20 Must-Have Stationery Items for College Students
We will be talking all about the best stationery items for college students!
Looking for the best stationery items for college students?!
From stationery organizers to keep your desk neat, to bullet journals to keep track of budgeting and random reminders, staying organized in college is easier with the right supplies!
Here are 20 must-have items every college student needs in their backpack, college apartment or dorm room desk.
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Best Stationery Items for College Students
1. Stationery Organizers
Just like a college student needs a backpack, you also need a desk.
In order to maximize desk space, many students use stationery organizers to store their pens, pencils, or go-to notebooks.
Not only does this add some fun color and texture to your desk, it helps eliminate clutter from the workspace!
2. Cable Organizers and Charging Stations
More stationery items for college students:
To be honest, I did not know about cable organizers or cable clips during college and I have major regrets now.
Tripping over wires or getting them all tangled does not have to be normalized anymore!
3. Scientific Calculator
I am always hesitant to recommend scientific calculators because professors/classes require different things.
Personally, I have been using this TI-84 Plus calculator and it has held up after so many years of throwing it around my backpack.
I would recommend asking your professor what kind they recommend before making a purchase like this one 🙂
4. Erasable Pens
More on our list of stationery items for students:
I will be the first to say that erasable pens are extremely underrated and should be part of your list of stationery for university students.
With regular pens, you are always on edge about making random mistakes and making your notes look kind of messy.
If you aren’t nitpicky like I am then it really won’t matter, but I love that I am able to fix mistakes in my notes without crossing stuff out all over the place.
5. Bullet Journals
If you are looking for a way to better organize random sticky note reminders, track your expenses, or start to take meal prepping seriously, BULLET JOURNALING IS FOR YOU.
I am obsessed with my Minimalism Art bullet journal and can honestly not see myself being “organized” like I am now.
The Leuchtturm1917 bullet journal is a close second (just has thinner pages than I’d like).
I am super picky about smoothness of pages and bullet journal colors, so I JUST HAD TO share these with you <3
Looking for more bullet journal or planner ideas? Check out our related posts:
6. Marker Pens (For Notes, Bullet Journaling, and Planners)
Some other college stationary:
As a bullet journal junkie, I knew I could not share bullet journals.. without sharing marker pens too!
I personally love the TwinTone marker pens because they are dual-sided with a thicker end and thinner end (perfect for note-taking during class).
I also have a funny loyalty with Fineliner marker pens because they were the first marker pens to get me started with bullet journaling and did a pretty good job.
7. Double Ended Highlighters
The Mildliner Highlighers are also one of my favorite note-taking, studying and bullet journaling companions.
Like the TwinTone pens, these Mildliner Highlighters are also dual-ended!!
Aka, you can highlight like a “regular highlighter” on one side and also have a thinner “marker pen” that is the same color on the other side!!
8. Sticky Notes (Colorful, Regular, or Funny)
More stationary supplies organization:
RAMEN STICKY NOTES?! Yeah, I also could not believe they existed.
If you are looking to have some fun “meme” sticky notes then, the ramen sticky notes are PERFECT.
I also had to mention regular yellow sticky notes or colorful sticky notes because heyy, options!
9. White Out or Correction Tape
There is a definitely a pattern of “meme” stationery going on here, such as these Milk Bottle styled correction tapes!!
It is so cute, I doubt anyone would mind having it in their pencil case for the cuteness factor.
Of course, also had to mention these Bic Wite Out Correction Tapes because I have used these since elementary school.
10. College Desk Notebooks
More on this stationary supplies list:
Honestly, one of the best changes I made in college was using smaller notebooks for class.
I know it does not work for everybody, but if you prefer having less bulk walking around a campus all day, these notebooks are perfect!!
Some of my friends also told me that with these notebooks, they are able to condense their notes a little more without trying 🙂
*plus since these are smaller, you can have more space on those “smaller” college desks*
Want even more ways to organize your desk?! Find related posts here:
11. Cash Envelope System for Budgeting or Budget Binder
Learning how to budget in college will save you heartache in the future!!
One of my favorite ways to budget includes using a cash envelope system in which you carry cash instead of paying with your card.
It really helps you minimize on unnecessary purchases!
12. Budget Sheets, Expense Trackers or Budget Planners
Additional university supplies:
Tracking your expenses is such an important part of budgeting.
In college I learned that if I didn’t track my expenses, I would spend so much on unnecessary purchases like boba or chips at the gas station.
Those extra Frappuccinos before class really add up so make sure to start tracking!!
13. Reusable Index Cards or Spiral Bound Index Cards
If you are the type of person that loves VISUALLY seeing your notes while studying, then these reusable index cards are a really good option.
My best friend swears by them!!
I like to recommend these spiral bound index cards when you are studying for a test with a bunch of vocab.
*Pro Tip: Create your index cards while vocab terms are showing in class. That way they are already made for when you are studying!
14. College Stationery Items Sets
Extra stationary essentials for studying:
I’m kind of annoyed I did not hop on the rose gold trend a long time ago.
If you don’t mind having mix-matched colors in your stationery, then individual packs are a safe bet.
BUT, if you are like me and love color-coding your stationery, then grab yourself a college stationery set!!
15. Mechanical Pencils
When it comes to mechanical pencils, I am super picky.
These 3 are my favorite mechanical pencils by far!!
The feeling of having a quality mechanical pencil gets me revved up while writing notes and needs to be added to your study essentials.
16. To Do Lists and Notepads
Additional online college supplies:
You have seen to-do lists most likely, but these are not your basic, “stick on the fridge” notepads!
I like that these notepads give you more options to organize your tasks than just a one-column to-do list.
I know you know what I mean 😛
17. Book Stand
Yes, book stands are great for textbooks..
But they are real gems when you are meal prepping for the week!!
In college you are going to be testing different recipes on your phone, tablet or cookbook.
You will want to have a place to have your recipes on display while cooking.
18. Erasable Calendars
More stationery items for college:
My roommate influenced me to get an erasable calendar after seeing how well it turned out for her.
It is nice to know important events happening throughout the week ahead of time so you don’t miss them!
19. Desk Organizers and/or Paper Trays
It is embarrassing to say but in college, I use to dump all of my paper in my backpack because it started building up on my desk.
Things really changed once I got a paper tray and started organizing the sht out of notes, tests, and random papers.
Organize your space with these desk organizers!!
20. Pencil Cases
More on this stationery essentials list:
College students use their pencil cases to store everything from pens, pencils, erasers, and highlighters.
With so many options out there today, it’s easy to find the perfect pencil case for any college student.
I would opt to find one that has LOTS of storage space if you need it.
We Made It!
I hope you found some useful, fun stationery items to have with you throughout college!! Let me know how these stationery items work for you as a student and which ones you choose from this stationery products list.
Summary of post: This post is all about stationery items for college students.
