Back to school essentials are one of those things where you think you’re fine, and then day one hits and you’re digging through your bag for a pencil that doesn’t exist.
Every year it’s the same thing. You either overbuy a bunch of stuff you never touch, or you forget something obvious and spend the first week borrowing from people. Both are avoidable.
I put this list together because most back to school roundups are either overwhelming or weirdly incomplete.
This one is just the stuff that gets used — organized by category, with notes on what’s worth spending more on and what’s totally fine to grab from the dollar section.
Back to school shopping is way less stressful when you have a list that makes sense. Start with the basics and fill in the rest as the year goes on.
Study Essentials
Start here. These are the things you can’t show up without.
1. Spiral Notebooks
One per subject is the move — mixing everything into one notebook sounds fine until you’re flipping through 80 pages trying to find your chemistry notes the night before a test.
The ones with a thick cardboard back are so much more practical. You can write on them without a desk and they don’t fall apart by October.
College ruled if you write small, wide ruled if you don’t.
2. Composition Notebooks
Some teachers specifically ask for these, especially for English or history.
The sewn binding is the whole point — pages don’t fall out, it doesn’t get destroyed in your bag, and it still looks intact at the end of the semester.
Spiral notebooks are fine for most things but for a class where you’re writing every single day, this one holds up better.
3. Binders
At least 1-inch, but honestly 1.5 is the safer call — a 1-inch fills up embarrassingly fast.
I really like the ones with a clear front pocket because you can slide a label in without writing on the cover.
D-ring binders keep pages flatter than the round ring ones if that kind of thing bothers you.
4. Dividers
Plastic tabbed ones with pockets, not the basic paper kind. The paper ones genuinely look the same in the store and then start falling apart by October.
The pocket part is what makes them worth it — loose handouts actually have somewhere to go instead of floating around and getting crumpled.
5. Loose Leaf Paper
More than you think you need. A 200-sheet pack sounds like a lot until February and then suddenly it doesn’t.
6. Folders
Plastic poly, not paper. Paper folders look fine in September and by November they’re bent, torn, and kind of embarrassing.
Color-code by class — it sounds extra but when you’re running between periods you’ll grab the right one without even thinking.
7. Planner / Agenda
I know it sounds boring but having deadlines and test dates written down somewhere genuinely helps.
Weekly layout is easier to use day-to-day than monthly — you can see what’s coming up that week without flipping around. Even a cheap one works fine.
Writing Supplies
You’ll go through these faster than you think. Stock up before school starts.
8. Pens
A pack, not just one — they disappear constantly and it’s always at the worst time.
The Pilot G2 is the one most people keep coming back to, myself included. Smooth, doesn’t skip, doesn’t bleed through paper.
Black is the most-used but a blue pen comes in handy more than you’d expect.
9. Pencils
Mechanical ones are so much less annoying than wood. No sharpening, consistent line, and you can get a pack for a few dollars. Worth having a couple since they roll under desks and vanish.
10. Eraser
A separate white block eraser — not the pink nub on your pencil. Those stop working almost immediately and just smear everything. White block ones erase so cleanly, it’s kind of satisfying.
11. Pencil Sharpener
The small handheld kind with the little container so shavings don’t end up everywhere. Toss it in your pencil pouch and you’ll always have it when you need it.
12. Highlighters
Honestly the Zebra Mildliners are one of my favorite things on this list.
The colors are so much softer than neon ones — way easier on your eyes when you’ve been staring at the same page for an hour.
Once you use these you won’t go back to regular highlighters. They come in enough shades to color-code by subject without running out of options.
13. Correction Tape
Faster and cleaner than liquid white-out, and you can write over it right away — no waiting, no smearing.
Tombow Mono tape is the one I’d go with. Doesn’t tear the paper, tape doesn’t lift.
Organization & Extras
You won’t think about any of this until you need it. And then you’ll really need it.
14. Pencil Pouch
One with a zipper that holds up — the cheap ones start splitting after a month and then everything spills everywhere.
The kind that clips onto binder rings is really convenient because your pens and your notes are always together. I think this is something people skip and then really regret.
15. Sticky Notes
Post-it brand sticks and resticks reliably — the off-brand ones lose their adhesive fast and just fall off everything. The 3×3 size covers most things.
