College Crunch

Everyone prepares for school in different ways, but in all of the excitement and stress, sometimes the simplest things are often forgotten. My wife recently geared up for school again and didn’t realize how many things she would need to get her University career going. Making sure you create a list of the important, but simple things you need to pick up will reduce the chance that you will forget something for your first days in class.

Binders

Sure it seems like the simplest choice, and how can anyone forget to buy binders, but which ones do you need? Depending on the complexity of the course, you might need a one-inch binder, or larger. If you are expecting many handouts that won’t be properly hole punched, you might want to get a binder that has a zipper, allowing you to place many loose sheets within.

For my wife’s course she required half a dozen two inch binders to easily track her various course materials. Binders can range in price from around two dollars to around fifteen dollars depending on features, size, quality, and brand.

Paper

Reams of paper are relatively inexpensive, and most people don’t forget to purchase them, but making sure you buy the right amount, right types, and at the right price can be a bit of frustration.

I often recommend that people purchase around two hundred pages of lined paper per class, as well as two hundred pages of blank paper for diagrams or as printer paper per semester.

Paper is usually cheapest before school starts or just after it starts and can run at around ten cents per hundred pages. For those looking to be green, purchasing recycled paper can be a great, but semi-expensive option.

Pens

It is interesting these days to see how many types of pens there are. Did we really need so many new types to come onto the market and the differences in pricing can go from strangely cheap to interestingly expensive. Can any student really afford to buy a single pen for five dollars, and if so, will it really be worth five dollars in ink or comfort?

Most people are smart to keep it simple and buy a pack of the regular BIC pens that are the staple the world over, though many people have moved to the fancier Gel pens, as they sometimes provide a nicer writing experience, and depending on the build quality, a longer lasting pen.

Backpack

A good sturdy back pack is probably the most important thing on this list, and while I have seen many people attempt to go to University without one, I wouldn’t recommend it. The text books used in many courses today are heavy, and the campuses are vast. Carrying around ten pounds of books and supplies can be uncomfortable to say the least, so buy a backpack that will take the burden off your arms, and keep your stuff safe.

Many mid-quality backpacks these days include gel straps or a gel layer on the back area, making hauling around a heavy group of text books a little less painful, it also helps create a snug fit, and usually creates a space or two where air can flow through, making sure you back doesn’t get all sweaty.

You will want to focus on durability, features, and size. Most backpacks these days are stuffed to brim with features though with their weatherproofing, cell phone pouch, headphone hole, and multiple compartments to help keep things organized and clean. You will probably want to spend between twenty and forty-five dollars on a reasonable backpack.

Calculator

Even if you aren’t taking a math class, a calculator can come in handy. Something with reasonable scientific abilities, beyond just a basic calculator. If you are in a science class, you might need to be able to calculate the rate of absorption, or in engineering, you might need to figure out the length of a cross beam. There are many uses for a scientific calculator, so have one on hand.

A decent calculator can be found for under fifteen dollars at most stores, and I wouldn’t recommend spending much more than that, unless you need a specific feature.

Highlighters

Keeping track of important information in text books, or in your own notes can be very difficult, but an easy way to keep organized can be to purchase some highlighters. I used to have a system based on different colors that quickly gave me a visual cue about the type of information in my notes, be they just a general tip worth remembering, or a specific fact I needed to know for an upcoming test.

A four pack of highlighters can be purchased for around two or three dollars if you shop around.

Post-it Notes

Just like highlighters, post-it notes are a great way to highlight important information, but include the added benefit of marking whole pages so that they are easy to find later. Today, there are many shapes, sizes, colors, and levels of transparency when dealing with post-it notes.

I am still a fan of the classic yellow squares which can then be cut or ripped into thinner strips. A package of post-it notes can be picked up for as little as a dollar.

Mechanical Pencils

These days you don’t need to sharpen your regular wooden pencil, just get one of those mechanical ones and you’ll just need to push on the eraser to see more lead. I love mechanical pencils and if you are going to have to do any diagrams, I would suggest picking up at least one and some leads.

Mechanical pencils are usually more expensive than the regular ones, but their convenience and simplicity make them the ideal choice for writing things you might need to erase easily.

White-out

Correcting mistakes that aren’t written in pencil can be a pain if you don’t have white-out. Professionalism or ease of reading can count when you are handing in documents or just trying to study, and so being able to correct those mistakes without wasting paper through re-printing can be essential.

White-out, depending on the application method and quality can vary wildly in price. If you are like me, and unwieldily with a brush, check out some of the alternatives.

Ruler

While not the most crucial school supply, the ruler can be a very useful tool for a variety of things, including keeping things organized, professional looking, and giving a way to measure a variety of things, which would again depend on the course you choose. I have seen decent rulers for as little as thirty cents, and so if you are willing to buy something plastic and easy to break, you can go that route. If you want to get a metal ruler, they usually range starting at the three dollar mark and moving upwards from there, but last much longer.