8 Back-to-School Items That Should Be On Every Student’s Shopping List

With the beginning of the school year just around the corner, Mental Floss has compiled a list of eight school supplies every student should have on their first day. Here they are:

  1. Planner. Writing down all commitments and assignments in one place will ensure your student will never be able to say they forgot a big deadline.
  2. Notebook. Whether it’s a spiral notebook or a legal notepad, all they need is a book of blank pages to start studying.
  3. Sticky page markers. When reviewing a textbook for an exam, or reading a novel for English class, students can use sticky markers to indicate the sections they want to come back to later.
  4. Index cards. If students have mastered the subjects on some cards but not others, they can sort the cards to focus just on what they need to memorize.
  5. Poster boards. Physical displays like poster boards and tri-folds are still staples of many class presentations.
  6. Easel pads. The large sheets of paper can be used to brainstorm ideas and help motivate decisions toward a shared goal.
  7. Wall calendar. Students can hang wall calendars above their desk at home and use it to visualize their schedule.
  8. Reference books. A thesaurus and dictionary can be useful tools when studying English or writing an essay.