adventures of a typical high school student

Hello everyone!

I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again; the time when the summery 4th of July displays in stores are replaced with everything kids need for school, from backpacks to pencils. I was going to wait until a bit closer to August and the end of the summer before doing back to school content, but when I went to Target and saw the racks of supplies I knew now was as good of a time as any.

Today I’m going to be giving you a list of not just the things I bought last year for school (my freshman year of high school), but the things I actually used/needed. There’s tons of colorful and gimmicky stuff out there, but you really don’t need that much – especially in high school. I actually enjoy back-to-school shopping since I’m a pretty organized person and I love having fresh notebooks and pens, but I’ve also realized what not to get sucked into buying. I haven’t gone back-to-school shopping for this upcoming year yet, but I plan on buying all the things I’ll share with you guys today. Last thing- I personally buy almost all my school supplies at Target and they tend to have pretty good deals, so I suggest going there to buy most of these items!

Here’s the list (I’ll also be providing links to the products or examples of the products in case you want to directly buy them or you were confused on what it was by my description):

• Five Star graph paper notebooks (for math) – I LOVE these; they’re a lifesaver when graphing in math and they keep your work much more organized. Definitely better than normal notebooks for math. https://www.amazon.com/Spiral-Notebook-Subject-Inches-Assorted/dp/B00OUACFQI/ref=asc_df_B00OUACFQI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167156626445&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5567102949122113985&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031634&hvtargid=pla-306507161751&psc=1
• Pilot G2 pens – (blue, black, and red are essentials, but their variety pack also includes a purple and green) – These are my FAVORITE pens! They write so smoothly, especially if you get the finer tipped ones (0.38 or 0.5 mm) https://www.target.com/p/pilot-174-retractable-gel-pens-with-comfort-grip-0-7mm-5ct-multicolor-ink/-/A-13317185
• PaperMate Flair pens (5 pack) – I love these colored pens for writing fun notes/anything where I can use something other than a basic pen. You can get their larger packs with more color options, but I didn’t get many opportunities to use them throughout the year so the 5 pack was enough for me. https://www.target.com/p/paper-mate-5pk-marker-pens-multicolor-ink/-/A-14463182
• Five Star college-ruled notebooks – This brand has very sturdy notebooks. I like them the best because you can find them in both basic colors and fun designs, they usually have a pocket in the front to store papers, and they’re larger than other notebooks (both more sheets and just physically/dimensions wise) so they last longer. https://www.target.com/p/five-star-1-subject-college-ruled-spiral-notebook/-/A-54474304?preselect=54461264#lnk=sametab
• Loose-leaf college-ruled paper – Self-explanatory, but it’s necessary to have scratch paper on hand for any class. https://www.target.com/p/100ct-college-ruled-reinforced-filler-paper-up-38-up-8482/-/A-13684336
• Mini size Post-It notes – You can get large size ones or fancier ones not from the official Post-It brand, but I find that the mini ones work great for me since they take up less space in notebooks and they fit in my school assignment notebook as well. They come in tons of fun colors! https://www.target.com/p/post-it-174-notes-3-34-x-3-34-4pk-marseille-collection-50-sheet-pad/-/A-14511773
• Post-It note tabs – These are the best for marking important pages in books and just dividing up your spiral notebooks. I always use one to mark a new unit in my notebooks for each class so I can easily flip closre to the next empty pages. Again, these come in quite a few sizes and colors. https://www.target.com/p/post-it-174-flags-1-34-x-1-7-34-60ct-3pk-green-blue-purple/-/A-13333065
• PaperMate Clearpoint mechanical pencils – These are the best mechanical pencils! I prefer mechanical pencils to normal pencils just because you don’t have to sharpen them and for me it’s easier to write neatly with them. This kind lasts the longest (they’re sturdier than cheaper ones), and the eraser is actually pretty good. You can get them in packs of 3 (which is honestly all you need for a year unless people borrow them and never give them back) and they have a few color selections. https://www.target.com/p/paper-mate-clearpoint-3ct-mechanical-2-pencils-0-7mm-with-lead-eraser-refills/-/A-50362377
