5 Popular School Necessities to Make Your School Year Easier

Trying to ensure that your school year runs as smoothly as possible, here are 5 key school necessities to make that possible.

It can be difficult to know what you need in order to have a successful school year. There are so many school supplies and then a million options to choose from. These are 5 absolute school necessities that will make your decision-making a little easier.

As someone who has navigated back-to-school shopping for years, I understand the stress that can come with it. Additionally, it can always feel impossible to know which products will actually be useful in the long term. Some items are helpful for about two weeks and then become useless.

These school necessities will be all the products you need to add to your shopping cart in order to have a successful year.

This post is all about the most essential school necessities to increase productivity and learn smoothly.

Best School Necessities

1. School Backpack

Finding the right backpack is a vital part of starting the school year off right. As someone who used to switch backpacks every school year, I know how difficult it can be to find a bag that will last. It can be tempting to go for any random, cheap option but that will have you buying a new bag every year. In the long run that's more money.

I have tried out A LOT of bags and my favorite one by far is The North Face Borealis Back Pack. This backpack is the best one for both high school and college students. As an added bonus it can last a long time; I've had mine for 5 years! If you're looking for a backpack that can easily and safely hold all of your school supplies and any electronics you might use, you want a North Face Borealis Backpack.

The Borealis backpacks have so many different pockets that you'll never run out of places to put your things. It's also super comfortable to have on your back, especially if you're someone who walks a lot. Additionally, these backpacks are able to hold heavy loads for years without any tearing to the bottom of the backpack.

They're spacious, durable, and comfortable which is why they're the best backpacks on the market. As a bonus, they come in a ton of different colors to choose from, for the perfect match to whatever aesthetic you're going for.

2. Best School Notebooks

I will rant about the Five Star Notebooks to anyone who will listen. They are my absolute favorite notebooks when it comes to school and I don't think I will ever buy a different brand. These notebooks have so many options that they can fit anyone's needs. If you like to keep your notebooks separate you can buy the one-subject Five Star notebooks. However (and this is part of the reason I love them so much) you can also choose to buy the 3-subject notebooks or the 5-subject notebooks.

This is LIFE-CHANGING for anyone who takes a large class load. I always found that my backpack would get way too heavy buying individual notebooks and the 3-subject and 5-subject notebooks saved me. Another reason I absolutely love them is that they have so many pages and are college-ruled. This is easier to find in notebooks, and I'm a fan of college-ruled because I feel like I can write more on each page, which saves space.

I would recommend buying one 5-subject notebook or a 3-subject notebook at the beginning of the school year and then getting more if you need them. This way you aren't wasting money on notebooks you won't use.

3. Best School Pencils

I'm going to walk you through the best pencils to get for every type of pencil lover. Whether that's mechanical pencils or 'real pencils' here are the best options. My ABSOLUTE favorite mechanical pencils are The Bic Xtra-Sparkle Mechanical Pencils. I'm not going to lie half of the reason is because they're sparkly. However, I think the Bic does a really great job of making pencils that feel real, and write smoothly. If you aren't a fan of the sparkle then I would recommend The Bic Xtra Smooth Mechanical Pencil. I haven't noticed a difference between the two except for the design.

These two choices are both super popular, and I'm sure you've run into a ton of people who have these same pencils. I believe that's because a lot of people know how good they are. They're cheap, and they have enough lead to last for months. I also like how they come in large packs so if you lose your pencil you have plenty of back-ups for the whole school year.

For my wooden pencil lovers

I would recommend The Dixon #2 Wooden Pencils. I know that everyone loves the Ticonderoga Pencils, but I think they write a little TOO smooth. The Dixon pencils have more grit to them, which can be helpful when writing because it gives you more control of the pencil. However, if you're a fan of smooth writing, here are The Ticonderoga #2 Pencils.

If you like your pencil with a bit of grit and control, go for The Dixon #2 Wooden Pencils. They give you that tactile feel that some of us love. But if you're all about that smooth writing experience, The Ticonderoga #2 Pencils are your best bet. At the end of the day, all that's important is that you are content with your pencil choice.

4. School Pens

My all-time favorite pens are The Bic Gel-ocity Retractable Gel Pens. I think Bic makes some of the best stationery on the market. These pens are great for color-coding your notes, which is a key way to succeed during the school year. They don't smudge on the paper for all the left-handed people. And, unlike pencils, pens that write smoothly are actually preferable. The pens basically glide on the paper, and I find that they're super comfortable to write with if that's a big concern for you.

For a good black and dark blue pen, I would recommend the famous G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens. They're popular for a reason. They write smoothly, while still having just the right amount of grit. A downside of them is that they do smudge just a little. However, I haven't found it to be too big of a problem because they dry pretty quickly.

4. Best Highlighters for School

The Sharpie Liquid Highlighters are the best highlighters EVER! I would actually marry these highlighters if I could. The packs of five have every color you could possibly need in a highlighter. They make super crisp lines, which will give your notes a clean look. I also really like how it's easy to see where the ink levels are because it lets you know when it's time for a refill. Additionally, the height of these highlighters is optimal. It makes it easy to find a comfortable place to grip the body of the highlighter.

If you're not a fan of the look of The Sharpie Liquid Highlighters, then I would recommend The Sharpie Clear View Highlighters. These highlighters are a great choice for obvious reasons. The most annoying thing about highlighters is that it's difficult to know when to stop highlighting while taking notes. The tips of the highlighters always get in the way. With these, that isn't a problem, and it also comes in a ton of great colors. My only complaint is that these highlighters can get dry fast, and it's difficult to know when to refill them because you can't see the ink levels.

Ultimately it's up to you to decide what kind of student you are. However, I think that these highlighters are a great choice for most students.

Whether you opt for The Sharpie Clear View Highlighters or The Sharpie Liquid Highlighters, you should decide how your choice fits with what kind of student you are. Make sure you find a balance between functionality and personal preferences to ensure that your highlighter can be a valuable tool in your organization throughout the academic year.

8. Academic Planners

A good academic planner is essential to ensuring you have a well-organized school year. If it's an option my top recommendation to stay on top of your schoolwork would be an online planner. Something like Google Calendar can be game-changing especially if you're super busy. There are A TON of videos online to teach how to customize your calendar to the best of your ability. Additionally, since it's on your phone it's also portable.

However, if you are more of a paper planner type of person, then I would recommend a Bullet Journal Planner. If you're looking for a super-organized planner, I'm going to assume that most planners just don't have everything that you want in them. A solution that worked for me is bullet journaling. It allowed me to be as organized as I would like.

For everyone who isn't super picky about your planners then I would go with any planner that has a lot of writing space. The Blue Sky Academic Planner worked well for a little while for me. If you aren't super picky about your planners, then it's a great fit. They're wire-bound and have a setup that is super easy to follow and use.

This post was all about the most important school necessities for a great school year.

Another Post You Might Like: 7 LIFE-CHANGING NOTEBOOK ORGANIZATION IDEAS EVERY STUDENT NEEDS