Don't Miss These Items This Year

BY AMY MENG '25

You stroll through the fragrant aisles of Staples, periodically glancing at your school supply list. Three binders, four folders, five notebooks, ten highlighters…did you forget something?

With the pandemic, remote learning, and the 1:1 Chromebook program, situations like these have become a thing of a past. No longer are elaborate school supply lists and your traditional stationary supplies—now, most of your school supplies are digital. While this is a relief for those who never loved Staples shopping sprees, it also takes away the convenience of having predictable supplies each year. But, not to worry: I’ve got you covered for these new changes! Check out this ultimate list of Back-to-School essentials, newly updated for 2022–2023. 


The Physical Essentials

1. Your Brain 

Trust me, forgetting your brain is easier than it sounds. You’ll appreciate its value after experiencing what it's like to go to class without one. With nothing between your ears, information goes in one ear and out the other. Once you've brought your brain, you can now focus on the easy part: activating it. Simply snap your fingers four times next to your ear. If the sound doesn’t escape through the other ear, congrats! Your brain has been activated. 

1. Chromebook  

Chromebooks have, without a doubt, become the most important classroom tool over the past several years. Well, besides your brain. You’ll find that you can’t even function without it—the library has a whole cart of loaner Chromebooks intended for forgetful students like you. Still, leaving your Chromebook at home is irritating and can be prevented by making a habit to put it in your backpack in the morning.

1. Stylus

Chromebook supplements have a habit of getting lost in random places. A stylus, especially, can easily end up in the possession of others, which is a costly risk. You never know when you’ll need to use this handy tool, so keep it secure in the port of your Chromebook and regularly confirm its whereabouts. If you do lose it, you’ll have to pay $20 to replace it. Or, you could pick up someone else’s lost stylus that you find in a small crevice in South Commons.

1. Charger

In every class, I’m sure you’ve either heard someone ask regularly, “Does anyone have a Chromebook charger?” or you’ve been the person who asks. If not, you’ll hear it soon. By bringing a charger, you can be 1. that person who has the charger and 2. the person who never asks for one. Also, people will want to be your friend because you have a charger. :)

1. Planner

Whether digital or physical, a planner is helpful for keeping track of due dates and assignments. Having one will save you in moments of need. Though I tend to be minimalistic and just write things down in a notebook or on scrap paper, many people are elaborate and organized with planners. Figure out what works for you. Notion, your notes app, and Google Keep are all great online planners.

1. Pre-2020 Stuff!

Binders, folders, notebooks, pens— though once classroom staples in all subjects, needing these will depend on the class. Most math classes will use these, but other classes might rely more heavily on Chromebooks. These supplies are also dependent on your personal preferences—whether you use a binder or a folder, pens or pencils, those decisions are up to you.

Other Essentials

1. Boundaries

It's good to have discipline and know your boundaries, such as how much time you spend on homework and how much time you spend procrastinating (something I'm often bad at, honestly).

1. Lack of Boundaries

It’s just as important to be unrestricted in other areas, depending on the context. For example, don't feel like you need to do a certain number of activities, hit a certain "number" of anything in general, or spend time with certain people.

1. Common Sense

There's a whole list of other productive habits recommended for school, but these can all be condensed into common sense. Know yourself and do things that work best for you. Also, don't overthink it! For instance, if you procrastinate (relatable), would it be more practical to download a screen time management app, to read about elaborate productivity strategies, or to toss your phone in another room so you won't be able to physically use it? Something to think about.

In the long run, following this list of essentials will give you a guaranteed success rate at AB (non-refundable). Acquire all of these and/or add your own; see how your school year changes!

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