Back to the topic of this post, I am posting my first? college essentials post. Seeing that I am going into yet another year of college, I feel that there is a need to post a "back to school" blog post. Since I am working and going to school at the same time, I like to purchase things that will work for both my everyday life, and my school life. I make a investments if I know that it will serve multiple purposes, and that it will be useful beyond my college years. Here is a list of my college essentials
A School Tote
There are shoe girls, and then there are purse girls. I love love love purses. I told my best friend and my fiancee that when I die, make sure that I am buried with my purses. I looked high and low for the perfect school tote that can also be used as an everyday bag. When I set my eyes on the Rebecca Minkoff Mab tote, I knew that I had found the one. To be honest, I actually was inspired by an episode of Pretty Little Liars! The nice thing about this bag is that it uses saffiano leather, which makes it scratch resistant, as well as waterproof. It also doesn't capture stains like pebbled leather does, and it has a very clean, simple look to it. It can double as a work bag, and can carry lots. Longchamp also has some cute nylon bags that hold lots, and are waterproof.
A Durable Backpack
When I was in high school, The North Face was all the craze! Mind you, I went to high school in the Emerald city, so the cold weather and rain boded well with the brand. My parents bought me my first North Face backpack during my freshman year, and I used it for years after that. I recently purchased a new one because I needed more space. It has a laptop sleeve in the back, plenty of pockets to put your school supplies in, and it holds against harsh weather. They never go out of style, and it definitely is work the investment.
A Laptop Bag
Although I don't use it much, I know that I need a laptop bag. I no longer use a desktop, and I do all of my work on my laptop because it is more portable. My Marc Jacob laptop case provides lots of cushion, and is nylon so it protects against the rain. It also has a side pocket to hold all of your accessories.
A Tablet
Besides needing a laptop or desktop for college, I think that it is also important to have a tablet. For me, I like to use it for my presentations, look things up while on the go, and most importantly, for entertainment purposes. It's much lighter than a computer, and I find myself using my tablet when I have a long commute to work, but I still need to get my homework done. You have no idea how many times my tablet has saved me! I like Samsung tablets because they aren't as restrictive as Apple products, and I am more comfortable with Google and Microsoft products.
A Flash drive
We already know that it's important to carry around a memory drive. Who wants to carry around multiple copies of their paper in their bags when you can just bring it everywhere with you and print it when you need it? It's great for transporting data without having to tote around your laptop.
A Battery Pack
Whenever I have long commutes, and I don't bring my car with me to campus, I find myself using my phone very often, which means that the battery always gets drained. It's always best to carry an extra battery that you can used whenever you're getting low on juice. You never want to be stuck without a working phone in this day in age.
Headphones
Commuting? Working in the library? Want to cancel out white noise? A pair of headphones have so many uses for different occasions. I just grab a cheap pair of Gumy headphones at Target that still lasts me a while.
I am so crazy about my Lilly Pulitzer agenda. I am even more crazy about how she has the cutest patterns! The nice thing about this agenda is that it is spiral bounded so it makes it easy to flip through pages, and it can also lay flat on any surface. It provides a ton of space to write things without having unnecessary junk in it that you probably will never use or look at. I have it in the large size which fits in most of my purses and is perfect all of my school bags.
A Pencil Pouch
I used to always lose my pencils in class because I never really had anything to carry it in. Remember back in the day when we had a pencil pouch in the front of our binders that held our new school supplies? My mom was creative enough to make me one in middle school. In college, I bought a pencil pouch that I could transfer to each bag that I decide to use that day. My Jonathan Adler pencil pouch provides lots of flexibility and has enough space to carry your pencils, pens, and much more. I once considered purchasing one from Kate Spade but I found them too stiff, and too expensive.
Mechanical Pencils
Let's be honest here, we all love those mechanical pencils from Papermate that come in different colors with an eraser that is longer than normal ones. You all know what I'm taking about! They're the ones that you're so excited to purchase, yet you always lose it within the first week. I'm going to be honest here, I love those, but they are too pricey, and I would lose them within the first week. I just stick to plain Bic mechanical pencils whose eraser ends, and clicks when I push down on the end. I can never have enough of those!
Colorful Pens
I enjoy using colorful pens for assignments for my different classes. They also add an extra colorful touch to my planner, too. Who wants to look at a boring black and white planner?
Graphing Paper
I do a lot of math in college, and graph paper was one thing that I never considered until I notice how many graphs I look at. You never know that you need it until you find yourself reaching for it more and more often. I usually just buy a notebook where you can detach just a sheet when you just need one.
Notebooks
One subject, three subjects, you can never have enough notebooks. My favorite kinds are made by Five-Star and are affordable. I wish that I could use one of those fancy notebooks with the colorful covers, but I don't think that they are worth it.
A Graphing Calculator
This is one thing that I can't live without. Since I take a lot of math classes, I thought that it was a good idea to invest in a graphing calculator. Depending on your major, you could probably just get away with a less fancy calculator. My school life is extremely dependent on this tool, so it's the perfect one for me. Although I would like to upgrade into one of those fancy ones that have a color screen.
A Stapler
Although you can use the stapler in class, what happens when you have printed off 10 pages at home, and that stapler isn't available? Not only does it staple all of your papers, but it also doubles as a paperweight! I bought a red stapler because you know... my stapler
Post-Its
You can't have enough post-its. But it's not just the square post-its that you will need, but different sizes. I use the flag tab post-its to mark my page, or to write a note on each post-it with why I marked that page. It definitely has helped me keep tabs of what answers are on what page of the textbook!
Drink ware
Depending on what time of the year it is, I carry around different types of drink ware. Kate Spade is where I get my cute coffee tumblers that are stylish for on the go. I have an insulated coffee cup for the colder months, and a clear plastic tumbler for the warmer months. The only thing that I don't enjoy about these is that they're not really dishwasher safe. I also have a complaint about the plastic straw for the plastic tumblers; sometimes they're difficult to clear and mold starts growing so I just toss them out. I also enjoy using my Camelbak water bottle for the days that I'm not carrying around a flavored drink. It's durable, and holds a lot.
A Card Case
I thought that I would just throw this in here just because. I know that everyone has their wallets to carry their cards, but while you're in college, we should all be looking for internships and ways to network so we have jobs when we graduate. What better way to present yourself than giving someone your business card from a designated card holder. Now, it doesn't need to be super expensive, but it should be durable. I like the Henri Bendel card case because it carries a ton of cards, and it also holds its shape very well.
So there we have it! My essentials for college. Let me know if I left something off of this list, and tell me what some of your favorites are!
All pictures are provided by Google.
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