The small flag ones are perfect for marking textbook pages without writing in them, which your future self will thank you for.
16. Index Cards
Lined 3×5 is the most versatile.
The assorted color ruled packs are great if you color-code by subject — sorting through a stack when you’re studying goes so much faster when everything’s already organized by color.
17. Binder Clips
Medium size is the most useful. Papers stay together without any holes punched — way better than showing up with a crumpled stack.
18. Scissors
A small pair somewhere in your bag. Sounds unnecessary until the semester you forget them and have to borrow from the teacher.
Tech
Not everything on this list is strictly necessary — but these ones kind of are.
19. Calculator (TI-84)
Required for most math classes — algebra, pre-calc, AP courses. Worth checking with your school library first though because a lot of schools loan them out and it saves you over $100.
If you do need one, the TI-84 Plus CE is the updated version — lighter, color screen, and cleared for most standardized tests. Worth the investment if you’re going to use it for a few years.
20. Earbuds / AirPods
The bus, study hall, the walk between buildings — there are a lot of moments in a school day where you just want to be in your own world for a bit.
Wireless is so much easier than dealing with a cord. AirPods if you’re on iPhone, but there are genuinely good options under $50 that do the same job.
21. Portable Charger
The thing you’ll be most grateful for when your phone dies between classes and you still have three hours to go. At least 10,000mAh so it lasts more than one charge.
Anker makes really good ones that aren’t bulky. USB-C input so you’re not carrying an extra cable just for the charger.
22. Charging Cable
Keep a separate one that permanently lives in your bag — not the one from your desk.
I know it sounds like a weird thing to double up on but you will forget to pack it otherwise. Every time. Without fail.
23. Laptop Sleeve
Something with real padding, not just a fabric slip cover.
Laptops don’t survive being thrown around in a bag without some protection — I’ve seen too many cracked screens that could have been avoided.
Get one with a front pocket for your charger so everything travels together.
24. USB Drive
Some teachers still use them. A small one on your keychain means it’s always there without having to think about it.
If you liked this, you’ll love this post too:
How to Glow Up Before School: The Only Checklist You Need This Summer
Personal Care
This is the stuff that has nothing to do with class but you’ll reach for it every single day.
25. Lip Balm
Your own, not a shared one — it’s the one thing everyone asks to borrow and nobody wants to share. ChapStick or EOS, anything that moisturizes.
One in your pencil pouch so it doesn’t sink to the bottom of your bag and disappear for three weeks.
26. Deodorant
Travel size so it fits. Secret or Dove travel sticks are easy to find at any drugstore — toss one in your bag and leave it there. You know what kind of day gym class makes it. Enough said.
27. Hand Sanitizer
A small bottle clipped to your bag — you touch so many shared surfaces throughout the day and it’s just nice to have before you eat. Truly takes up no space.
28. Tissues
Keep a travel pack somewhere in your bag.
You never think about this one until someone near you is sniffling through an entire class and you wish you had something to offer — or that someone is you.
29. Comb / Hair Brush
The Wet Brush Mini is the one worth having. Works on wet or dry hair, fits in a pouch, doesn’t snag.
After PE it makes such a real difference — feels like a luxury until you have it and then you can’t imagine going without.
30. SPF
Supergoop Unseen feels like nothing on your face — no white cast, no shine. It’s one of my favorites.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer does the same job and costs a fraction of the price at any drugstore, so if budget is a concern that’s the one to grab.
31. Colgate Wisp Disposable Toothbrush
The gel is already in the bristles so you literally just use it and throw it away — that’s it. Gum masks things, this actually fixes it. Trust me on that one.
Health & Snacks
School days are long and your bag should know that.
32. Water Bottle
Most schools have refill stations now so there’s really no reason not to have one. The Stanley Quencher and Owala FreeSip are the two everyone keeps coming back to and both are great.
The Owala is lighter and the lid design prevents spills in your bag which I appreciate a lot. The Stanley holds more if refilling isn’t something you’re going to stay on top of.
33. Lunch Bag
An insulated one if you bring food from home. PackIt bags freeze solid overnight so no separate ice pack needed — that alone makes them worth it.
