School Supplies

School is only a few days away now so i've been trying to make some lists of what I have and need but just find myself going in circles. Being a junior is so much less exciting than being a freshman (or even a sophomore) because there is NOTHING fun to get for my room. We have everything we could possible ever need. The other day I purchased a toilet brush. Now, try and tell me that's fun?

I did want to share some of my top and not so top college items with you guys though. They aren't top-secret or different but definiently some little things that have helped a lot and others that didn't help at all.

Ready?

Things That Make It Back Year After Year

{photocred}

These command hooks have saved me and my walls. I hang EVERYTHING up with these hooks. Towels, purses, wood letters on my wall, you name it. They are really easy to stick and depending on what size you get, can hold almost anything. When its time to take them off, you can just pull the tape and it comes of easily and painlessly. 

 {photocred}

 When my mom bought this Scout laptop case for me, I definitely did not want it. Honestly, it feels plasticy and a little cheap and I already had a laptop case. Of course, one day I grabbed this one instead of my other case and was amazed at how much I love this one. First, it's light. The only thing making it heavy is the weight of your computer. Second, it has handles. They are super helpful when you are walking with a bag full of books and don't want to put another thing on your back. Third, its WATERPROOF. Yes! This thing seems to repel water. So great! Mine is an argyle which they don't seem to have anymore but every single pattern is really cute.

{photocred}

Freshman year, I went to school without a plastic drawer thing like this because my mom didn't think I needed one. Well, sophomore year, you know I did not go to school without one. I have one with 3 equal sized drawers that I use for my underclothes. Underwear, bras and socks each get a drawer. It saves a ton of space in my armoire and also keeps them neat-ish. My roommates have them too and use them for school supplies, food, toiletries and anything else thats small and needs a place. Definitely a great space saver.

What I Brought Freshman Year and never used (aka What I Chose to Go Without Sophomore Year)

{photocred}

Freshman year, I brought an iHome with me because I NEEDED my alarm clock and my speakers. Well, my phone soon became my permanent alarm clock and my computer my speakers. My roommates also each came with speakers of their own so we had 4 sets of speakers. One roommate would always play hers so the rest of ours were almost never used. It took up some valuable plug space as well as some space next to my bed. It went home halfway through freshman year and it didn't come back last year. Just takes up needed space. 

{photocred}

I've always liked the way binders look. I can stay organized with dividers, put those clear covers on important things and stuff things in the front and back pockets. Despite the neatness, binders are always cumbersome and heavy because so many things get put into them. I brought binders to college thinking it would be easy to stay organized and put a few classes together in each one (separated of course..) but I found myself not liking it at all. With the amount of notes taken and flipping back and forth through pages, I found it easier to just have a spiral notebook for each class. The pages in my binder would rip after lots of page turning and things would fall out if it dropped. Notebooks are cheap, small and light as well as easy to use and definitely stay pretty neat. From now on, I only use binders when I know i'll be taking a lot of pages out.

{photocred}

Not a school supply item but definitely something I think about when I pack now. I brought a ton of t-shirts to school with me. Everything from my high school graduation t-shirt to the one I got when I performed at Carnegie Hall made it to my drawers. I thought I would wear them a lot and I did but having so many wasn't necessary. I wear t-shirts to bed, to the gym and to hang around so naturally I thought I would need a lot. Well, I received t-shirts from orientation, Relay for Life and other events I participated in. I have a cute one I picked up at the bookstore with my school name and some others I got from my sorority. Since I wash clothes about once a week, I basically wear the same 5 t-shirts all the time. Really no need for anymore.The handiest kind of t shirts to bring? White ones. People think tie-dying is fun and so (on my campus at least) [we] have a lot of tie-dying events in which you need white shirts. Maybe you'll bring crisp white ones and have some beautiful colorful ones by the time you go home!