10 ULTIMATE BACKPACK ESSENTIALS FOR A FRESHMAN

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 Did you remember being a freshman? Is it fun, right? At times, not really!

 I’m Sana, a full-time student, mum of two, and now a blogger. I began a bachelor’s degree in 2012 and graduated three years ago with the support of my husband and his family. I’m studying a postgraduate course. Here’s my journey as a student.

I remember when I started college, I was just like any other student: Fun-loving, carefree and joyful. I was newly married at the time, so the only thing that I was serious about was to learn cooking (from my Mother in Law). But Oh, God! The first year of college was challenging, just as raising a kid, and that’s why I talk about coping with exam stress and studying with the kids so often in my posts.

When I was a freshman, I had few things missing in my bag (obviously I never collected them) and ended up borrowing from here and there (Now I realize that it was embarrassing!).

Apart from the stationery items and notebooks, there are essentials that you should consider keeping in your bag all the time. To make your first day of college easier, here’s the collection of supplies you should buy to prepare and organize for the coming days:

1. A laptop

The first thing you should consider buying as a college student is a reliable Laptop. With so many choices around at different prices, it can be hard to decide the laptop to suit your needs.

As a student, your laptop should have both long battery life and fast CPU performance. Most of you would like to save as much money as possible to pay off student debt. So, one of the laptops I do recommend is the Lenovo Yoga C940. With 16 GB RAM Size and Intel Core Processor, you’ll enjoy the dual feature of a notebook and a laptop to write notes with your hands and very slim, best to fit in your backpack. Other valuable options are Asus ZenBook UX333FA and Acer Aspire 5.

Shop Lenovo Yoga C940 from Ebay

Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA-DH51 13.3 Notebook – 1920 x 1080 – + Office 365 Bundle

Acer Aspire 5 15.6″ Full HD Laptop i5-1035G1 8GB RAM 512GB SSD Windows 10

2. Grammarly

I know that it’s not a backpack essential, but a must-have software for your assignments. Grammarly.com is a writing software that helps us to communicate effectively by making the documents mistake-free. Click the image below to signup for FREE!

I’ve been using Grammarly.com for years for free, and later opted for the premium version due to my blogging needs. It’s like another person’s opinion about my writing and helps me make the right impression on the reader (which was at the time, my tutor). The best part is that we can start using this software for FREE! Without any time limit. Later, when you think is best, opt for premium. Since Grammarly.com offers a significant discount on premium from time to time, I recommend signing up for their promotional offers.

3. A Planner

Back in the days when I was a freshman, I didn’t quite understand the need to manage myself. Result: poor organization, mismanagement, lower academic achievements, and overwhelming study pressure.

The student portal by my university helps to keep a record of upcoming assessments, though it didn’t help me to get organized and complete tasks on time. Then, I realized the importance of a diary, and I keep it in my backpack ever since.

Kitty Cats Student Planner (7/19- 6/20) Kit, Highlighters &!Neon Page Markers from eBay

Five Star Student 2019-2020 Academic Year Weekly & Monthly Planner Customizable

me & my BIG Ideas Happy Planner 

4. Sticky notes

Another great tool to organize is to keep sticky notes. Organize your planner, notebooks, calendar, and folders to save time and avoid the headache of getting lost. It also helps gather ideas, brainstorm on a topic, and memorize. You can get them in Bulk ad save money from eBay:

Arteza Sticky Notes, 100 Sheets – Pack of 12

5. Files/Folders

As you’ll print your notes more often and the tutor will hand you the printed notes, you’ll need to organize them, so you don’t lose them. I recommend keeping them in files/folders if you find trouble organizing them in your notebook. A file bag is a smart choice since you can keep notes safe and secure, and they’re super cute too! They’re available on eBay with a variety of colors:

A4 Multi-layer Student Organ Bag File from Ebay

A4 File Folder Document Bag Holder Bill Pouch 6 Colors Office Student Supplies from Ebay

A4 Multi-layer Student Organ Bag File Bag Data Book File Storage Folder 5 inPLUS from Ebay

6. USB Drive

In the initial days of my college, I was aware of the importance of a USB Flash drive in my bag. When I needed to save a couple of files from my online portal, fortunately, I had the USB drive in my bag because the printer was NOT WORKING!

You never know when you need a USB drive. I use it as a backup since I had to face a late submission penalty, three years back (Google Drive was experiencing some malfunction at the same time I was due for submission!).

I backup my data in SanDisk and Samsung USB drive because of compatible features with large enough space, reasonable price, and additional features such as waterproof. I’m linking down below a few that you could get from eBay:

USB Flash Drive SanDisk from eBay

Cute USB Flash Drive 64GB, Aretop USB2.0 Cute Miniatur Japanese Doll Shape USB M from eBay

DM Metal 8GB 16GB 32GB Micro USB otg USB 2.0 u Disk Flash Drive for Samsung from eBay

7. Highlighters

Highlighters are one of the essential tools for me while note-taking during the lectures. The highlighted text within a bunch of text saves time by detecting the principle information and concepts.

With a wide array of colors, highlighter is a must for my bag as a college freshman. More often, the highlighters are readily available in the local shops, with some being the large and the other pocket-sized. Regardless of where you buy it from, you should use a safe, benign, and long-lasting highlighter.

That’s why I trust SHARPIE highlighters, given the usage of highlighters during the trimesters. Depending on your preference, you can choose a mono or multicolor for all documents. eBay has the best variety to fit your desire.

Sharpie Fine Neon Highlighters 4 Pack 21399 from Ebay

Sharpie Clear View Highlighters 3 Fluorescents See Through Blade Style FREE POST from Ebay

STABILO Boss Original Highlighter 4 Assorted Colour Pastel Chisel 2mm 5mm 49692 from Ebay

8. Phone Charger & Earphones

I often forget my phone and laptop charger at home. It gets even more dangerous when I have to attend the classes all day long. Sadly the same happens to my earphones. But I crafted a checklist for myself to remind me what to take along (on my mobile phone).

As a freshman, you won’t hav many friends, and you may find it difficult if you don’t keep the chargers and other electronic gadgets in your bag.

9. Hand Sanitiser and Mask

Provided the seismic wave of COVID-19, ensure your safety when you begin as a college freshman. The precaution is better than cure. A disposable face mask and a tiny hand wash should always be present in your bag. And of course, following the social distancing rules is paramount.

10. Rain Coat/Umbrella

One of the essential items to keep in your bag from the first day of your university is the Rain Coat or an umbrella, especially in the monsoon season. A raincoat is your best mate if you’ve got to walk long distances from the train stations to college.

I get into trouble for not carrying my raincoat along to anywhere in the highly unpredictable weather of Australia. That’s why the rain jacket is a must.

When buying a raincoat, you should consider whether it is durable, lightweight, and comfortable.

Final words

Being a college freshman is both exciting and delightful. Because you’re expecting a year filled with bonding with roommates, making new friends, and independence. But as a freshman, you’re prone to making mistakes that could lead to stress, anxiety, and poor academic performance. One of those mistakes is to not being organized from the first day. Being organized by bringing certain items with you in the college will help you eliminate the potential pitfalls for your successful academic year.

We hope you enjoyed reading our post.

Can you tell us one thing that you’re proud of as a freshman?
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