When you go from high school to college, things will be very different from what you are used to. Classrooms turn into huge auditoriums, teachers turn into professors, you will probably have more free time and you might live in a dorm room instead of at home with your parents.
Or you might have had the best summer vacation yet and are going back to school to go for your second year at university. Either way, you might pick up some student essentials you haven’t had before.
I went to university for 6 years so I think I know what I am talking about and boy do I love stationary and college supplies!
What are the student essentials you can not or should not live without? I will share 14 college essentials to be prepared for a year of studying!
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14 Amazing Student Essentials for College Students
Living life as a student isn’t all caught up in the classroom, you also spend plenty of time in your dorm room and commuting! So you might need some things to improve those 3 areas.
In class
1. Laptop
It speaks for itself that you have to write things down in class, and nowadays most people bring their laptops to do so. I personally loved my MacBook Air for taking notes. I know it’s an expensive thing, but it works great!
The trackpad is one of the best there is and the keyboard is great as well. It’s very low weight and you can buy the small 13-inch which will be enough for taking notes and reviewing powerpoints. If your study requires you to have specific laptop qualifications like a bigger screen, a better hard drive, or more storage, do your research before buying a laptop.
There are plenty of electronics that are student essentials these days, choose your favorites and the necessities.
Get your laptop a sleeve or bag to protect this precious item. This laptop sleeve bag is a very good one and is available in so many different colors! Be careful to select the right size for your laptop!
You could also get a pretty set of laptop covers, providing an extra layer against scratches and damage.
2. Water bottle
Having a reusable water bottle belongs to the student essentials as well as everybody’s essentials!
Bringing a water bottle with you to class is a must-do. You have to keep your body and brain hydrated to avoid getting headaches from dehydration and keep your mind fresh.
This Owala bottle works great and if you are into multiple colors and frivolous designs, it’s something for you! Or you could go with the Stanley Cup vibe and get yourself a pretty Stanley Cup to go along with the trend of 2024, it’s also available in many different colors so you will find something you like.
For people who forget they have to drink water to stay hydrated during the day, a water bottle with marks might help as a good reminder of their water intake! This Hydracy water bottle is a beautifully designed and handy water bottle to take with you to class, but also to your workouts or to use while traveling.
3. Coffee thermos
If you don’t like coffee yet, you will most likely learn to love it in college. When you have a party and have an early class, you will thank this holy beverage for being your energy booster. A coffee thermos couldn’t be excluded from this list of student essentials.
You could buy a coffee in a coffee bar or café around the corner, but if you do this every day or multiple times a day, you will feel it in your wallet. So I would recommend making your coffee at your dorm and bringing it with you in a thermos.
It can be a small thermos that could just contain your morning cup of coffee or a bigger thermos so you can keep filling up during the day. It will keep your coffee hot and your wallet closed.
You could also use your Stanley Cup to bring iced coffee with you, but I wouldn’t recommend using the straw to drink your hot coffee and make sure you get the size you need!
4. Notebook
Most students will use their laptops for note-taking, but if you are old school and love to write things down on paper, you should get yourself a good notebook. You could also get a notebook with different sections for different classes or buy multiple different colored notebooks for each class.
I love notebooks and always keep one in my bag, just in case you need to write something down quickly and don’t have your laptop turned on.
They could also be used to write down to-do lists or grocery lists while you are bored in class or to doodle away.
For commuting
Some students have to commute to college each day and need good stuff to make their commute more enjoyable and comfortable. These aren’t only student essentials but essentials for everyone who has a long commute.
Student essentials you need when you are commuting every day or every week are:
5. A qualitative backpack or bag
When carrying your college books and a laptop, thermos, lunch, water bottle, etc. it would help if you had a good backpack to help you move everything daily.
It’s nice if you like the design of your backpack, but the most important thing is the quality of it, as it will go through everyday wear and tear. This is a good-looking, proper, and affordable backpack, it comes in many different colors so you certainly would like one of them and it has plenty of space to carry everything.
If you don’t like the look of a backpack and prefer to carry a stylish tote bag with you, go for it! And if you take good care of your stuff, you might keep your student essentials and use them for the first steps in your work life!
6. Headphones or earbuds (or earplugs)
Student essentials especially for introverts or sensitive people are headphones, earbuds, or earplugs, preferably with noise-canceling functions.
When you are commuting, you will notice how much noise can be going on around you, not always but almost always. People are talking with each other or calling on the phone, listening to music with earphones but you still can listen along and maybe even a crying baby joins your ride.
I can’t miss my AirPods Pro anymore when I am taking a bus or train, but there are more student-budget-friendly alternatives! This pair of Edifier Earbuds with noise canceling function are very affordable and have great quality as well!
With headphones, I would recommend buying a pair of headphones that fits over your ears instead of resting on them, it will feel much nicer.
