<p>Hi! I am currently a High School Senior entering the University of Texas at Arlington in the fall. I have always been one to shop for early deals, and being a homeschooler, I know there are differences in what kind of school supplies I have always needed, and what I will likely use in college. So, what has worked for you? What would you recommend? Would you have done anything differently?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Additional Details: </p>
<p>Major: Nursing
Housing Situation: On Campus atm. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure there are some old posts I could dig up about this, but I’m too lazy. </p>
<p>My first semester I tried to use some binders, folders, and then a couple of notebooks, and that did NOT work. It was super annoying to have everything separate and strewn across my house (I commute). The only thing a binder was useful for was my biology class, which had a loose-leaf lab packet.</p>
<p>Next semester, I’m hoping to use one of those expandable files (to hold all my handouts, essays, exams, etc.) and two 5-subject notebooks. </p>
<p>And of course, I needed pens (Pilot G-2 are my absolute favorites!), mechanical pencils, highlighters, and a pack of index cards (esp. for speech class). I just kept all of the little things stuffed inside a pocket of my book bag - no need for pencil cases and such.</p>
<p>Mini staplers are also surprisingly handy!</p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>I’ve determined that flash drives are the most crucial element of my college career. Without them, I would die. 
Get flash drives!</p>
<p>I just finished my first semester; I commute, so organization is crucial - since I can’t just run back home if I left something on my desk.</p>
<p>I use binders. I swear by binders. I used the 1’'Avery Heavy Duty one-touch three ring binders. I got one for each of my classes, filled it with college ruled loose leaf, and threw in some dividers. I usually have one section of my binder for lecture notes, another for printed worksheets and readings, and another section for returned work - in the front of the binder, I keep my syllabus and other important handouts that have to do with the course as a whole. I bought a three hole punch and kept it at home so that when I return home from school, I can easily hole punch anything that needs to be sorted away. </p>
<p>I also bring a folder with me - the type of folder doesn’t matter too much, as plastic and paper tend to get damaged someway, somehow at some point. I prefer paper folders - thicker ones ideally. I put all non-hole punched papers in the folder each day to bring home and hole punch. That way, I don’t stuff them into my binder’s pockets (which will only snowball into me using my binder’s pockets more than the binder itself.) </p>
<p>The organization system worked for the most part - I’ve been using binders in school since like 6th grade, and every year (and now every semester) without fail, I tend to get lazy at the very end and stop sorting away stuff. I’d say since Thanksgiving Break, I’ve been just toting stuff around in my folder, rather than using my binder. It hasn’t been that big of a problem since there hasn’t been a ton of notes + hand outs with finals week approaching (there’s only like two weeks between Thanksgiving Break and the last week of classes). I did have a couple of issues - the biggest one being underestimating or overestimating the size of the binder necessary for my classes. In my English class, a one inch binder proved to be too small - a 1.5 would have worked better, since I physically handed in homework assignments everyday which were graded, returned, and then sorted away into the binder. By around late November, I couldn’t fit any more homework assignments into the binder. In my American Studies class, the 1 inch binder was too big - I overestimated how much notes I’d be taking and the readings were relatively short (some were out of a textbook) - so my American Studies binder remains mostly unused lined paper. It worked perfectly for my other classes however. </p>
<p>I might change my system for next semester. Binders seem pretty pointless for classes that don’t have a lot of handouts or readings. I’m taking Calculus next semester and I don’t foresee there being a lot of handouts, so I might just buy a 5 subject notebook - and use the different sections for notes/homework/etc and keep a folder for returned tests and quizzes. But then again, there’s probably gonna be homework assignments turned in and then that’ll make a folder fill up a lot quicker. I might stick to a binder. I’m unsure. I’m very weird about these types of things.</p>
<p>As for school supplies - I keep a pencil pouch with highlighters, pens (black, blue, red), pencils (mechanical and regular), eraser, binder clips, paper clips, post it note flags, post it notes, and a sharpie. I also carry a 10-piece Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pen set that has 10 different colors. I usually use that for revisions and annotations. </p>
<p>PLANNER. Get an agenda book of some sort. Some people use web-based or electronic ones but I prefer physical paper ones. This semester I used a Mead one from Target that worked out pretty well - I put tests, quizzes, meetings, essays, and day to day homework assignments. I also put in scheduled outings with my friends and other non-academic tasks I had to tend to. Next semester I am using the Lily Pulitzer large planner. I use my planner multiple times a day and it keeps me focused and prioritized. There would be no way I could remember every detail of my upcoming week had I not previously written it all out. Planners are great. </p>
<p>A lot of kids use their laptops to take notes but I don’t have enough self control for that (and a lot of them don’t either… but that doesn’t stop them) so I do everything by hand with pen and paper with the obvious exception of essays and formal writing assignments which I do at home. </p>
<p>^Yes. The planner is very important. I don’t even use it every week (although I should) but I am so grateful for it during crazy weeks with lots of deadlines, assignments, and exams.</p>
<p>As far as school supplies goes, I’ve found I haven’t needed a ton. I use one of those 7-pocket expandable files to organize any papers I have for each class (I love these so much and have always found them so much more convenient than carrying around multiple folders or binders). I also use pencils and pens and a notebook. It’s also handy to have a stapler in your room. A lot of my work is done on my laptop rather than pencil & paper, so if you’re planning on going that route, then I definitely suggest investing in a good laptop. </p>
