Getting your gear

Compiling the materials you’ll need to succeed

JACOB POLITTE ONLINE EDITOR

In order to be a part of any successful team, you need to make sure you have the best quality of materials.

And here are a lot of materials that you’ll need to be ready for college life. In order to progress further along in your college career, you’ll need several vital tools to help you achieve your goals both in and out of the classroom. Some of them are more vital than others. Some of them aren’t requirements necessarily, but will help you greatly along your journey, and some are absolutely essential.

Below you’ll find a checklist of those items, along with specific details about why you’ll need them and where you can find them.

Pencils, pens, highlighters and paper:

These items are an absolute given. Some professors will type out lecture notes for you to keep, but you might need the paper to take notes in case they don’t, or even just in case they elaborate on the topics that they discuss. It really just depends on your professor. You might also need a few highlighters to make sure the most important notes stick out on the paper, so that you remember them. All of these items are accessible, and you can find them at almost any department or book store.

Binders:

These will be one of the most helpful items in helping you to organize your classwork. It’s possible to fit all of your coursework in one binder (a zip-up, cloth binder is pretty durable) but if the class requires extensive amounts of note taking or classwork, you might want to have a binder for each course that you take. Bookstore employee Linda Forrest has worked at the Meramec Bookstore for almost three years, and throughout her time there, she says that generally has seen students purchase more than one binder for their courses. Like the handwriting tools listed above, you can find binders almost anywhere; many stores sell them.

Textbooks:

The truth of the matter is that the textbooks that your instructors assign for your classes may not be used all that much. The amount that they are used just depends on who your instructor is and how they conduct their class. Despite this, they are a requirement to have, and they can be expensive. Textbooks can be rented from the Meramec Bookstore, or they can be bought outright there as well. Beware though: not every textbook can be rented. Some, like many of the math and science textbooks, have to be purchased. Last year, Forrest said that many textbooks are becoming formatted in a loose-leaf style, making them impossible to rent. This is because in many cases, the book will come with an online access code.

Prices for both purchase and rentals can vary; it really just depends on the textbook, and what condition it’s in. Failure to return the rented textbook will result in a $25 fee, in addition the difference between buying and renting the book. If you are looking to purchase textbooks at a cheaper rate, Amazon.com is also a great place to look; they may be used, but they are much more affordable.

Laptop:

This item isn’t necessarily a requirement to have, but it will help you immensely in your studies. Most importantly, it will save you from relying too heavily on a library computer, as those can seem like they are in limited supply on some days.

Flash Drive:

This is an essential item to have; it helps you to keep your assignments in one place and allows you to work on those assignments in places that aren’t your personal computer. Making sure that the flash drive is properly organized too will help immensely. Flash drives can be purchased from many different places, but the Meramec Bookstore does sell Flash Drives that vary in size from 8GB to 32GB, with prices varying from $7.95 to $16.00 before tax. Depending on how much coursework you may have to do, you might want to explore getting a 64GB or even larger.

Bookbag:

Seriously, you’re gonna need something to carry all of this stuff in. Carrying around all of these items in your hands will just make you look dumb. Any sort of brand of book bag will do; the Jansport brand in particular isn’t a bad choice. Ultimately though, the brand isn’t important. It’s about what will make you feel most comfortable. Size is also a factor; you might have a lot of things to carry. Your high school bookbag probably won’t cut it. If you don’t find what you’re looking for at your local retail outlet of choice, Amazon has fantastic brands at an affordable price.