You could also go for classic earplugs if you are not that into music and just would like to cancel out the loud noises around you. Loop earplugs are really nice for this.
7. Raincoat/umbrella (depending on your country) or mini fan
Depending on the weather, a commuter must have a good protective raincoat/umbrella or a mini fan.
When the temperatures are causing you to melt, a heatwave is going on and you have no air-conditioning in the bus or train, this absolutely adorable mini fan will be a lifesaver!
Another scenario in countries where it seems to rain all the freaking time (yes I include my country), you must invest in a good water and windproof raincoat or maybe an umbrella (but this won’t do it if there is also a ton of wind). Student essentials are also meant to keep you comfortable in your environment.
It makes commuting more tolerable if you are equipped with the right clothing. A good pair of shoes is also a must-have when you have to walk a lot between different types of transportation.
8. Phone charger and a power bank
Some phone batteries are just ugh. I love my iPhone from the bottom of my heart, but the battery after some time is not what it should be. It’s horrible if you have a late class and need to text or call someone but your phone is dead.
So bring your phone charger with you, in some vehicles mostly trains, there are outlets where you can recharge your phone! But not all buses and trains have this amazing attribute, so it would be best to get yourself a power bank so you don’t have to rely on uncertainties.
+ Some entertainment or literature
When you are spending plenty of hours on a train or a bus every week, you could use this time to do something productive or relaxing.
It’s a good time to catch up on some reading for your classes if you haven’t had the time during the week and want to have more fun on your weekend. Or you could use this time to unwind after a busy day and listen to some music or download some Netflix episodes to watch.
In your dorm room
9. Sleeping tools
Having a good night’s sleep will improve your study results tremendously because exhaustion is the enemy of your focus and memory. Make sure you get enough hours of sleep and that the quality is good if you want to feel good and be your best self the next day.
You might need some student essentials that will help you sleep better when you live in a dorm with many other students who might like to have parties in the kitchen until the early hours! (or you can party with them and go to class hungover, no judgment here)
If you do want to sleep with loud noise in the hallways, get yourself quality earplugs to block most of the noise.
The noise will be the hardest thing when living together with other students, but you might also have a lot of light coming into your room which prevents you from falling asleep on time. Get yourself a good blindfold or blinds to solve this problem and sleep like a rose.
10. Coffee maker
If you decide to go out to and party or stay up late studying, your coffee maker will be your best friend the next day!
It’s so much nicer to make yourself a cup of coffee in your dorm room so you don’t have to face the outside world immediately after waking up. Especially if you are not a morning person, a personal coffee maker is the way to go.
The Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker will fit greatly in your tiny dorm room as it takes up almost no space, it’s very cute, has a lovely design, and comes in many different beautiful colors.
Maybe you don’t like coffee (yet) and get your energy from a good cup of green tea, then you need to bring a water boiler to your college dorm room.
11. Shower flip flops
If you are a neat person and like things clean and maybe a bit of a germophobe, you should wear flip-flops in a communal shower!
However, if you are truly germophobic, I think it’s best if you find a room with a personal shower, as these things can be gross.
Protect your feet from getting warts by wearing flip-flops and dry them thoroughly and very well between your toes.
12. First Aid Kit
Your mom is at home and isn’t coming running when you cut your finger when you are trying to cook dinner. So get yourself a proper first aid kit for emergencies!
A first aid kit is one of the most important student essentials, as accidents happen all the time and when you need to take care of yourself, you need the right supplies to do so.
Be your own nurse or ask your neighbor or friend to come help you when you can’t handle it yourself. But college is a time of growing independence, and taking care of little health issues comes with this.
13. Cleaning Supplies
Ah, another category where you probably miss your mom big time. You have to clean your own place now, maybe for the first time ever! Thank god a dorm room is often small and you don’t have to clean a whole lot.
When I was in uni, I loved having my Swiffer around, as I had no space to keep a vacuum cleaner and it worked great!
I wrote a blog post with a complete house chore list for when you are living alone for the first time, go check it out if you need some help with this.
14. Relaxation tools
When you are growing, learning, and gaining more responsibility each day, you will likely experience more stress and pressure as well compared to being a high school student.
Being worried and stressed could also prevent you from falling asleep at a reasonable hour and develop chronic stress issues. So, make sure to include relaxation in your everyday student life!
Things that might help are reading a book or journaling before bed. Write your thoughts down so they don’t keep spiraling in your head and keep you up. Meditation is also a great way to relax or do some yoga to relax your body as well.
If you suffer from anxiety, a weighted blanket might also help you calm down. The pressure on your body feels very comfortable and soothing.
There are plenty of more tips and self-care advice in the self-care section of my blog.
+ Here are some ideas for your desk setup!
What are some student essentials you can not live without?
Please let me know in the comments, I would love to hear about your experience and the things you couldn’t or can’t miss when in college! 🙂