I start my junior year of college today, and to say I’m excited is a major understatement. I’m taking 13 hours, all Computer Engineering classes, and I have a 4 DAY WEEKEND. I know those days are going to be filled with programming labs, blog writing, and lots of studying, but not having class on Monday or Friday just sounds amazing.
To start my first week off, I wanted to share some of my favorite school supplies that I’ve used since freshman year! These things are staples for me, and are used on an almost daily basis.
TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator
Maybe it’s just because I’ve lived in Texas all my life, but Texas Instruments calculators have been an essential since middle school. I’ve used this in every math class I’ve taken since 7th grade, including Algebra, Statistics, Calculus, and Differential Equations. If you’re taking any math class that goes beyond simple operations, I would absolutely recommend grabbing one. This pink one has been with me since freshman year of high school and is still just as useful!
Five Star Notebooks
My notebooks get thrown around and stuffed in backpacks all semester long, so I need them to be durable. Five Star notebooks are the only brand I’ve trusted for years because their outer covers are made of thick plastic that doesn’t tear easily. I usually get a three-subject notebook that I take to all of my classes to write lecture notes in, and a one-subject notebook for each class that I leave at my apartment to rewrite my notes.
The North Face Recon Backpack
I may not be the most original person on my campus, but this backpack is everything I need. The North Face quality in general is fantastic, and this backpack has gone through two years of college so far but still looks great. It has a laptop pocket that easily fits my Macbook, and the small pocket in front is perfect for storing pencils, sunglasses, and any other little things you carry around. I’ve never had a problem with it not being big enough either!
Amazon Prime Student
If you’re not signed up for Amazon Prime Student, you should do that ASAP. My parents introduced me to it the summer before my freshman year, and it’s been a huge money + time saver ever since. This post may be sponsored by them, but I’m not lying when I say that I’ve used its free 2-day shipping six times in the past two weeks! I don’t have a car since I live in the middle of downtown Austin, so almost all of my back-to-school shopping was done on Amazon.
For those of you haven’t used it before, you can sign up for a six-month, sponsored trial of Amazon Prime Student to access that free two-day shipping, plus unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video and free unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos. After that it’s only $49 a year, which is totally worth it in my opinion given all the money you’re saving on shipping alone!
Bullet Journal
I’ve been an avid studyblr user for a while now, but I just recently joined the bullet journal community. If you’ve never heard of a bullet journal, you can learn all about them here! I personally use a Leuchtturm 1917, but you can really use any dotted journal to start with!
Mechanical Pencils
I hate having to sharpen pencils, so mechanical pencils are a must. They’re nothing fancy, but do the job! I mean, this 24-pack is only four dollars, and will last me at least all of junior year given how many I’ll probably lose along the way.
Mildliner Highlighters
I discovered these thanks to the studyblr community, and won’t be going back to any other highlighter brands any time soon. The colors are gorgeous and aren’t your typical neon yellow variety, coming in colors like gray and pastel blue. They’re great for color-coding your notes and bullet journals, and make a cute addition to any pencil pouch!
Rented Textbooks
Finding the cheapest textbooks at the beginning of the school year is almost a game in itself, but this year, I ordered all of mine through Amazon Prime Student. I always prefer renting over buying because it’s so much cheaper, and all I have to do is send them back at the end of the year once finals are over. These books showed up at my door this morning, just in time for class thanks to that free two-day shipping!
All you have to do is type in the name or ISBN number of your book here to find them. I’ve never had a problem with not finding my book on Amazon, or having to return them too early! For example, the books below are due December 17th, a few days after my last finals.
What are some of your favorite school supplies? Let me know in the comments!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.