Printer – for printing all materials from course websites, as well as drafts of assignments

• Any laser printer that can print 20-30 black-and-white pages quickly. Keep all course material in a binder in chronological order, together with your class notes and reading notes, so that you can easily review it weekly, mark the important stuff with a red pen, and add it to your study guide.

3-Hole Punch – for punching holes in all materials printed from course websites

• One seriously heavy-duty 3-hole punch. The more it costs, the more time and hassle you’ll save. A great 3-hole punch helps you transfer your printed course materials to your binder quickly and easily, so that you can efficiently review it every week without having to look at some things in your notebook, other things in your handouts, and even more things online.

Binders – for carrying current course materials and storing past course materials

• One 1.5” D-ring binder that you carry every day to hold all your handouts and notes for each class. 1.5” is usually big enough to hold all materials for a 10-week quarter. If it starts to overflow, get a second one in a different color. Anything bigger is heavy and awkward in a backpack.

• Several 2” or 3” D-ring binders that you keep at home to store material from past quarters, so that at the end of the year, you have all your materials from each course in chronological order in a binder, in case you want to refer to refer to it in later years or share it with other students.

Dividers – one for each class, even sports and classes where you don’t think you’ll need one

• Dividers with colored tabs, preferably pocketed ones so that you can keep your course syllabus and study guide in the pocket for easy access when you review every week.

Notebooks – for taking notes in class, taking notes on your reading, and doing assignments

• One spiral-bound notebook with 100 to 200 sheets of full-sized 8.5 x 11” perforated and 3-hole punched college-ruled paper. This makes it easy to transfer your notes to your binder every time you fill up a page or get an assignment back.

Pencils – for use in math, science, foreign language, and art courses

• Several wooden pencils, a small sharpener, and spare erasers. Mechanical pencils break down, usually at the worst time.

Pens – for use in humanities and social science courses

• Several black or blue pens for taking notes and writing. Pen is often required in these courses.

• Two red pens for marking important things when you review weekly, so that you can easily identify the stuff you need to add to the ongoing study guide you update every time you review.

Click here for a printable one-page pdf of SMITH RIVAS Recommended School Supplies!