The Most Important Supplies for College Students

Leslie Kell
5 min readJul 29, 2019

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Anyone who’s ever stepped into a college classroom knows the advantage of being prepared. The division between the students who are ready and who are just winging it is fairly obvious. Of course, the key is to know what exactly to bring into the classroom. Here’s a basic rundown of items that should be on anyone’s college school supplies list at some point during the school year.

A Laptop

The laptop has become a vital piece of modern life, let alone school. As the technology grows, most schools will have a necessary facet of the syllabus located online. If a student doesn’t have access to that, they’ll have to deal with the library schedule. A good website that offers the ability to build a great laptop are the folks of New Egg with their endless options. See: New Egg

College Planner

College schedules pile up quickly, what with clubs and athletic commitments on top of classes. While one shouldn’t discount the ability to put notices on a smartphone, sometimes an old-fashioned approach is best. Many quality day planners are available at reasonable prices, which is handy once the school year begins. A well-respected name like Staples should have plenty of planners of all sizes and shapes. See: Staples

A Stapler

Here’s another item that may feel a bit old-fashioned at first glance. But a stapler will always be important as long as teachers insist on students physically handing in papers and projects. Swingline is a good company to look at when it comes to selecting the right fit for a student. See: Swingline

A Calculator

While technology has changed plenty about how a student goes about their work, some things stay the same. If they’re going to take any level of math during their time at college, a calculator is a must. Of course, there are certain types that fit better with particular courses. Check out the Texas Instruments website for a quality list of items from a respected name. Texas Instruments See: Texas Instruments

MLA Standards Guide

This is a crucial pickup for students struggling to get a handle on the styles needed for strong college essays. A good guide will have plenty of do’s and don’ts for the student who needs to learn how to write like a professor. It’s a challenge for the best of us, to be sure. Luckily, there are tons of online resources that can help. Here’s one from Purdue University. Purdue University English Department See: Purdue University English Department

Of course the right items don’t guarantee success, but a little bit of research goes a long way in succeeding in the classroom. With these items on most students’ lists, getting good grades is more than possible, it’s inevitable.

Checklist of the Most Overlooked College Supplies

A college school supplies checklist for essay editing help is going to be one of the most important things you will have when you start going to college. If you are moving away from your parents, it can be critical that you have everything you need, including the supplies that are not typically thought about, or deemed important.

DO: Think about comfort

You will want to bring a pillow top mattress if you want to be comfortable. Most people do not realize that college dorm beds are not very comfortable most of the time. This is definitely not a necessity, but it can make sleeping a bit easier.

DO: Remember to bring your medication

You want to take any medication that you are on daily, obviously. You should also remember to take over the counter medication for any headaches or pains that may surprise you while you are there. You may also want to take the heating pad, and ice packs for those bad headaches or back problems.

DO: Think ahead about cleanliness

You want to remember to bring your own cleaning supplies. Sometimes, college dorm-mates can be fairly dirty, so there may be times that you need to break out the bleach, or other cleaning supplies. Having them handy is a good idea.

DON’T: Forget the nice clothing

Even though college is a time where it seems that there is a ton of studying, and some partying, you want to make sure that you take nice, impressionable clothing as well. Do not take just party clothes and pajamas.

DON’T: Leave the fun stuff behind

Don’t leave the bathing suit and gym clothes behind. There are going to be times that these may come in handy. You also want to make sure you don’t leave the cable cord behind, as TV will be a must on those boring Friday nights.

DON’T: Take up too much space

Considering that you will likely have a roomie, you do not want to take up more than your allotted space. You can take storage bins to keep your stuff in that you will not need on a daily basis. You can also take extra hangers, that will allow you to hang bags up in your closet that may otherwise take up a lot of room.

DON’T: Leave out the important learning materials

Remember that you will also need to include your actual school supplies in a box as well. Notebook paper, pencils, a backpack, a student planner, a stapler, an MLA style guide, and a memory stick, or flash drive, are all on the list of things that will be necessary at some point in your college career. Forgetting these things could be pretty crucial.

College can be a stressful time for young students, especially if it is their first year in college, and they are moving away from parents. You should always remember that there are things that can be purchased once you get there, and your college school supplies checklist will likely change throughout your preparation time, but this is expected.

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Leslie Kell

I am a writer in a custom research paper writing service. While I was a student, I began to get involved in writing reviews and articles.