High School Supplies List

What would school be without cool school supplies? How would all the studying and note-taking get done without the necessary tools that you need? That’s why it’s really important to recognize what supplies are needed and what works best for you! There are so many types of pencils and pens that are available to students at every level, and for my people that love taking really neat and pretty notes, there are lots of markers and gel pens, too!

Let's dive into the world of school supplies and sort through the most important ones that you need for success in high school!

The Basics

A pencil

Now of course everyone needs a pencil, that’s just a staple for going to school. They come in so many variations and you just have to find the best one for you. Examples could be ol’ reliable, the wooden pencil. These are really great for beginning art classes and standardized testing but they dull fast.

This is where mechanical pencils come in! These are plastic pencils that have a replaceable lead which takes 0.5 or 0.7 mm lead. Make sure to always carry extra pencils and lead just in case your wooden pencil becomes dysfunctional. 

A PEN

Pens are amazing for taking really quick personal notes and sometimes teachers prefer notes to be taken in pen. Some teachers require different colored pens for different things. These are all important to keep in mind but I think it’s impractical to carry so many different pens that only have one purpose each.

That’s why the multicolored pens are wonderful. You can easily switch between colors with just one pen. Basic ballpoint pens are really great as well if you only need 1-2 pens daily. Some people like sparkly gel pens which are amazing, but be careful because they dry slowly and smudge easily. 

higHlighters

These are usually needed for annotations and for marking important text. Unless your teacher requires multiple specific colors, usually 2-3 colors will suffice. The most common are neon green, yellow, and pink but the beauty is that you can choose any color you want if that's allowed!

A SMALL PERSONAL RULER

I find these always come in handy during projects and graphing during math. A common small size would be 6 inches that way it’s easy to store and grab for quick drawings. 

A SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR

The type of calculator needed depends on what math classes you are taking but to begin with, it’s always great to keep a plain old calculator in your bag for simple calculations. This is the calculator that can do the basic operations, square roots, and raising to a power. Some teachers have their own class sets to borrow from if a more complex calculator is needed. 

A GREAT BACKPACK

A durable backpack is definitely needed to carry your heavy books and folders as well as your personal care items. There are so many types for different purposes. Some could be just for books and folders, or for computers and related devices. It’s best to choose a versatile bag to be prepared for anything high school throws at you. 

Organizational Supplies

Folders/Binders

These are super important for keeping all your papers from each class! Depending on what kinds of paper you need to keep and what your teacher specifies, a folder or binder could work really well. Binders are generally great for classes where notes are taken on loose-leaf binder paper. Folders, on the other hand, are great for classes with lots of worksheets. I generally have a folder or binder for every class to keep everything separated. 

Dividers

These are sheets that go into 3-ringed binders and they separate papers to keep them organized. For example, they can divide papers from each unit, each class, or even each topic. Dividers make it easy to locate papers for review and study time. 

Notebooks

College-ruled notebooks are generally the norm in high school and are usually requested by the teacher in the syllabus. I would recommend graph paper notebooks for math and physics classes. Make sure to rip out the extra paper at the end of the year to use again for the next school year. 

Pencil Pouches

Pencil pouches are of utmost importance, because where else can you store your supplies? Pencil pouches come in all shapes, sizes, and carrying capacities, so make sure yours can hold all your supplies. 

Study Aid Supplies

An Extra Notebook

I call this the ‘Scratch Notebook’ because I only use that notebook for studying. This notebook can be dedicated to practicing math problems, summarizing history, and drawing diagrams for Biology. This notebook is basically used to organize your thoughts and to freely study for your classes. 

Flashcards

These are helpful to some, not all, but essentially flashcards can be helpful for writing notes for presentations or memorizing vocab. Making them while learning the terms can be helpful for a final exam later. 

A Planner 

Having a place to write down assignments, projects, tests, and their due dates can help students stay on top of their work. It helps you prioritize what’s most important, whether it be tests, assignments, or projects.  

Where to Find School Supplies 

There are many great resources to find free or lower priced school supplies! An example could be The Salvation Army as they could provide school supplies and other related items. Just begin by finding the nearest Salvation Army by entering your zip code. Even reaching out to teachers and school districts might work! They might have extra or even some opportunities to obtain these school supplies. 

Some classes require textbooks and those can get expensive quickly! Sometimes classes don’t provide the required reading, this is where online PDFs and resources come in! Websites like Project Gutenberg, Library Genesis, Open Library, and Every Poet can be really good places for free PDFs of certain books. 

Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Freecycle are all good places to find supplies for lower prices. Things like calculators and other pricey supplies are best to find on these websites.

Final Thoughts on High School Supplies

I hope this article gave you an idea of what to bring to high school. You’ll definitely find out what works best for you along the way and by the beginning of the next school year, you’ll be completely prepared. Make sure to definitely save and reuse whatever school supplies you have that way you spend less every year! 

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Student TipsAanvi Gera