As a little kid, one of the best thing about going back to school was school supply shopping. That doesn’t change in college. I get excited when I see stores filled with tons of notebooks and colorful folders. Something about sharp pencils makes a new year seem bright. I think a lot of it revolves around starting the school year off fresh. Just like New Year’s resolutions, buying school supplies are like promises of how you are going to act in the upcoming year.

1. Planner

Each year, one of the first things I do is pick out a cutesy floral pattern day planner. Every time I plan on writing all of my assignments, activities and meetings in daily in order to stay organized. This happens consistently for about a month and then less and less until not at all. Every few weeks, I will try to start again but even if I write down my assignments, I don’t look at the planner when doing my homework. However, I will keep buying said cute planners as they make me feel like I have it together.

2. Notebooks

Unlike in grade school where teachers give you long lists of supplies, it is up for you to decide what works best for you. For me this means going up and down the aisles of Wal-Mart and Target to find college ruled notebooks in a different color for each class. I even try to match the colors to the subjects or the mood of the class to make it even more exciting. This definitely keeps me more organized even if it leaves me with some half-full notebooks at the end of the semester.

3. Post-its

Over the last two years of college I have bought all sorts of Post-Its in hopes of them assisting me in my studies-big ones for reminders and little tabs for marking important quotes in textbooks. I have even gotten the highlighters with the Post-Its on the end. However, most of these pieces of paper end up in a Rubbermaid container under my bed unused. I tell myself when I am packing up my room at school each year that I don’t need more Post-it notes, but I just keep buying them.

4. Pens and pencils

Like most people, I have a favorite pencil and pen type that I like to use. I buy a huge set of mechanical pencils that last through the entire school year. I also buy blue ink gel pens for notes because I think they allow me to write faster. For classes that I am trying to separate different note topics, I buy color gel pens. Whenever, I lose focus in class, I switch pen colors to refocus my attention. And of course, all of these pens and pencils go into a cute pencil bag.

5. Backpack/Bag

All of these school supplies, text books and a laptop need to be carried in something. Shopping for a school bag is just as fun in college as it is when you are a kid. However, the options need to be a little more practical and probably shouldn’t be animal shaped. But to each their own.

Each school supply brings us closer to the new school year and that is the real cause for excitement!