Throughout middle school and high school, I always looked forward to buying new materials during the dreaded Back-To-School season. After all, a new year calls for new supplies, clothing, and a chance to have some fun with shopping. Even though circumstances are slightly different this year, it can still be helpful to pick up some new items whether you are going back to school in person or staying at home with online learning. Here are some of my top picks:
1. Small Spiral Planner
Everyone can benefit from having a planner, but it becomes increasingly important as you move up grade levels and your schedule becomes more hectic. With online school, classes and due dates may be harder to keep track of, so this will be especially useful. Personally, I prefer a small spiral planner that you can easily bring with you and won’t take up too much room. The spiral helps make flipping pages easier and prevents any annoying mishaps as opposed to a bound one.
Furthermore, look at the formatting of the monthly calendar and daily pages before purchasing, to make sure its design is comfortable and simple to use. Do you like more spacious ones with lots of blank room or a more detailed format with individual boxes and hourly slots? I personally like having a section just for “Notes”, so this is a deal-breaker for me.
https://www.staples.com/Day-Planners-Appointment-Books/cat_CL166388
2. Good Quality Backpack
For those of you that are returning back to school in person, a backpack is a must to carry your books and belongings. After experimenting with various brands throughout the years, my favorites would have to be either Jansport or Herschel Supply Co. While Jansport is slightly more spacious and cheaper, I’d recommend getting a backpack from Herschel if you can afford it. There is a drastically noticeable difference in quality, making it more durable for all the harsh treatment a school backpack goes through.
https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks
3. Fitbit or Apple Watch
One of the hardest parts of returning to school is the suddenly decreased amount of time we have to care for our fitness and health. Personally, quarantine has really helped me open my eyes to how much movement I’m getting on a daily basis, and wearing my Apple Watch has made a big difference. If you value staying active or keeping track of your daily activity, I highly recommend getting a FitBit or Apple Watch to help motivate you during the school year and keep you healthy in the long run.
https://www.apple.com/watch/
4. AdBlock & Study Playlist
Most of us enjoy listening to some form of mellow music while working, as it can help with concentration and stave off boredom. Utilize this free extension on your internet browser (ex. Google Chrome or Safari) and create some study playlists on youtube; there are plenty of long lofi, jazz-hop, or classical videos that you can compile. With the addition of AdBlock, you’ll no longer have to listen to any advertisements in the middle of your study session.
https://adblockplus.org/
5. Comfy Clothing
Spend some time looking through the websites of your favorite clothing stores and treat yourself with some hoodies and sweats. Stores such as PacSun, Abercrombie, Hollister, and more all have different varieties of loungewear, so keep an eye out for sales.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆
Everyone can benefit from having a planner, but it becomes increasingly important as you move up grade levels and your schedule becomes more hectic. With online school, classes and due dates may be harder to keep track of, so this will be especially useful. Personally, I prefer a small spiral planner that you can easily bring with you and won’t take up too much room. The spiral helps make flipping pages easier and prevents any annoying mishaps as opposed to a bound one.
Furthermore, look at the formatting of the monthly calendar and daily pages before purchasing, to make sure its design is comfortable and simple to use. Do you like more spacious ones with lots of blank room or a more detailed format with individual boxes and hourly slots? I personally like having a section just for “Notes”, so this is a deal-breaker for me.
https://www.staples.com/Day-Planners-Appointment-Books/cat_CL166388
2. Good Quality Backpack
For those of you that are returning back to school in person, a backpack is a must to carry your books and belongings. After experimenting with various brands throughout the years, my favorites would have to be either Jansport or Herschel Supply Co. While Jansport is slightly more spacious and cheaper, I’d recommend getting a backpack from Herschel if you can afford it. There is a drastically noticeable difference in quality, making it more durable for all the harsh treatment a school backpack goes through.
https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks
3. Fitbit or Apple Watch
One of the hardest parts of returning to school is the suddenly decreased amount of time we have to care for our fitness and health. Personally, quarantine has really helped me open my eyes to how much movement I’m getting on a daily basis, and wearing my Apple Watch has made a big difference. If you value staying active or keeping track of your daily activity, I highly recommend getting a FitBit or Apple Watch to help motivate you during the school year and keep you healthy in the long run.
https://www.apple.com/watch/
4. AdBlock & Study Playlist
Most of us enjoy listening to some form of mellow music while working, as it can help with concentration and stave off boredom. Utilize this free extension on your internet browser (ex. Google Chrome or Safari) and create some study playlists on youtube; there are plenty of long lofi, jazz-hop, or classical videos that you can compile. With the addition of AdBlock, you’ll no longer have to listen to any advertisements in the middle of your study session.
https://adblockplus.org/
5. Comfy Clothing
Spend some time looking through the websites of your favorite clothing stores and treat yourself with some hoodies and sweats. Stores such as PacSun, Abercrombie, Hollister, and more all have different varieties of loungewear, so keep an eye out for sales.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