Soft-sided ones are so much easier to squeeze into a locker or under a desk.
34. Granola Bars
A few thrown in your bag at the start of each week and you won’t even think about them until you really need one.
Kind bars and RXBARs have enough protein to keep you going — the ones that are basically oats and sugar don’t do much by third period and you’ll feel it.
35. Nuts / Trail Mix
Individual snack packs are way less messy than a big bag. Honestly this is the thing I’d throw in on Monday and forget about until 2pm on Thursday when lunch feels very far away.
36. Gum / Mints
After lunch, before a presentation, or just because. Ice Breakers tins are so small they fit literally anywhere — jacket pocket, pencil pouch, whatever.
Just in Case
You probably won’t need any of this on a regular day. But the one time you do, you’ll be really glad it’s in there.
37. Pads
Always some in your bag, timing aside. You’ll either have them and be fine, or not have them and be panicking in the bathroom between classes. A small zip pouch keeps them easy to grab.
38. Pain Relief
Advil or Tylenol, whatever you normally take. There is nothing worse than sitting through a 45-minute class with a headache when you know you have something for it at home.
Keep a small pack in your bag and forget about it.
39. Wet Wipes
More useful than people give them credit for. After gym, sticky hands before lunch, whatever — a travel pack fits anywhere.
Neutrogena makeup remover wipes are my pick if you wear any makeup, but any travel pack works.
40. Band-Aids
New shoes and blisters go hand in hand, and it always happens on the day you walk the most. Throw a few in a small tin and call it done.
41. Hand Cream
Neutrogena hand cream is cheap and it works — I always have one floating around in my bag once fall hits. School heating systems are brutal on your skin and you’ll notice it fast.
42. Hair Ties
Goody Ouchless ones don’t snap or leave a dent in your hair. A pack split between your bag and home, because losing them is inevitable and always happens at the worst possible moment.
Good to Have
Technically optional. Realistically you’ll want all of these.
43. Locker Mirror
Magnetic, sticks right to the door. I love this one because the alternative is hunting down a bathroom between every class which is just not realistic.
The ones with a little magnetic shelf attached are especially handy — lip balm, hair clip, whatever you grab constantly.
44. Hair Clips
A few claw clips somewhere in your bag. Bad hair days are unavoidable and having one on you is the difference between dealing with it and suffering through the whole day.
45. Mini Stapler
The Swingline Tot is the classic for a reason — small enough for a pencil pouch and it works reliably.
Teachers ask for stapled work way more than you’d expect, and the one by the printer is always out of staples at the exact wrong moment. Having your own just saves you every time.
46. Sunglasses
Not a school supply, obviously. But the walk to and from school in the fall — when the sun is low and hits you directly in the face — is genuinely miserable without them.
Worth throwing a pair in your bag.
47. Perfume / Body Spray
A rollerball or mini spray — you don’t need much. Sol de Janeiro is what everyone’s reaching for right now and the scent genuinely lasts, but this is personal.
Whatever you like, just keep a travel size in your bag for after gym.
48. Tide To Go Pen
Spilling something at lunch and then spending the rest of the day pulling your shirt away from your body so nobody sees it — that kind of misery is so avoidable.
This pen takes maybe thirty seconds. Worth keeping one in there.
Back to School Shopping Tips
A few things worth knowing before buying everything on this back to school essentials list at once.
Everything before the first day is a gamble. Some teachers are really specific — certain binder colors, a particular notebook size. You won’t know until you’re in class. The basics first, the rest after week one.
Your school might loan out graphing calculators. The TI-84 is over $100 new and a lot of schools lend them through the library or math department. One quick email could save you the whole cost — genuinely worth finding out before you spend that money.
Travel size for personal care. Full-size deodorant and hand cream don’t fit in a pencil pouch — travel sizes exist for exactly this and they’re usually cheaper anyway.
Bundles over individual items. Pens, highlighters, notebooks — sets are almost always cheaper per item. It adds up fast when you’re buying everything at once.
Two weeks before school starts is the sweet spot. By the week before, specific binder colors sell out, popular water bottles go fast, and shipping times get longer. Earlier is always so much easier.
Just don’t show up with nothing. Oh and I put the whole list together in one graphic — save it for when you’re actually at Target.
