The Ultimate Freshman Year School Supplies List: Be Prepared for College Success

Starting your freshman year of college is an exciting and transformative experience. To ensure you're well-prepared for academic success and organized for the challenges ahead, it's essential to have the right school supplies. This comprehensive list covers everything from the basics to those often-overlooked items that can make a significant difference in your college life.

Academic Essentials

Writing and Note-Taking

Notebooks: Whether you prefer one notebook per class or a multi-subject notebook to keep up to three classes in one, notebooks are essential for taking notes by hand. Science suggests that handwriting notes improves memorization and understanding compared to typing on a laptop.
Pens: For a smoother, quicker, and bolder note-taking experience, pens are a must-have. Using various colors to write notes can also improve memory.
Pencils: 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.
Index Cards: These are a college must-have. They are perfect for creating flashcards to memorize facts, dates, vocabulary, or people.
Planner/Agenda: 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.
Loose-leaf Paper: 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.
Three-Ring Binders: Some classes may require three-ring binders to keep class materials in.
Pocket Folders: Pocket folders are useful for keeping loose papers organized by subject.

Correction and Calculation

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.
Calculator: Believe it or not, some classes still require a calculator. For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, a scientific calculator is usually necessary.
Graphing Calculator: For advanced math courses, a graphing calculator might be required.

Organization and Study Aids

Binders (with dividers): Keep your class notes and assignments organized by using binders with dividers for each subject.
Sticky Tabs: Sticky tabs are great for marking important information in textbooks and notebooks.
Sticky Notes: Sticky notes are useful for jotting down quick reminders and marking pages.

Tech and Electronics

Computer and Accessories

Laptop: Going into your college school year, you’ll need a personal laptop. A laptop is essential for completing assignments, conducting research, and communicating with professors. Angelo State has also partnered with Dell computers to offer laptops, desktops and other computer-related items at a discounted price for students!
Wireless Mouse: For majors that involve living on your laptop (i.e. graphic design), a wireless mouse makes technical work way easier.
Printer: 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.
Flash Drive: A flash drive is useful for backing up important files and transferring them between computers.
Power Strip: In college, you can’t underestimate the benefits of power strips. Think about all the electronics you own like your laptop, phone, maybe a smartwatch, or headphones. These all need to be charged. 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?

Protection and Convenience

Blue Light Glasses: If you’re staring at your computer all day, do yourself a favor and protect your eyes with blue light glasses.
Laptop Case: Protect your investment with a sturdy laptop case or sleeve.
Headphones: Noise-canceling headphones can be a lifesaver when studying in noisy environments like the library or dorm room.

Dorm and Personal Supplies

Room Organization

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.
Food Containers: Even if you have a meal plan on campus, you’ll need food containers for snacks and leftovers in your dorm or apartment. When you’re hungry on campus between classes, you’ll be glad you bought those extra containers for snacks on-the-go!

Safety and Security

Personal Alarm: Studying late or walking alone on campus? Feel more confident with one of these compact personal alarms.

Everyday Essentials

Water Bottle: Public, private, large, small-whatever kind of university you attend, you’ll need a water bottle. There will be times where you’re spending all day on campus. In fact, according to Harvard’s School of Public Health, staying well-hydrated improves your sleep quality, mood, and cognition.
Small Water Filter and a Portable Kettle: Once you’re in college and away from home, it’s easy to forget the little things. That’s why you’ll need a small water filter and a portable kettle. You shouldn’t have to stress about refilling your water bottle or making tea.

General Supplies

Backpack: 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. Yes! It’s very common for students to use backpacks to carry their class supplies and laptops.
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.
Scissors: Good for school and tasks around the dorm room.
Binder Clips: Sometimes a paperclip isn’t enough. For bigger clipping jobs, go with a binder clip.

Textbook Acquisition Strategies

Textbooks are notoriously expensive but essential for college. There are a few options for where, when, and how you go about getting your textbooks for the semester.

Buying vs. Renting: First, you can buy or rent textbooks.
Formats: They come in different formats: printed, e-book, and loose leaf textbooks. Some classes may require one format or another.
Early Acquisition: Second, if you have access to your classes’ syllabi before the semester starts, you can see which textbooks you’ll need for the year and start getting them early. Con-you may not actually need the textbook, depending on the class. At the beginning of each semester, your professor will provide you with a course syllabus, which will have your required textbook information.
Purchase Locations: Lastly, you can get your textbooks from the campus bookstore, online, or even from other students. Many online marketplaces allow students to resell their old textbooks. Used Bookstores: In some college cities, there are used bookstores near campus. The ASU Bookstore, known as Ram Central Station, offers a full range of course materials and retail products right on campus!

Time Management and Organization

No matter how you got by in high school, in college you need a planner or agenda to survive. Your workload will be larger and harder than what you saw in high school. One of the most difficult parts of college is time management. Nowadays, colleges revolve around their online platforms.

The Importance of Personalization

Start with the same academic basics (laptop, notebooks, backpack, etc.) and build around your daily habits. Think about what helps you stay organized and comfortable: a solid water bottle, noise-canceling headphones, or even a laptop-friendly bag. Again, begin with your school supplies list (laptop, planner, binders, etc.). Then think about what makes your day easier or more efficient. A lightweight tote or backpack? Skincare items for late nights? A desk lamp that doubles as decor? Customize what counts as back to school essentials for college for you (based on your routine and major).

Budgeting Tips

Back to school supplies aren’t cheap. It can hurt your wallet (or your parents’ wallet if you’re lucky enough) to buy all of the stuff you need when you’re outfitting both a desk and a dorm. Impulse buys are real. But don’t let that tempting, cute pencil case steal your money. Did your pens actually run out, or did they just disappear into the void? Retailers start rolling out back to school deals in July, but the deepest discounts often hit in late August. Notebooks, pens, paper: it’s all cheaper when you split a pack of 24. If your classes allow, using apps for note-taking or reading can save money (and space in your bag).

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Where to Shop

Different stores have different items at different prices. There’s no clear winner where you can get the cheapest back to school essentials for college. But in general, stores like Walmart, Target, and Amazon are hard to beat. Dollar stores are great for small items (sticky notes, paper clips), while office supply stores sometimes have deeper discounts on bulk deals.

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