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Hi there! My name is Sarah. Welcome to my blog Mindful Monstera. I have links on this page and earn commission on these links so if you do end up purchasing something I am greatly appreciative of that. I put together a list of my favorite college must have items. Also want to say some of these products are pricey but I like to buy things that are going to last me longer so I don’t have to rebuy and end up spending more money in the long run. I’ve been in college for 3 years now. So I thought I would make a list of my absolute college must-haves and things that I use pretty much daily. A few of these things I have recently adopted into my study routine and they have drastically changed the outcome of my test scores.
Before I get into the list I wanted to let you know about a company called Rakuten. It’s a cashback service and can be used as a browser extension. You can get cash back from either 1% to 15%. So, you’re saving money with each purchase. If you use my link you’ll receive $20 with a qualifying purchase as well as your cashback from that purchase. So it’s a win-win right!?
Whiteboard: College Must Have
I can not tell you how much having a portable whiteboard has changed how I study. When I took anatomy and physiology there is a lot and I mean A LOT of memorizing, I would use my whiteboard to draw and redraw everything I need to know. My whiteboard was my number one learning tool for those classes. I passed with an A.
White Board + Accessories
Cork Bulletin Board
This might not be a necessity for everyone but for me, it helped a bunch. When every I started a new unit for my harder classes I would write down all the topic I didn’t fulling understand and post them on my tac boards. I would find pictures of what I was learning, write out pathways, draw the pathways, etc. So whenever I needed a reference what I needed was right in front of me. After I took the exam, I would clear my tac board and start over.
I would also hang important reminders as well as inspirational quotes when I was in a slump. Half the battle of college is organization. Help yourself by staying organized.
Cork Bulletin Board + Accessories
Large Physical Calendar
One thing that really helped me for staying on top of all my assignments was buying a LARGE physical calendar and not just relying on my phone or Gmail calendar. Like I said before, half the battle in college is organization. At the beginning of every semester, I would go over the syllabus for each class and write down all the due dates on the calendar. Check the calendar at the beginning of each week and you’ll be in a much better place.
I used no bleed markers on the calendar I have but the paper seems thick enough to use sharpies. I also use my sharpie markers for certain note-taking and studying.
Calendar + Accessories
Water Bottle + Backpack + Travel Mug
I highly recommend getting a solid backpack. I currently use one from Everlane. I have had it for over two years now and it’s in the same exact shape as when I bought it.
I also highly recommended getting a quality water bottle. When you’re running around campus all day, it’s nice to have a quality water bottle with you and who buys plastic water bottles anymore… So do yourself and the environment a favor and buy a reusable water bottle.
As much as I would love to tell you buying Starbucks coffee every day is a good financial decision the truth is it isn’t. I have a travel mug and I make fresh coffee almost every morning. You can keep it warm throughout your morning classes by investing in a solid travel mug.
Backpack and Water bottle
Laptop Accessories College Must Have Items
This is going to vary from person to person but I have a MacBook Pro. If you have an Apple product you’re fully aware of the lack of certain ports on the laptop. So I am going to link a few of my must-haves. This includes adaptors, an extension cord, a hard drive for extra space, and other things. I also take a lot of photos so a hard drive is necessary for me. I will link the one I use below, it is already programmed to work with Mac computers.
I will say this though, I have had my MacBook Pro for over 4 years and I haven’t had a single problem with it. If you’re going to spend an arm and a leg on a computer do your best to take care of it.
Laptop Accessories
Kitchen College Must Have Items
If you’re getting your own place and you don’t have any kitchen items I’m going to link some of what I deem to be the most important kitchen appliances to have. You obviously need the basics like pots and pans. I linked the amazon basic brands and I honestly really like the pans! A Britta water filter is a must. Filtered water all the way, please. I also like the Nutribullet it’s not the most high-powered blend but it’s super affordable. I have made soups and smoothies with it. I also really want to advocate for quality containers. I know they’re a little more expensive but if you keep them nice and take care of them, you’ll have them for life and won’t have to spend more money in the long run.
Kitchen Items
Others
I think I hit all the main categories but a few of my honorable mentions are storage binds, lap desk, textbook stand (save your neck and back am I right?), and power strip.
Before you leave, I wanted to let you know about a company called Rakuten. It’s a cashback service and can be used as a browser extension. You can get cash back from either 1% to 15%. So, you’re saving money with each purchase. If you use my link you’ll receive $20 with a qualifying purchase as well as your cashback from that purchase. So it’s a win-win right!?
That’s all I have for today. If I missed anything feel free to leave a comment below! Thanks for reading. I hope you found these college must haves helpful
Sarah.
Hey hey hey! Welcome to Mindful Monstera, I write about food, plants and more!
