’s in my backpack...
As an organizational company, the first item on our “must haves” is a planner! As a student, I have found the most helpful type of planner is a daily. The monthly spread gives a great visual of big dates such as tests, events, and project due dates. The daily views have spaces for smaller to-do items like daily homework, work schedule, or other important information you may need to remember for clubs and school. Remember you are probably going to use your planner every day, so make sure you pick out a pattern that will make you happy to see every day! We have 22 different styles to choose from! Check them out here.
For Elementary- Middle School Aged Students: Our Daisy Planner is perfect for you! Not only does it have the monthly and daily pages like our daily planner, but it also has useful classroom resources, such as punctuation guidelines, conversion tables, math basics, and more!
When the school year kicks in, a to-do list is needed to focus on all of the tasks you need to get done during the day. Our planning pads help you focus on all aspects of your life! There are even sections to track what you are grateful for, so when work and school get a little overwhelming, you can take a break, and remind yourself of something you’re grateful for!
Bound To-Do Book vs. Planning Pad: If you are taking your list on the go, get a bound to-do book because it will protect the inside pages. If you leave your to-do list at home or tear off one page at a time, a planning pad is for you! Both systems have the same layout so you can’t go wrong with either!
Folders are an obvious essential for back to school! I color code my folders with each class so it makes it easy to stay organized and find homework and assignments with ease. bloom file folders come in packs of six, with two of each style; so finding each class will be easy if you write the name on the folder label! If you are looking for a folder with pockets, you can never go wrong with a five-star pack!
Binders are great if you want to keep all your papers in one place, or you have a lot of papers for class and a folder isn’t big enough. Try using binder dividers if you are using your binder for more than one subject! This will make finding notes and assignments for each class much easier.
- Writing Utensils
Writing utensils are an obvious must have for back to school! This papermate set includes everything you’ll need- pens, pencils, highlighters and erasers. Personally, I love using pens in college because it is easier to read my notes, but it is important to have pencils handy because that is what you usually need to use for exams. Highlighters are a great tool for notes and planners. For planners, they can be a way to color code classes or differentiate between work and personal time. For note taking, highlighters can be used when a professor emphasizes a certain term or concept! **hint, probably will show up later on an exam
Pro Tip: If you’re looking for a cute pen to match with your planner check our social media in a couple of weeks with a new product announcement… hint hint ;)
Once again, I have found the easiest way to stay organized with your notebooks, is to get a different color or design for each one that corresponds to a certain class. With eight different notebook designs, it is easy to pick out cute styles for each of your classes!
- Portable Charger
A good portable charger is essential for a long day on campus. I have used many different portable chargers and feel Lepow is definitely the best!
- Pencil Case
A pencil case can double as a “bag essentials” case. I keep a small pencil case in my bag and keep tissues, chapstick, advil, hair ties, and really any other small item that I might need throughout the day! Sometimes makeup cases make the best pencil cases because they are bigger and come in really cute designs. Check out this one we found on Amazon!
- Headphones
Headphones are much needed for tuning out all the noise when you need to get done work or you’re studying for a big exam! If you lost or don’t like the ones that came with your phone, try these headphones! Because they are wireless, they’re perfect not only for studying, but also for working out.
- Hand Sanitizer
Especially when you’re in college, you’ll be traveling to a lot of different buildings in one day and rushing to eat between classes. Carrying around hand sanitizer can be a life savior to quickly put on before a meal and especially during the winter months when everyone around you seems to be sick.
- Snack and Water Bottle
Sometimes days can seem super long and there isn’t enough time to get in a meal when you need one. It’s always important to carry around a snack that you can quickly eat before class starts so you’re not thinking about how hungry you are the entire class! A water bottle is also super important because walking around can get exhausting, especially if you are on a big campus. You can’t go wrong with a Swell Bottle!
- Chapstick
Chapstick is always something you’re going to be thankful for when you find it in your backpack! You never know when you’re really going to need it, so it’s always safe to just keep an extra one in the front pocket of your bag.
- Sunglasses
Sunglasses are really important for a college student. Especially during the first couple of months, the sun can be really strong. It’s always safe to keep your sunglasses in your backpack because you never know when the sun is going to come out!
- Sticky Notes
Sticky notes are so important for reminders. I usually just stick important information on a sticky note and attach it to my computer so I’ll remember right away!
- Wallet with Lanyard
Your wallet is always something important to carry around. It has your money, cards, and IDs in them. Once you start college I would recommend attaching a lanyard to your wallet so it can hold your keys and FOB to get into your building!
We hope you find all of these items super useful for the upcoming year! Reach out or comment with any questions you may have and don’t forget to print out our free downloadable checklist for your backpack! Happy planning and happy new school year!
xoxo,
Ali
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