• Lead!! – You will need LOTS of extra lead for your mechanical pencils, so I recommend stocking up in the beginning of the year. Any brand is fine (I’ve used everything from the PaperMate that comes with the pencils to Target brand to Pentel), just make sure you have a lot and that it matches the fineness of your pencil (0.5mm vs. 0.7mm, etc.) https://www.target.com/p/pentel-2ct-0-7mm-mechanical-pencil-lead-refill/-/A-13771758
• Eraser – In case your pencil eraser gets all used up, make sure to have an extra eraser on hand. It’s also useful for when you need to erase a larger amount of writing; lots of people will probably ask to borrow it! https://www.target.com/p/pentel-174-hi-polymer-174-erasers-4ct/-/A-13296292
• Fiskars non-stick scissors – This technically isn’t a necessity, it’s just something I’ve always had in my pencil pouch and they usually come in handy. They’re especially nifty because the non-stick blades allow you to cut tape; they’re great for group projects and anything of the sort, but I’ve also used them a lot just for cutting loose strings from my clothes 🙂 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fiskars-Non-stick-Big-Kids-Scissors-6-in/285348188?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=5152&adid=22222222227161469551&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=273408710601&wl4=pla-455623407308&wl5=9031634&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=285348188&veh=sem
• Scotch tape – I always used glue sticks in middle school but I never even opened one last year. Tape was much more practical if I needed to put something in a spiral and for using on projects; plus, if something actually rips you can easily fix it! https://www.target.com/p/scotch-174-magic-153-tape-3-4-x-350-3pk/-/A-13356914
• Sharpie highlighters (orange, pink, and yellow are essentials, but you may need more colors and they have some variety packs with blue/purple/green) – These are clearly one of the basics you will need for taking notes and such. I prefer the thinner ones because they come out neater on the page but pick whatever you prefer. There’s also lots of other brands that have more color selections/cuter highlighters so get those if you want, but for the basics Sharpie is a reliable brand. https://www.target.com/p/sharpie-174-accent-highlighter-bold-tip-10ct-multicolor/-/A-14463205
• 3-ring binder(s) with pocket dividers **only if your classes require it- In general, I prefer spiral notebooks to binders, but for classes with lots of papers/worksheets you will want binders or the teachers may require it. Keep it organized with dividers that have pockets in the front and keep some loose-leaf paper in the back. https://www.target.com/p/1-5-3-ring-binder-clear-view-compare-to-avery-174-durable-153-up-up-153/-/A-51463826?preselect=53261225#lnk=sameta dividers: https://www.target.com/p/plastic-index-divider-8-tab-with-pocket-up-up-153/-/A-13326167
• Pencil case – This is the one thing that I highly suggest you be creative on no matter what! You’ll have it on your desk every day and if it’s cute it will put you in a better mood when getting out your other supplies; plus, you’ll be less likely to mistake it for someone else’s if you get a unique one! I usually still get mine from Target, but there are lots of online stores where you can get cuter ones- or just look on Amazon. No link here because there’s too many options!
• Stapler – I personally got a normal-sized stapler and kept it at home on my desk, but lots of people got a mini one so they could keep it with them at school. Either way you will be stapling a lot of papers, so I definitely recommend having your own; just do whatever works best for you. The link isn’t working normally but here it is.

*Lots of these items come in more aesthetically pleasing versions from various brands for a higher price. If you prefer that (some people find nicer school supplies motivating), go for it! I just listed the most practical versions of everything and they’ve worked just fine for me. Throughout the year a lot of supplies get lost and roughed up anyways; plus, most of these are still high-quality products, they’re just not the prettiest/fanciest looking.

I hope this supply list helped you guys out and gave you an idea of what you might need if you are an incoming freshman. Remember this is just based off of my freshman year and what I used in my classes (every teacher/school might want slightly different things), but I still think it’s a good general outline of what to get. Make sure to check out the other school-related articles I’ve posted so far- lots more back to school content is to come! Remember to enjoy the rest of your summer though; school is still a decent amount of time away. Let me know if you think anything should be added to this list and if you have any requests for school-related posts!

-Brooke