Whether you’re going in-person or online, school is about to start and school supplies is a hot topic all around. What should you get now that school may be online? This post has the answers to all your school supplies-related questions.
At the end of last school year, my school went online, so I had to study and do work at home. At first learning from home was a very strange experience; however, there were certain supplies that really helped me ace school even in the online learning environment. Here are the top 10 school supplies you’ll need to ace online school!
**Freebies below! :)**
Technology
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1. Laptop
With schools shifting to remote learning or some hybrid version of in-person learning and remote learning, having a good laptop has never been more important. Laptops are a huge asset for school because they’re lightweight and have high functionality.
I currently use a Surface Pro 5. I’ve had this laptop for almost two years, and it works like brand new! Additionally, Surface Pros are lightweight because the keyboard is super light and even detachable! My favorite feature of the Surface Pro has to be the touchscreen! Usually it’ll come with a nice Surface Pro pen for your touchscreen as well. I really like the Surface Pro for its versatility. Plus, it’s more affordable than a lot of Apple MacBook products.
You can buy the newest Surface Pro here.
2. Earbuds/Headphones/Airpods
Are your siblings making a racket? You’ll need something to cancel out the noise going around you, especially when virtual school is starting. Earbuds, headphones, and airpods are the perfect solution to your problems!
Earbuds are small and can be easily carried around with you. Their purposes and uses go beyond school. My earbuds aren’t expensive and they work flawlessly. Airpods are also another solution if you don’t want the wires of your earbuds to get tangled up in a mess. You can use them when you don’t have your phone right next to you. If you want more comfortable noise-canceling accessories, you can use headphones. I find headphones work the best when it comes to noise-cancelling.
You can buy them here:
3. Printer
Whether you’re working on a creative project, annotating a document, or working on your latest homework handout, you’ll likely need a printer. Now that you’ll be studying from home, you’ll probably want to print out the handouts your teachers send you.
I suggest getting a wireless printer so that you can print from anywhere in your house. This printer is even portable! Get the printer here.
4. Lap desk
Do you want to sit anywhere but at the desk? With a lap desk, you can move your “table” around with you wherever you go around the house. Whether you want to sit on the floor or on the couch, you can do it now. As online school starts, you can sit wherever you want while school goes on virtually. Buy the lap desk here.
Organization
5. Desk Calendar
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with too many meetings? A desk calendar is essential to keep you organized. Managing time wisely is even more important, now that school is online. One glance at your calendar is enough to remind you of whatever events you have planned for the day.
Last school year I used this calendar to keep track of all my major assignments and meetings. It really helped me to stay on top of things during remote learning! Best yet, you can get this for free! Get this FREE 2020-2021 Monthly Spread Desk Calendar Printable below! This spread has pages for each month from August 2020 to July 2021–enough for you to stay organized during the entire school year. You can download this monthly spread and use it as a desk calendar or agenda!
Year View 2020-2021 
October 2020 
Monthly View Pages 
April 2021
You can get your free Desk Calendar above!
6. Binders
Binders are great for organization. You keep your binders organized with dividers to separate all your units. Plus, binders can hold more papers than folders, so you can use it to store your handouts and even folders for the whole school year. Some pencil cases can also fit inside binders. In a sense, binders are just like school bags!
I usually use 1 inch binders for all my subjects. Typically, I buy 1 inch white binders because with white, you can decorate it however you would like. You can get 1 inch binders here.
Stationery
7. Colored Pens
When you’re correcting a paper, taking notes, or just drawing for fun, colored pens are an absolute necessity. They’re fun and easy to use. They’re great for taking neat and aesthetic notes; you can use them for labels and headings.
I really like the Paper Mate Inkjoy colored pens. They write smoothly and have tons of colors to choose from.
Buy the Paper Mate Inkjoy Ballpoint colored pens here.
I also use gel pens not only because of their quality, but also for the variety of colors. The ink comes out smoothly, and it has a fine tip to help you write super neatly. You can buy them on Amazon here.
8. Mechanical pencils
I love mechanical pencils! They always have sharp tips and are refillable. With normal pencils, the led will run out no matter what, and you’ll always be stuck constantly sharpening your pencil. Plus, mechanical pencils have retractable tips, so you can say goodbye to lead marks dirtying your pencil case. Mechanical pencils are also more environmentally friendly because their lead isn’t as thick as a typical number two pencil.
These mechanical pencils come with a top eraser and a grip. You can buy a 40 pack of BIC Mechanical Pencils (Sparkly and Colored) or Clear Grip Mechanical pencils here.
9. Notebooks
Whether you’re taking notes or writing an essay, you will need a notebook. Some people might argue that there’s no need for notebooks when you can take notes on your laptop, but, as I’m sure you’ve heard before, studies have shown that taking notes by hand boosts your retention rate. Plus, some teachers will require you to take handwritten notes.
Instead of taking papers out one sheet at a time, you can use notebooks. This way you won’t be losing any of your notes. Notebooks also have many designs you can choose from.
I like to use Five Star 1 Subject notebooks. Last year I used this notebook to take history notes, and it lasted the whole year! You can get the Five Star 1 Subject spiral notebook here.
Here are some other notebooks on Amazon, and they’re really cute: Dandelion Wishes Jotter Notebooks
10. Post-its
Are your notes too small for a regular piece of paper? Post-its solve this problem. They’re super convenient, and you can stick them anywhere. Whether you want to set a reminder for yourself or take annotations for a book, post-its are the perfect size. They are also helpful if you want to add to your existing notes or highlight important information you want to remember. You can buy post-its here from Amazon.
Here you have it! That’s our school supplies list in the era of Covid-19! Don’t forget to get your 2020-2021 Monthly Spread to stay super organized for the new school year!
With all these school supplies in hand, you’ll be ready to tackle whatever online school throws at you! Did we miss any of your favorite school supplies? Let us know what you think in the comments down below. We’d love to hear from you!
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