Starting the Spring semester off on the right foot can be difficult if you're not well prepared. While we all have enough common sense (hopefully) to know to bring pens, pencils, and other basic school supplies to class, coming to class with just a pencil and paper isn't going to cut it.
These five items are products that I swear by, and by the end of this article, you will, too.
1. Hidrate Spark Water Bottle.
This water bottle is a life changer. We all hear how important it is to drink water, but sometimes, as much as we all hate to admit it, we are a little lazy. This bottle makes your life a little bit easier and counts your ounces for you. The sleek frosted bottle syncs to an app on your phone that sends you notifications when you need to drink water. The app uses your personal information like weight, height, gender, and even temperature in your area to determine how many ounces you need to drink every day.
Your phone will send you alerts to tell you to drink, and if you ignore these alerts, your bottle will begin to flash. Seeing your water bottle flash while you're in class will cause enough pressure to drink up, mostly because having a flashing water bottle is a little embarrassing. This water bottle has not left my side since I got it. I highly recommend.
2. A planner!
Not only is having a planner important but having a planner is something that will motivate you to write in it and check it frequently. Before I had my planner, my life was a complete mess. Now, I live by stickers and color-coded notes.
At the start of class, I pull my planner out and keep it at the corner of my desk. At the end of class, I open it up and add anything important from class that day, such as homework, due dates, or important tests coming up. Getting a planner that inspires you, whether that be flowers, quotes, sports, etc., will make you want to utilize it.
A planner is definitely something that will keep you on track to have a great semester.
3. A good Chapstick.
In the cold months of the year, I will not leave my dorm without Chapstick in my bag. My favorite is Burt's Bees. With a variety of flavors and ingredients, everyone is sure to find a Chapstick that they can swear by through Burt's Bees. Nothing is more distracting in class than having dry lips.
Beat the cold, carry Chapstick.
4. Tissues.
We all know the pain of runny noses, but runny noses in class are the absolute worst. Tissues are a must-have and will save you the embarrassment of walking out of class mid-lecture with your nose in the shirt sleeve because you had to sneeze.
5. Umbrellas.
I cannot stress how important having an umbrella with you on campus is. Rain can pop up out of nowhere, and usually, it isn't much of a hassle, but having to walk 10-15 minutes in the pouring rain with no umbrella is not ideal.