Back to School Must Haves

Going back to school is easier when you are happy with the tools and products you will be working with. Here is a list of my best suggestions for students.

1. Livescribe – Missed part of what the teacher said while taking notes? No biggie with this an amazing tool! This smartpen allows students to record classes while taking notes. All you have to do is tap the page at the part of the lecture you want to here again and it will be played back for you. Some versions allow you to put your notes onto your laptop or mobile device. Starting at about $130 plus the cost of paper and refills, these pen maybe out of reach for some people but it you can afford it and use the tool correctly it can truly benefit a student who is struggling in middle school, high school or college. Click here to visit their website.

2. Lapdesks- Not everyone likes to student at a desk. In fact only one of my three kids uses a desk and none of my student clients at this point in time. Many students need to feel comfortable in order to not be distracted and focus on homework. Sitting on a made bed, is a big comfy chair or on the floor is fine. If you are using a laptop on it get one with a fan like this one from Amazon. 

3. Backpacks-I love L.L. Bean backpacks. They are sturdy! When my kids hit middle school we graded each of them to these backpacks. I have two 19 year olds and a 14 year old, all the bags are still in great condition. They are cheap but over time they will save money since they don’t have to be replaced year. We opted to get match lunchboxes too. Visit their website here.

4. Flashdrives- Many kids use Google classroom to do their work these days so they always have access to their work but if not having a unique flash drive will be helpful for not losing theirs. Check out this website for ideas.

5. Planners- Many students use paper planners still because a digital planner means out of sight out of mind. The best types of planners ones with a grid format. This means it had columns for each day of the week. This format allows students to see the whole week at one time in a more linear way for future planning (i.e. time management). I like At-a-glance weekly planners. Visit their website here.

6. iStudiezPro app- If you have a student that prefers digital I would recommend iStudiezPro. It syncs your data. It combines tracking grades, homework and schedules. Available for Windows, iSO and Android. Visit their website here.

7. Khan Academy app- It’s free and without it I don’t think my daughter would have gotten through high school. She used it for math often when doing homework or studying for tests. But Khan Academy has many other subjects as well explained in simple language that you can start and stop as needed. Also available for Windows, iSO and Android.

8. Cornell notes- Cornell notes are a great way to take notes. It allows people to take notes in a format that works for them and the summary at the bottom re-enforces the learning new information so it becomes your own knowledge. If you are unfamiliar with Cornell notes, watch this short video on how to take Cornell notes.  My daughter started using Cornell notes in seventh grade and still uses them today in college. Studies have shown that students who take notes the good old fashion way (by hand), actually learn more information. No fear you can use the Livescribe pen from above and Cornell notes at the same time. If you still prefer your computer for note taking here is a template for Google Drive.  If you use Notability, that can work too with Cornell notes. Here is a link to the Notability app and here is a youtube video on how to set up Cornell notes in Notability.

9. A good pen- For some of us, me included, the joy of writing is all about a good pen. One that flows in the hand while I write. I prefer the uniball air. Buy here at Amazon.  But there are others as well, try the Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm, Pilot Juice 0.38mm, Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4mm.

10. External drive- If you are using your computer of all your work, backing it up is a must. Really it is a must either way. Western Digital External Drive are great. Buy here are Newegg. $69.99 normally and 49.99 when on sale.