Items to Make University Easier
University can be difficult for many reasons. You need to stay organized and on top of everything and even the best student can have trouble keeping their university and their personal life together. Even if you don't live away from home there are some simple items that can make university life a little easier.
Book Stand
A book stand is useful for studying for class but is also great for when you are writing papers. When you are trying to type and hold a book by yourself it can be difficult and you may find yourself having to put the book down and type what you remember and then check the rest of the information before resuming to type. With a book stand, it does the holding of the book for you, including holding your page if you get a stand that can hold the pages in place.
Post-It Flags
Post-It note in general are handy. Post it flags are great for university. I use them to mark specific places in a book, certain lines or paragraphs when I'm writing a paper so I don't loose track. They're also great for including notes beside information in a book or text book when you want notes with the information, you just don't want to write in your book. Some people find it painful to write in a book, I for one just can never bring myself to, particularly if I plan on selling it later. Often writing in a text can hurt the resale value, as can hi-lighting- in fact the official store for the university will only accept books that have minimal hi-lighting.
3M Command Hooks
Even if you don't live off campus its always important to keep your living space organized. There is nothing worse than having a disorganized room and not being able to find a text book or something you need because your floor is covered with various items that your don't have a shelf for. You don't need tools to install these hooks, so they are great for those of us who are less than handy and they come in various weight restrictions up to ten pounds. Now if only they made a command wall shelf, I'd be set.
A Sturdy Bag or Back Back
The last thing you want to is have to buy a new bag for every year of school you attend at university, it can be pretty expensive. It is much better to buy a quality bag that can take all the extra weight your text books and everything else you have to carry that get a cheap bag that is probably going to break at the most inconvenient time. I had a regular back back my first year and for part of the following September, unfortunately it didn't last. I ended up buying a much better bag, though it wasn't cheap I'll have the lug tote I ended up choosing will last long after graduation, and it will likely end up as my work bag after I do graduate. There are lots of great backpacks and bags out there and doing some research by talking to other students and using the internet should give you a few good options.
Day Planner and Calendar
This is kind of an obvious one but having a day planner and a calendar to put beside you desk are important. Make sure to write down your due dates and exams when you get the information on the calendar in your day planner and the large one you keep beside your desk- its important to make sure you update both regularly.