The Ultimate Freshman Supplies List for College Success
Wondering what school supplies you’ll need for college? With back-to-school around the corner, now is the time to stock up on all the college school supplies you’ll need to be prepared and organized for the year ahead. Getting ready to head to college? Check out these must-have school supplies to make your experience as smooth as possible.
From elementary school through high school, students are told exactly what school supplies they’ll need for classes. With the independence that college brings, however, you can pick what supplies work best for you. Going in with the right supplies can make all the difference, helping set you up for success.
Below are the must-have supplies that any student could benefit from, no matter their course of study.
Tech and Digital Essentials
In today's academic landscape, technology plays a pivotal role. Here's what you'll likely need:
Laptop or Tablet
You’ll likely complete the bulk of your college work digitally. For majors like engineering, design, or computer science, a laptop is non-negotiable since you’ll need the processing power for specialized software. You’ll want a lightweight, dependable option that can run multiple programs while you’re doing projects. However, a tablet can be a solid option if your major leans more toward reading, writing, or research - like English, history, or communications. Paired with a keyboard, a tablet is more than capable of handling note-taking, essay writing, and online research while being extra portable.
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Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Quiet can be hard to come by in a crowded library, coffee shop, or dorm, but noise-cancelling headphones can bring down the surrounding noise. Also, if you’re listening to music or online course materials in public, headphones are a necessary courtesy.
Portable Power Bank
Even if you’re diligent about keeping your devices charged, you’ll most likely face a low-battery emergency at some point. A portable power bank can help you through long days of lectures and study sessions. You’re not always going to be near an outlet. Between back-to-back classes and late nights at the library, you won’t always get a chance to recharge your phone.
USB Flash Drive
A USB flash drive can come in surprisingly handy for quick file transfers or last-minute presentations. They can also technically be used as a backup for important documents.
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Using your laptop’s keyboard and mouse for long periods of time without a break can lead to wrist and back pain. A wireless mouse and keyboard can help you maintain better posture and ergonomics while reducing cable clutter. For majors that involve living on your laptop (i.e. graphic design), a wireless mouse makes technical work way easier.
Laptop Stand
When you’re doing homework, hunching over your screen can get uncomfortable fast. A laptop stand raises your screen to eye level, which makes long writing sessions less physically draining. This is especially true when paired with a wireless keyboard and mouse to create a setup that feels closer to a desktop.
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Surge Protector
Plugging in your devices to a surge protector can safeguard them from unexpected power spikes. A surge protector also gives you extra outlet space, especially important when you’re plugging in a laptop, phone, lamp, and maybe even a mini-fridge in a cramped dorm room. Chances are, your dorm room won’t have many outlets-and each one only gives you two spots. So, where do you plug in your phone charger, laptop, fan, and lamp?
Blue Light Glasses
If you’re staring at your computer all day, do yourself a favor and protect your eyes with blue light glasses.
Workspace and Organizational Tools
Creating an efficient and organized workspace is crucial for academic success.
Backpack
A good backpack has padded space for a laptop plus enough room for textbooks and notebooks. Students often rely on one bag for everything, so durability and comfort really matter when you’re carrying it across campus all day. You might still have your old high school backpack, but you’re going to want to upgrade to something more comfortable. Odds are you’ll be hauling materials from one end of campus to the other. Start School With One of These 10 Best Backpacks for College. A good backpack is an essential item for any college student.
Planner
With multiple classes, extracurriculars, and assignment deadlines, keeping everything straight is tough. A planner can help you map out your week, track important dates, and break big projects into smaller, more manageable tasks so you don’t end up scrambling at the last minute. College can get busy, so keep it all organized in a handy-dandy planner. As soon as you’re given an assignment or paper, you can jot down the due date in your agenda and get a head start. All your due dates will be in one place and be super easy to read.
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Notebooks
Some things are just better on paper. Even with laptops and tablets, notebooks still get plenty of use. They are perfect for jotting ideas, sketching diagrams, or taking notes during class. While some students prefer taking notes on their laptops, science has once again proved that taking notes by hand is better for memorization and understanding the material. Grab one notebook for each class, or get one of the multi-subject notebooks and keep up to three classes in one.
