9 Back-to-School Essentials for Adults

As the summer comes to an end and the school year gets closer, it’s time to start thinking about what’s in your backpack. I don’t just mean prepping your kids, I mean you too! More and more veterans and spouses are finding their way back to college thanks to the GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, and MyCAA scholarships . So where to start? If you’re anything like me, your backpack is practically the Mary Poppins bag. You know what they say…it’s always better to be prepared than surprised! Here are some things you'll need- 1. A planner Any busy student will understand what it’s like to balance school work, with a social life and work, that gives enough income to enjoy the social life... when they aren’t studying. Having a planner makes it far less likely that you’ll double book girls night on the night before your 10 page sociology paper is due. And if you're trying to make sure that your schedule, your spouses schedule and the kid's schedule all run smoothly, a planner DEFINITELY helps. I know everyone has their own style when it comes to planning. Some people run on a digital calendar that pings their phone with reminders, but for me, I like a good old fashioned paper planner. Right now I’m obsessed with the Me and My Big Ideas planner I received for my birthday. They have them in different sizes and styles to fit your personality. They even have one meant just for meal planning, if that’s what you need help with organizing! 2. Laptop/iPad/tablet Let’s face it. When I went to college the 1 st time, laptops were a MAJOR luxury. This time around, I don’t know what I would do without my laptop. I can download my textbooks, take notes in class, do research on things as soon as a professor brings them up. And, okay, maybe I use it to procrastinate the homework I don’t want to do. Just maybe. 3. Textbooks Yes I know, most books come in Kindle form, so I don’t have to carry around heavy theory texts. But there is something SO satisfying about being able to flip through the pages and find the moving passage I highlighted when I need a quote for a paper. It’s something that you just can’t get pushing a button on the Kindle. And I know textbooks are often the most expensive part of going back to college , but if you are smart about it, you can save money even here. I needed 8 different works of Shakespeare for an upcoming class, and had I ordered them from the school, I would have spent almost $90. Instead, I used the ISBN provided, did a little hunting on Amazon, and was able to get ALL 8 of those texts AND two other books I needed for a whopping $73…including shipping! Amazon and Barnes & Nobel both carry textbooks and often at discounted prices compared to what you’d pay at your school bookstore. And unless you are determined to have all new textbooks, buying used textbooks through Amazon can save you a lot! Just look at the condition ratings in the used book section of Amazon and you can find like-new texts for less than half the cost of a new book. 4. Highlighters/Post-its I can never have enough highlighters. I take meticulous notes and highlight the things that teachers emphasize might be on the test. Like highlighters, I could own stock in post-its. They are stuck around the apartment with to-do lists, grocery items I need to remember and love notes from the husband telling me he’s proud of my ability to study and cook dinner at one time. ...Though I shouldn’t cook when doing chemistry homework again. Ooops! 5. Snacks Have you sat through a 2 hour class during your normal lunchtime? Having a few snacks on hand makes it a little easier to make it through until I can run home and heat up one of the pre-prepped meals I have in my fridge. And if you’re running from work to school to kid events to command functions, you might not have time to have a real sit-down meal. Having pre-bagged snacks on hand will help you stay out of the drive thru and junk food cycle that gets so easy when life gets busy. 6. Coffee So this doesn’t go in my bag, but I don’t go to class (or work for that matter) without a coffee. I bought a Tervis tumbler and I swear my coworkers know it’s going to be a rough day if I don’t walk in with that cup in hand. Same goes for school. Plus, once the coffee has been inhaled, I can refill it with water from the water fountain without tossing out a ton of plastic bottles! 7. Change of clothes I’ve been known to spill half my coffee down my shirt. Because of this, I keep a clean top, a cardigan or a sweatshirt with me. Plus, you never know when the AC is going to be kicking so high in class that you could befriend Anna and build Olaf a nice little friend to play with. 8. My cell phone I was a Marine wife and an active duty Sailor. Never know when duty will call! 9. Chargers Laptop, Kindle, phone. That’s a lot of electronics to count on every day. I would rather be sure I could hook something up while I’m at the library, than be caught mid-paper with a 5% battery warning. So what about you? What are your must-haves for back to school? What makes balancing life while going after your dreams just a little bit easier? Connect with us on Facebook!

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