It's September, and everybody's in back-to-school mode. We know you're busy buying folders, calculators, textbooks and pens -- the stuff everybody remembers! But you don't want to get to campus and realize that something is missing, something that you hadn't even considered. Here's what you shouldn't neglect as you prepare for the year ahead:
Lunchbox: We know, we know, you're not in kindergarten anymore, you have a meal plan, all that good stuff. But a lunchbox can seriously help if you have classes back-to-back and there's no time to run to a dining hall, not to mention you get to skip the overpriced vending machine grub.
See you never, stale Honey Bun from the vending machine.
Spare Change: Sure, it's 2017, and you can do basically everything from your phone, from your laundry to your parking. But you seriously never know when having like, two bucks in quarters will come in handy. Maybe that parking meter's card reader is busted, or maybe you need to grab some Taco Bell for a late-night study session. And it's a fact that you're less likely to use cash on frivolous purchases than your credit card! Keep it in your purse or backpack and be ready for anything.
Stain Remover Pen: Why does it always happen this way? You're about to go on a date or meet up with a professor for a letter of recommendation, and then you drip pizza sauce or coffee onto your shirt. (And if you're wearing a Route One Apparel shirt, that's especially heinous!) Keeping a stain remover pen in your bag will prevent you from looking like a slob when it really matters, especially when an internship is on the line.
The moment before disaster...you've got your stain remover pen, right?
Pencils: Who uses pencils anymore? Um, you, if you're taking a test that uses a scantron? Don't worry about relying on your prof's tiny golf pencils to get that bubble sheet filled out. Bring your own and you won't have to worry about forcing that dull tip to cooperate. (Pencil's also great for notes and for writing in your planner--you won't have to cross things out if you need to change something.) We've got a few that will make you the most stylish scholar in the classroom!
Air freshener: We're not here to judge you if you have a tendency to wait a long time to do laundry. After all, you've bought so many clothes from Route One Apparel, they'll last you awhile, right? But that doesn't give you any excuse to live in a smelly space. Whether you're in a dorm or an apartment, you probably don't want your signature odor to be gym socks and unwashed undies, so invest in some cheap and effective air fresheners!
Lanyard: College life depends on the humble lanyard -- the perfect spot for your keys, your ID, anything you need to keep close to your heart (literally). And while school-specific lanyards are great, you don't want to risk accidentally grabbing the wrong one if everybody else in your dorm or at that party is rocking the Terps, Bears, Tigers or Gulls. Go a little bit more unique while still showing off your state pride with our lanyard collection!
With colors like these, you have no excuse for forgetting your keys!
All right, collegiate, you're ready to face the new year! Let us know what often-forgotten item you recommend to students returning to college in the comments!
