So you’re heading off to your first semester of freshman year. You’ve got your brand new 5-piece bedding set, your photo collage you spent three days creating, and enough snacks to feed your entire hall for one week. But what about class?? Remember? That thing you’re going to college for. Yeah, that. Well there’s some stuff you need to bring to that thing they call “class,” and we’ve got you covered. No matter what your schedule, there’s some essentials to always have with you. Most students, however, end up with schedules lasting from morning through the afternoon, so in between time is important to remember as well!
This is a no brainer. Always have a few pens and pencils on hand. Highlighters are also helpful, especially for the first day which you usually spend covering the class syllabus. And one or two people in lecture are bound to forget a pencil, so a few extra can make for a solid ice breaker.
Another pretty obvious addition to the college class checklist. Have at least one notebook for each class, and maybe a folder as well. You’ll see throughout the semester which classes need what materials, but it can’t hurt to have extra! Loose pieces of paper are also good to carry around if impromptu assignments or quizzes are given during class.
You may not think you need your Student ID in class, but at some point, you will. Just always have it on you! Professors can check Student IDs when collecting tests or assignments and you may at times need your Student ID number (if you have one). Your ID may also get you in and out of your dorm and if you have a key always remember that, too!
Normally, you don’t need a calculator for Writing 101, but it’s always good to have on you. Math classes will usually require some version of a TI Graphing Calculator, but it’s best to wait until classes start to get the specifics.
You certainly won’t need a laptop for every class and it can be a pain to lug around every day, but for those awkward one hour breaks in between classes, it’s great to have! Bring your laptop to finish an assignment or research for a class or for a short Netflix binge before calculus. Your school library may have computers available, but how many exactly is never a guarantee.
If you’re bringing your phone and/or laptop with you to class, don’t forget all the necessary chargers! Keep them in your backpack at all times to ensure you won’t forget them. There’s nothing worse than a dead cell phone with 3 classes left to go.
Whether you’ve got the bulky Beats by Dre or the tiny ear-buds, make sure to always have a pair packed! I can’t tell you how many times music has kept me stress-free before a test or helped me to seamlessly avoid Student Organizations passing out pamphlets in the Campus Center.
If you’re like me, eating is your second priority (next to breathing), so don’t forget your snacks! One hundred calorie packs and bars are great to hold you over for an hour. Just make sure whatever you bring to class is clean and manageable (don’t bring a foot-long meatball sub) and is not distracting. You don’t want to be that guy munching on carrot sticks in the back of lecture hall. Your professor may also let you know if food or drinks are allowed in class. Plastic sandwich bags are great to bring to school and keep in your backpack, too, if you want to grab a bagel from the dining hall on your way to class or munch on cereal during breaks. (A good trick to save a few bucks – take cereal, chips, celery or carrot sticks, bagels – whatever is loose – from the dining hall and store in sandwich bags. Schools will rarely let you take food from the dining halls, so be stealthy about it!)
If you’re also like me, you manage to screw up your eye liner before 10 a.m. and have snaggletooth before you even leave your dorm. Pack a few makeup essentials and a compact mirror to catch any mess-ups before somebody else does. Cleansing facial wipes are good, too, if your skin needs a pick-me-up or if you’re heading to the gym after class.
If you can manage, throw in your backpack a few items for adverse weather or shorts and a tank if you’re planning to go work out. Clothes don’t add much weight and can be a life saver when Mother Nature starts to rain on your parade – or your walk through campus. Going back and forth to your dorm is a hassle and can lead to you loosing motivation to leave your dorm all together! If you have a retractable umbrella, stick that in the side pocket of your backpack, also, to always be fully prepared.
I know this seems like a lot for each day, but I managed carrying this much stuff and more in college, so I promise you, you and your back with survive this! Just make sure to have a sturdy enough backpack to carry 2 books, 3 notebooks, 1 laptop, your gym sneakers, a Camelback water bottle, and 4 Luna bars… if you can fit your focus in there, too, I’d try to squeeze that in.
*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
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