<p>I'm going to be a freshman, so I don't really know how the classes work, and I'm wondering what kind of supplies I'll need.</p>
<p>I went to Target today to get a few things (notebooks, pencils, pens, etc) but was wondering if I really need a folder or binder for each class. I know in high school teachers handed out worksheets and reading like there was no tomorrow, but is it the same in college? </p>
<p>Folders were cleaned out everywhere, so if I do need them, it's going to take some serious searching, haha.</p>
<p>How do you like to take notes? Some people use a laptop (if allowed). Others, like me, use old fashioned paper. I like loose leaf notebook paper, so I stocked up a TON while it was on sale. Some people like using spiral notebooks or composition books though. </p>
<p>I also got a bunch of pens since I was running low. I am also planning to use pencil (I’m taking Math) but I have a ton of those at home.</p>
<p>Folders/binders really depend on how you’re going to organize yourself. How did you organize yourself in high school? It’s better to stick to habit then try something completely new when college has just started and mess up because you can’t find anything.</p>
<p>I prefer paper and pencil.
Basically two three subject notebooks, pencils, and pens lasted me both my Freshman semesters.
I had a laptop to type up anything since almost everything you turn in will be typed. If I needed specific supplies, they were usually easy enough to casual buy later.
I’m kind of a minimalist though.</p>
<p>In general (and this is very generally speaking), professors hand out fewer papers in college, especially in lecture classes where there might be hundreds of people. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be printing out a lot of handouts (e.g., worksheets, homework assignments, JSTOR articles, Powerpoint slides, etc.) on your own. </p>
<p>What you can do is just carry around one folder for everything during the first week of classes and then buy supplies. But in general, it’s easier to stick to what you were used to in high school. I know I did. I still have a notebook and binder/folder for each class.</p>
<p>And I don’t think you should worry about finding school supplies. Your school probably has its own bookstore that sells binders and folders in abundance.</p>
<p>Notebooks, pens, pencils, index card stack(you’ll need them maybe once a semester), printer, calculator(depends if your college allows you to use them).</p>
<p>Never used loose leaf because I could tear it out of the notebook, printing the power-points for lectures was always the easiest way to keep up with note taking, and its always nice to record lectures if your school doesn’t do it for you so you can review something you missed or had trouble getting the first time without bothering the other 300 people in the room.</p>
<p>I have a notebook and folder for every class. The colors at Wal-Mart were limited, so I ended up being able to color coordinate for each class, lol.</p>
<p>And highlighters. So you can highlight in textbooks, if you want, and important things in the syllabus. That actually reminds me that I need to get some highlighters.</p>
<p>A printer is kind of a waste of money, if you have access to a computer lab and library. Ink is expensive so you might as well waste the school’s money instead.</p>
<p>I buy notebooks (I think I got like 5 or 6 last time because they were like 15 cents each), and pencils. No need for anything else. I just use 1 notebook for all my classes until it fills up, then I use another one, but if you want to be more organized than me that’s probably for the best.</p>
<p>^My school’s print limit is 2400/semester I think. I use far far less than that.</p>
<p>I’ve never even heard of a school having a paper limit per student, who knows if my school has one. From what it looks like I won’t even need to print more than 50 pages- at the most. Not worth getting my own printer.</p>
<p>Printer a waste of money? My school charges 60 cents per page and its a waste of time walking to the library when you’re working on something last minute. Not to mention you’re screwed if you don’t have money on your campus ID to pay for it.</p>
<p>Obviously the printer situation is highly dependent on the school and the individual. We print for free and there are plenty of printers all over campus. (Not to mention that I can walk from one end of the campus to the other in 10 minutes.) I also prefer working in the libraries over working in in the dorms, so I always have a printer nearby anyway. I actually passed an offer of a free printer my sophomore year because I valued the space on my desk more than the convenience of a printer in my room.</p>
<p>I actually asked a similar question as a thread a couple weeks back, I found that having 2 3-subject notebooks, 2 folders(one per 3 classes) has worked out perfectly. Most of my professors have banned laptops too.</p>
<p>We have a computer lab in our dorm building so I won’t be bringing a printer. They do charge us per page, I think maybe 10 cents. If this proves to be too inconvenient, I’ll probs buy one later.</p>
<p>As for supplies, I’m bringing one binder with loose leaf, one three subject notebook, a few one subject notebooks and about 5 folders. Also, whiteout, stapler, and pens and pencils.</p>
<p>For my program I get 400 pages of free printing, but I easily burn through that in two or three weeks. Sooo I bought a printer and may be getting a better one for this school year.</p>
<p>“For my program I get 400 pages of free printing, but I easily burn through that in two or three weeks. Sooo I bought a printer and may be getting a better one for this school year.”</p>
<p>Ask a friend in Engineering to print stuff out for you. Most of us don’t use 20% of what we get.</p>
<p>My major is political science. I prefer not to read anything that is over 20 pages sitting at the computer because it gives me a headache and backache, and I like to be able to take notes in the margins and stick post-it notes to the pages, so I print out reading assignments that are 20+ pages, which is most of my assignments. So it’s not as impressive as it sounds. My 400 pages would be more than sufficient if I were only printing homework.</p>
<p>What are you supposed to use all that printing for in Engineering? The topic of how much printing you get came up at one of my club meetings recently and the engineering student in the group was the envy of all the LSA students.</p>
<p>“What are you supposed to use all that printing for in Engineering? The topic of how much printing you get came up at one of my club meetings recently and the engineering student in the group was the envy of all the LSA students.”</p>
<p>No idea. I mean, I print out practice tests, some homework, sometimes some other things, but nothing adds up to near what they give us. I do all my reading on the computer though.</p>
My 400 pages would be more than sufficient if I were only printing homework.</p>