Login
Back to BlogMedically reviewed by Sophia Yen, MD, MPH – Written by Pandia Health Editorial Team
#PandiaBack2School: 5 College Essentials
Back to school season is just around the corner, and that means making sure you have a list of everything you need before you leave! For those of you starting college, whether it be leaving your hometown or in your community, it is important to have everything you need even BEFORE you can cruise your first “syllabus week”. Today, I am going to share my college essentials for going back to school!
Before we get into the tips! Make sure you get your birth control delivered to your mailbox with Pandia Health! FREE delivery + automatic refills. Sign up & get your birth control delivered.
1. A trusty water bottle ?
This has to be the absolute most important thing on the list. Staying hydrated is so important and is one of the easiest ways to improve your health. Benefits include healthy transportation and function of nutrients, improve your skin, promote weight loss, and boost cognitive function. In fact, researchers found that college students who had water with them during a test scored higher than those who didn’t have it. Other research suggests that keeping yourself hydrated keep your memory sharp, your mood stable and your motivation intact. Memory, mood, and motivation are crucial aspects of being a successful student, so DRINK YOUR WATER!!!
My favorite water bottles are the 32 oz sized ones. Health authorities generally suggest drinking 64 oz of water or day (more or less depending on your weight), which is easy to keep track of by remembering to finish two 32 oz water bottles a day.
Specifically, I love insulated bottles. They keep warm drinks warm and cold drinks cold, which is perfect for drinking hot tea or iced coffee. Life hack: Most coffee shops will give you a discount for bringing a reusable container 😉
2.Daily Planner ?
One of the things that I learned the hard way during my first semester in college is how to plan my time. While having so many new and exciting experiences, it’s no surprise that time can seem to slip away. What helped me the most with time management was using a daily planner. You can use it for writing out what school events you plan on going to, when you want to exercise, project deadlines, and even social time with friends.
In addition to putting in due dates for assignments, I write what days I need to START doing an assignment so that I have enough time to work on them.This helped me keep myself accountable for doing homework in a timely manner and not stress out from procrastinating. (We all know the struggle. No more all nighters please.)
Don’t forget to get creative with your planner! This will keep it interesting and make using it less of a chore. Jot down quotes that speak to you, draw pictures, or use your favorite pens! I liked using my favorite pastel-colored highlighters to color code my assignments by class so I had a better overview of my load for each class. And because I’m a sucker for pastels.
When you plan your day, don’t forget to make time to take your pill. You should be taking your pill everyday at the same time! If you don’t have time in the day to schedule in your birth control, get it delivered to your mailbox using our FREE delivery services!
3. Decorations ✨
If you’re moving into a new room for the school year, decorating is a good way to make your new space feel like home. My favorite part about move-in week has to be decorating because it makes a plain room come together with your personalized touch. There is something so fun about setting up your new space as it gets you pumped up for the new school year.
My favorite room decorations are tapestries. A tapestry is a simple way to add a touch of uniqueness in every room. These spice up any room with their pictures or designs. They are so versatile too. Use them as bedspreads, lay them over furniture, or hang them up as a wallpaper alternative!
When I lived with my roommate in a double, she hung her tapestry on one side a wall right over her bed frame. All we used to put it up was 4 pushpins, but be careful to check if your dorm allows you to use pushpins. If not, command strips are a good alternative. Her tapestry tied our room together so well that I will be picking one up for my new room next year 🙂
4. Durable Backpack ?
Face it, you will be bringing your backpack with you everywhere you go in college, so you need one that will hold up for your needs. Here are some things I look for in a backpack:
- Pockets for water bottles
- As mentioned earlier, drinking water is an easy way to stay healthy. I like water bottle pockets so I can put my water bottles in them and save space for my books. My backpack has two pockets: One for my water and one for coffee 🙂
- Laptop sleeve
- This makes it easy to slip my laptop in and out when I need it, especially for taking notes in class.
- Padding
- Padding was important for me because I lived on the other side of campus from where classes were. This meant a lot of walking, so padding helped ease the pain of carrying huge textbooks.
- Style
- Ok, I’ll admit to being basic for having a plain black backpack. What I like about having a plain-colored backpack is that I can style it with my favorite pins to make it my own.
5. Birth Control Delivered?
Since I didn’t have a car during college, making trips to the pharmacy was always difficult. From trying to coordinate rides with friends, to straight out ubering to the pharmacy, that was time spent that I could have used doing other things. Getting your birth control delivered to you as a college student is so convenient for those who are like me and don’t have the time to be making those trips to the pharmacy.
Fortunately, you can #SkipTheTrip and get your birth control delivered to you for FREE with
Pandia Health if you have insurance. Pandia Health is a women-founded and women-led birth control delivery service that delivers birth control and has doctors who can write you an online prescription. All you need for free delivery is your contact info and shipping address, current pharmacy, date of birth, and insurance info. Sign up now and get that #PandiaPeaceofMind
The above information is for general informational purposes only and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor/primary care provider before starting or changing treatment.