<p>I only used one of those folders that has 5 folders attached to it? (you know what I mean)
that way, i have all my things in one place, and if your college is like mine, you won’t have much paperwork except the syllabus to carry around since most of the work is online (reading) and tests.</p>
<p>I have a bin with a folder for all my classes to store the handed out material… old essays, etc.</p>
<p>and then i have a binder for every class for my notes for finals and quizzes (which i store at home)</p>
<p>I carry around that folder i mention earlier, my ipad, and phone, pen, pencil, a good eraser, and that’s basically it</p>
<p>I tend to not bring a lot of stuff with me to class (I do live on campus, though) and in my backpack, you’ll find an accordion binder, a notebook, some pens and pencils, a calculator, and…that’s about it, I think. On lab days I’ll bring my lab notebook, lab coat and goggles with me but otherwise I’ve found this more than sufficient. </p>
<p>This was basically my setup for high school as well, except that I had an old pencil pouch that I threw out and never bothered to replace, haha. </p>
<p>Congratulations on getting in, and good luck! </p>
<p>Since you’ll be a nursing major, NOTECARDS, NOTECARDS, NOTECARDS! My nursing major friends always have TONS of notecards for all of the terms they need to memorize. I’m a French minor who has to memorize lots of things as well, and I actually cut all my notecards into fourths. Most of my cards contain only one word anyway, so a whole card is a waste. I’ve been doing this for years and have been saving money and trees.</p>
<p>For more general purposes, your everyday preferences will vary depending on your personality and current approach. College isn’t that much different than secondary school when it comes to supplies. What do you do now? You’ll probably do well with the same method.</p>
<p>I’ve never used binders and I’m doing perfectly fine because that just fits who I am. I use a 5 subject notebook for all my classes because I don’t tske as many notes on paper (I write in my books a lot because I keep them, which is another personal choice and difference between people). I also highlight in my books and underline stuff because I’m a bit of a visual learner.</p>
<p>I’ve personally found that color-color-coding helps me memorize things, so you might want to consider buying different colored pens and highlighters. I somehow arrange a color scheme for myself (I did this for my last French final by trying to memorize verbal adjective spelling by making the ant group pink, the ua group yellow, the irregular group green, etc) and then stick to it, which definitely helps for the short term. </p>
<p>Also, definitely get a folder for each class but buy back ups!! Mine fall apart somewhere around week 11 and I end up duct taping them together lol.</p>
<p>I live on campus and my school supplies are fairly simple.</p>
<p>For my first semester all I used were a pack of pencils, 1 eraser, and one notebook.</p>
<p>The notebook was used for essay rough drafts and outlines.</p>
<p>I did everything else on laptop but I know that varies by person. If you’re a laptop user I deeply liked using Onenote and I downloaded Dropbox to keep track of all my things in case my computer crashed or I lost my flashdrive.</p>
<p>I also second flashcards! They’re amazing for studying key terms!</p>
<p>Folders are also useful for keeping track of syllabi and handouts for each class. Along with anything else your professor may require you to print. Agendas are also extremely useful for keeping track of all assignments and tests/quizzes. I’m cheap so I didn’t buy one and instead got one of the free ones that my school was giving out. </p>
<p>^ lol, my folders fall apart, too! Toward the end of the semester, one of my professors saw me desperately trying to salvage my folder and was like “I think it’s time to let the folder die, dear” : P</p>
<p>There’s already tons of good stuff here, so I’ll just add to be flexible about it. You may find that one thing isn’t working and so you may need to adjust. I personally hate taking notes on laptops, but you might like it. I did it once when I forgot my notebook and it wasn’t TOO bad, though it was separated from the rest of my notes.</p>
<p>And I also only use one notebook a semester but that’s because my classes are more “listen-and-write-notes-in-your-book” classes. I think you would benefit from binders as a nursing student because you’ll probably be getting handouts from your profs. And yes, notecards, and yes, cut in half if you can (I think fourths would be a bit too small for anything more than a word or a phrase).</p>
<p>And yes, try a planner, but again, don’t be afraid to scrap it if it doesn’t work. I personally do the same if I write things down in my planner or just write them down once in my notebook and remember them, so ymmv. But DO print out your syllabi and DO highlight and underline due dates. Your professors won’t always remind you of due dates (though most in my experience have), so check all of your syllabi several times a week to make sure you’re on top of things.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Like most people, I found that I don’t need anywhere near as much as I initially thought I would. I bought way too much stuff my first year, and half of it remains unused. </p>
<p>In a typical semester, I use two 5-subject notebooks. My classes tend to be either Monday/Wednesday classes or Tuesday/Thursday classes. So, I have one 5-subject notebook for my Monday/Wednesday classes, and a second for my Tuesday/Thursday classes. </p>
<p>I have two nice mechanical pencils. I keep one in my backpack and one stays on my desk at home. I also have extra lead and erasers. I tend not to use pens very much because my classes are mostly math and science, but I got a 5 pack of nice roller ball pens that I’m still working my way through. </p>
<p>I have a good sized backpack. A stapler, 3-ring paper punch, a couple of hi-liters (that I basically never use), and a graphing calculator. Two smaller 3-ring binders that are mainly for my lab manuals. </p>
<p>That’s really all that I use in a typical semester. My first semester I had a 5-subject notebook, folder, and binder for each class. It got to be just way too much. Most classes will not take up anywhere near an entire 5-subject notebook, and I’ve found that I don’t really need binders and folders for each class. Everyone is different though. There are a lot of people that are a hell of a lot more organized than I am lol</p>