Back-to-school essentials for the fall semester

The sun has started disappearing earlier, and it appears school is back in session.

All the while, many young adults are trying to juggle their part-time jobs and classes. That’s assuming they found a job in the summer and aren’t having to fight for their lives in the retail or fast food job market.

Although the option to take classes in the summer is always available, it is usually more appealing to take time off during the hot months. After all, it’s the best time to attend fun events. 

Also, many of us are in different stages of grief from summer ending once again.

Nevertheless, it’s time to lock in and do well in classes, and having some of the following essentials will help you survive the next few weeks and, hopefully, find success this semester. 

One of the first things I always make sure to have at any point in the semester is my laptop. With how classes have evolved in recent years, having a device to write up assignments, look up sources, and everything else in between is becoming more important. While assignments can be done over the phone or a desktop computer, having a bigger device which is also portable is most convenient for me. 

Pro tip: always make sure to have a laptop charger and mouse on hand. The last thing I’d want to experience is looking at lecture slides in class and my laptop battery running out of power. 

Another essential for me is some snacks to eat when cravings hit during class. While having meals like brunch and dinner is important, sometimes all you need is that small boost of energy to push hard through the final stretch. For me, it’s an Iced Capp from Tim Hortons with some doughnuts and cookies. 

You’re also not really back to school if you don’t have a mix of pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, and notepads on deck. While people usually prefer writing notes on a device and looking at lecture slides online, having something offline to record information is never a bad idea. This is especially true if you forget to charge your device and struggle to find an outlet to use during class.

While this is not the most important item to have throughout the semester, some would say having something to help you relieve stress from doing all the heavy lifting is helpful. 

I assume for many people, listening to music or reading a book could help relieve stress. For me, it’s playing video games on either my phone or Nintendo Switch, which is always fun and a way to help me take my mind off classes if I’m stuck in a rut. Sometimes, by focusing on doing something else and playing video games, I see new ways to do assignments every once in a while. 

I hope everyone does well this semester — or at least survives and passes their classes.