Pens and Pencils
For a smoother, quicker, bolder note-taking experience, go with pens. Science also says that using various colors to write notes will improve your memory. There is still something practical about writing notes by hand: you can erase mistakes, sketch out a design, and avoid the treacherous ink smudge.
Highlighters
Highlighters are a lifesaver when studying! In most cases, you can mark up your textbooks as much as you want-even if you plan to sell them back.
Sticky Notes
These small tools can help you highlight key points, jot reminders, and mark important pages so you can study and organize way more effectively. These are a college must-have. They are perfect for creating flashcards to memorize facts, dates, vocabulary, or people.
Folders or Binders
Handouts, syllabi, and graded assignments pile up fast. Folders and binders keep everything sorted by class, which makes reviewing for midterms easier when you don’t have to dig through a messy stack of papers. Not everything is digital-even now. Many professors still hand out physical copies of the syllabus and class project assignments, or hand back your printed papers with their feedback written on them. You can keep all these loose-leaf materials in one folder dedicated to the class. Some classes may require three-ring binders to keep class materials in.
Correction Pens
Mistakes happen! If you notice a small typo or error right before handing in a paper or research project, you’re going to want some correction pens handy for a quick fix. They’re available in liquid or tape form for ultimate convenience.
Stapler
Have a research paper to hand in? Staple it and it’s ready to go! It’ll be nice and neat without any corner folds. Get one for your dorm desk or a mini hand-held one for your backpack.
Bulletin Board
Mount one of these above your desk and keep your schedules in check. You can use magnets or thumb-tacks to keep tickets or coupons in a noticeable place, or hang up fun pictures.
Calculator
Believe it or not, some classes still require a calculator. Before buying a calculator, it is wise to talk with your student about their math and science goals. Ideally, you only need to buy one calculator for high school, and with planning, that can be accomplished. Students who plan to take advanced math and science classes need a high-quality graphing calculator.
Binder Clips
Sometimes a paperclip isn’t enough. For bigger clipping jobs, go with a binder clip.
Personal Well-being
Taking care of yourself is just as important as academics.
Reusable Water Bottle
Running between classes, it’s easy to forget to stay hydrated. A water bottle is easy to refill at campus fountains, saves money, and keeps you from relying on vending machines.
Insulated Coffee Mug
Early lectures and late-night study sessions usually mean caffeine. An insulated coffee mug keeps coffee warm while you focus on your work.
Personal Alarm
Studying late or walking alone on campus? Feel more confident with one of these compact personal alarms.
Optional but Useful
Printer, Ink, Toner, and Paper
Most colleges will have printers readily available and give students an allotted amount of printed pages per semester. However, if you plan to do a lot of printing (we’re looking at you, fellow English majors) or don’t want to bother trekking to a computer lab, it might be worth investing in a printer of your own. Don’t forget you’ll also need: ink, toner, and paper.
Subscriptions and Software
Gemini Pro
Google’s Gemini Pro is free for college students, and includes research, organization, coding, and storage tools. Learning to use AI is also a crucial skill as you graduate into the workforce, but check out your school’s AI policy before using any of Google’s AI tools on class assignments.
Citation Tools
Writing research papers means dealing with APA, MLA, or Chicago style formatting, which can be time-consuming to do manually. Tools like Zotero or EasyBib let you plug in sources and generate citations instantly. They also store your references, so by the end of the semester you’re not scrambling to remember where that one journal article came from.
Note-Taking Apps
Apps like OneNote, Notion, or Evernote make it easier to organize class notes by subject, add images or PDFs from lectures, and search everything later. For example, if a professor references a theory you covered weeks ago, you can find your notes in seconds instead of flipping through three different notebooks.
Time Management Apps
Between classes, assignments, and extracurriculars, it’s easy for deadlines to sneak up on you. Time management apps like Google Calendar, Todoist, or Trello can help you stay organized by keeping track of due dates, scheduling study sessions, and even setting reminders so nothing slips through the cracks.
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