College School Supplies List
Your ultimate school supply list for college.
When you’re in elementary, middle, and even high school, you’re usually provided a list of materials you’ll need for your classes. But when you hit college, arguably a much higher stakes level of academics, you’re left in the dark (aside from your textbooks). So what school supplies do you need to actually buy for college?
We’ve created the perfect list of things you’ll need for your classes and dorm room (and the stuff you can leave at home). You can use this as your guide for shopping to ensure you have everything you need and don’t spend money when you don’t have to.
College School Supplies For Class
1. Pens
Despite all the technology at your fingertips, physically writing to take notes has plenty of benefits—especially since some professors don’t allow laptops in their classes. Make sure you have a set of pens on hand.
2. Pencils
If you’re looking for something a little less permanent, grab a set of mechanical pencils (especially if any of your classes involve math). Just don’t forget to grab extra lead, too.
Save 10% at MUJI with Student Beans
3. Erasers
For all the pencil people, forget the tiny eraser at the end of your writing instrument. Get a real deal eraser to make any mistakes you made a thing of the past.
Save 10% at MUJI with Student Beans
4. Highlighters
Important for, well, highlighting things you want to come back to! The clear tips are see-through to ensure you don’t highlight too much. And with a variety of colors, you can easily color coordinate information.
5. Pencil Case or Pouch
Instead of digging around your backpack for a stray pen or pencil, keep them organized and all in one place with a pencil case. It doesn’t take up much room and will save you time in the long run.
6. Notebooks
Again, for all the physical note-takers reading this, we’ve got you. A sturdy spiral notebook will ensure your notes don’t get crumpled up as the semester goes on.
7. Folders
Plenty of teachers still hand out physical papers you’ll need to keep track of. Whether it’s a syllabus, worksheet, or other important information, corral everything in one place for safekeeping.
8. Sticky Notes
If you’re planning on selling your textbooks back at the end of the semester, you won’t be able to annotate the pages. Use sticky notes to leave yourself important notes in the margins.
9. Stapler
We guarantee you’ll need to staple something while you’re in college. Grab a stapleless stapler to bind everything together (without having to keep buying staples).
10. Note Cards
Yes, flashcards are also still a thing in college. Notecards have a wide variety of uses, so it always helps to have a pack stashed in your desk.
Essential College School Supplies
1. Backpack
Of course, you’re going to need a backpack. The goal is to only buy one during your four (or more) years in college, so grab one that will hold up against anything you throw at it.
Save up to 30% + 10% student discount at The North Face when you shop with Student Beans
2. Planner
Time management is the key to surviving college, and nothing helps with that more than owning a planner. Keep your due dates, appointments, and everything else in one place to ensure you never miss a deadline.
Save 15% at The Happy Planner with Student Beans
3. Laptop
Another obvious essential, but another thing you’ll hopefully only have to buy once. MacBooks have quickly become the standard, and for good reason—they can do just about anything. Plus, the MacBook Air models easily slip into your backpack without the added bulk.
Save on Apple products with Student Beans
4. Mouse
You’d be surprised how uncomfortable using a trackpad can be after an extended period of time. Grab a mouse to help with the strain (especially if you do any kind of art or design on your laptop).
Get freebies and discounts from Logitech when you shop with Student Beans
5. Flash Drive
Back up all your documents, projects, and other assignments on a flash drive. Aside from ensuring you never lose anything, you’ll also have the ease of it being portable.
6. Blue Light-Blocking Glasses
You’ll likely be staring at screens for a lot of your schoolwork. Even if you don’t, having a pair of blue light-blocking glasses will reduce eye strain in the long run.
7. Earbuds or Headphones
Walking around campus, working out, tuning out to focus on your schoolwork…a solid pair of headphones will do wonders for you while you’re in college. Grab a nice pair now so you don’t have to keep replacing them every year.
Save 15% at Bose with Student Beans
8. Correction Tape
Forget scribbling out mistakes while you’re writing—a simple roll of correction tape will keep your notes organized and, more importantly, legible when you go back to reference them later.
College School Supplies For Freshman
If you’re heading off to college for the first time, you’re going to need a few more things than your upperclassman friends. Here are a few things you might have forgotten to grab while out shopping for school supplies.
Dorm Essentials
1. Desk Lamp
Your dorm room will more than likely not provide you with a desk lamp. Since overhead lighting is the actual worst, grab a desk lamp. This one has three different light settings, ensuring you can work any time of day.
2. Power Strip
Outlets in your room will likely be few and far between (or in the weirdest spots). A power strip will protect all your tech from surges while also providing you with plenty of outlets.
3. Poster Strips
Dorms don’t allow you to nail anything to the walls, so if you want to decorate (and trust me, you will), poster strips are the easiest way to hang things up. Easy to apply and easy to remove at the end of the year.
4. Dry Erase Board
Whether you’re leaving reminders and notes for your roommates or just keeping yourself organized, a whiteboard is a great investment for little cost. Grab one with a cork board so you can pin things on it, too.
5. Mattress Topper
Shocking no one, college mattresses aren’t the most comfortable. A mattress topper will ensure you get quality sleep, which is a must-have when you’re in college.
What To Leave At Home
1. Printer
Printers are everywhere on campus, and most of them only cost around 10 cents to use. Leave the extra bulk of a printer at home to give yourself more space. The only exception to this rule is for English majors or anyone who does a lot of writing for their classwork—you’ll need one.
2. Most Kitchen Appliances
Most dorms only allow a small amount of appliances in students’ rooms. Anything with an open coil is out, and there isn’t much room to cook anyway. Opt for the absolute must-haves, like a coffee maker or electric kettle, and anything else your dorm doesn’t provide (a microwave, mini-fridge, etc.).
3. Candles
Open flames are a no-no in dorms and even in most of the on-campus apartments. If you want to brighten up the smell of your room, get a wall plug-in, reed diffuser, or room spray. They’re much safer and will keep you out of trouble!
4. Collectables
While we definitely encourage making your space your own, you don’t need to bring every little treasure or memento to college. Pare it down to the most important things and leave the rest at home. It’s also worth noting you shouldn’t bring anything too valuable—you don’t want something irreplaceable to get lost, stolen, or broken while you’re at school.
5. Lots of Books
You’re going to accumulate plenty of textbooks in college, and while we know this one is going to hurt the avid readers, you’re not going to read as much as you think. Bring the next few on your TBR list, and leave the rest at home. Books are cumbersome to move, so the fewer you bring from the get, the better.
Save on all your college shopping with Student Beans