As you start to get used to your second semester classes and fall back into the routine of having a full five day week, you may start to realize you’re constantly scrambling for supplies and you never feel prepared. In order to finish off the school year on the right foot, keep the following 10 supplies in your bag in order for you to ace your classes, make friends, and always feel ready to go!
1. Gum
Aside from being a way to freshen your breath after a lunch from Qdoba, there’s no way to make friends quicker than having a pack of gum on hand!
2. Number 2 pencils
While mechanical pencils are fine for classwork and notes, when it comes to Scantron tests, you want to be safe and go with a number 2 yellow pencil to insure that your answers will be recognized when your test goes through the scantron machine.
3. Loose lined paper
Nothing is worse than when the teacher tells you to pull out a piece of paper and you have to scramble around, begging for a piece from a neighbor. Keep lined paper in your binder or in a notebook to take notes in class, participate in class work, and stay orgainized.
4. Mirror
Although all of the school bathrooms come equipped with mirrors during passing time and even class, there’s normally a crowd in front of it, trying to check if they have something in their teeth or if their hair is out of place. Avoid the crowd by bringing your own pocket mirror in your bag to make sure you’re just as fresh as when you walked into the school in the morning!
5. Post-it notes
You never know when your teacher is going to give out tips for the next test or give you the deadline for an important assignment. Keep all of your dates and random information organized by keeping a stack of post-it notes on hand.
6. Hand sanitizer
There’s nowhere that’s more germ infested than the hallways of a high school. Make sure that you escape the cold and flu season unharmed by keeping lots of hand sanitizer in your bag to keep away 99.9% of germs.
7. Student ID
It may seem like your student ID has no point except to get you the student discount at Black Rock on Tuesdays, you should make sure to keep your ID in your backpack whenever you’re at school. Aside from ensuring that you’re a student at Tigard in case a security guard asks, your ID lets you check out textbooks from the library, which is very important to doing your homework and passing your classes.
8. Dollar bills
Whether it be candy bars from the thespians or oranges from the basketball players, it seems like there’s always a fundraiser going on at the school. Keep dollar bills on hand in your backpack when a sweet craving comes so you can buy candy while supporting programs at your school.
9. Head phones
When there’s quiet work time in class and your teacher lets you listen to music, you want to be sure that your headphones are on hand. Music can actually help you concentrate and helps to block out outside noises which can help you to focus on your work.
10. Water bottle
You want to make sure to stay hydrated as the school day goes on. Because it seems like the water fountains at school are in constant danger of some kind of poisoning from rust or lead, bring a water bottle to ensure you’ll have fresh water on hand always. If you get a water bottle with a built in filter, you can refill it at the school fountains!