Back to School Essentials That Every Student Should Have
Discover the back-to-school essentials every student needs to start the year off right, from backpacks to water bottles, with expert insights and must-have gear. As summer winds down and hallways buzz back to life, having the right kit can mean the difference between hauling gear and gliding into class like you own the place. Whether you’re a freshman figuring out your routine or an upperclassman who’s seen it all before, these Back to School Essentials will keep you organized, protected, and dare we say, a little bit cool.
JanSport Right Pack Backpack | Acer Aspire 3 Slim Laptop | Lined Journal Notebook | JrTrack 4 Kids Smart Watch | Gel Pens 10 Pack | Owala FreeSip Water Bottle |
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With premium Cordura fabric, suede bottom, padded 15″ laptop sleeve, and water bottle pocket, this backpack combines durability, comfort, organization, and style. | Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM, 15.6″ Full HD display, Wi-Fi 6, multiple ports, this laptop delivers performance. | Featuring 365 pages of 100 gsm acid-free paper, a vegan leather hardcover, lay-flat binding, and storage pocket, this journal prioritizes quality and organization. | This wrist-sized smart watch offers GPS tracking, parent-approved calling and texting, SOS alerts, activity goals, and Spotify Kids integration for secure, kiddos. | These 0.5 mm fine-point gel pens feature a silicone grip, retractable design, and metal clip, delivering smooth, smear-free writing for notes or journaling. | With its patented dual-mode FreeSip spout, push-button locking lid, and double-wall insulation, this 32 oz stainless steel bottle keeps beverages cold and spill-free. |
JanSport Right Pack Backpack – “Carry It Like a Pro”
Image credit: JanSport
Go on adventures or navigate your daily commute with the Right Pack’s tried-and-true blend of durability and style. Crafted from premium Cordura® fabric, material once reserved for military gear, this backpack feels like it could survive the apocalypse (or at least four years of college). The suede leather bottom and zipper pulls add a touch of understated luxury, while the splash-resistant hood keeps rain at bay, no more soggy textbooks on your way to that 8 a.m. lecture.
Inside, the main compartment swallows everything from thick textbooks to gym shorts, and the dedicated 15″ padded laptop sleeve is the kind of feature students dreamt about when we all schlepped laptops in ratty neoprene sleeves in the early 2000s. The front organizer pocket corrals pens, chargers, and those ubiquitous flash drives so nothing gets lost at the bottom of your bag, trust me, I’ve been there.
Comfort’s never an afterthought: straight-cut, adjustable shoulder straps are generously padded, and the fully cushioned back panel prevents that “death by backpack” feeling after a day of classes. Bonus: an integrated water bottle pocket sits flush with the side panel, so you stay hydrated without looking like you’re smuggling a water cooler.
Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH Slim Laptop – “Power Meets Portability”
Image credit: Acer
Thirty years ago, “lightweight laptop” meant lugging a three-inch-thick brick; the Aspire 3 redefines portable power. Under its sleek, silver chassis lives AMD’s Ryzen 3 7320U quad-core processor and Radeon graphics, enough muscle to juggle Zoom lectures, spreadsheets, and the occasional Netflix break without skipping a beat. And with 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM paired to a 128 GB NVMe SSD, you’ll boot up faster than you can say “blue screen.”
The 15.6″ Full HD IPS display delivers crisp text and vibrant colors, proving that budget laptops can look as sharp as their premium counterparts. Narrow bezels maximize screen real estate, making group projects feel less like squinting through a peephole. The HD webcam’s Temporal Noise Reduction and PurifiedVoice audio tech are lifesavers for late-night study sessions in dimly lit dorms, your classmates will see and hear you loud and clear.
Connectivity covers all bases: USB-C with DisplayPort and charging support, HDMI 2.1 for an external monitor, two USB 3.2 ports for peripherals, and Wi-Fi 6 ensures a rock-solid signal in crowded lecture halls. Improved thermals, thanks to a 78% larger fan surface and 17% more capacity, keep the machine cool during marathon work sessions, so performance won’t throttle when deadlines loom.
Lined Journal Notebook – “Your Thoughts, Bound to Impress”
Image credit: Ansopu
If you cut your teeth on spiral-bound notebooks with pages that fell out by page five, this A5 journal feels like destiny. The 100 gsm acid-free Ivory paper provides a luxuriously smooth writing surface that resists ink bleed, even when you channel your inner calligrapher with a fountain pen. With 365 pages, plus 64 perforated for easy tear-out, you’ll be set for an entire year of notes, dreams, doodles, and everything in between.
The vegan leather hardcover isn’t just for looks: it’s water-resistant, hard enough to protect your thoughts from backpack spills, yet supple enough to feel great under hand. The embossed “Tree of Life” motif is a nod to resilience, fitting for students who juggle everything from late-night lab reports to weekend road trips. The 180° lay-flat design means you’ll never wrestle with an uncooperative spine when sketching diagrams or reviewing notes.
And because no two minds organize the same way, this notebook comes loaded with extras: an elastic bookmark to mark your place, index-tab stickers for color-coded sections, and an inner pocket to stash receipts, flashcards, or secret snack stashes. It’s a small command center for your academic life, because being organized shouldn’t require extra apps or login credentials.
JrTrack 4 Kids Smart Watch – “Peace of Mind, Wrist-Sized”
Image credit: Cosmo
Transform your child’s first phone into a wrist-sized safety hub: the JrTrack 4 packs calling, texting, GPS tracking, and SOS alerts into a kid-friendly package. Gone are the days of mysterious missing phones; this watch uses Cosmo OS and an included SIM to ensure reliable family-safe connections across North America, all under your watchful eye.
Parental controls aren’t an afterthought, they’re baked in. Only approved contacts can reach your child, internet access is blocked, and customizable SafeZone geofences send instant alerts when they arrive or wander outside designated areas. As a tech journalist watching devices evolve from pagers to smartphones, Christian appreciates how this watch balances freedom and security without feeling like digital handcuffs.
Beyond safety, JrTrack 4 is an all-day companion: step counts, alarms, and even Spotify Kids add fun and function. The 680 mAh battery keeps the watch running through school days, and the rugged design stands up to playground escapades. It’s a phone, tracker, and personal assistant, minus the risk of a social media rabbit hole.
UIXJODO Gel Pens – “Write on Point”
Image credit: UIXJODO
Remember those gel pens of the ’90s that smudged ink faster than you could write “pass”? UIXJODO’s 0.5 mm fine points glide across paper with precision, delivering crisp black lines without bleed or smear. Whether you’re annotating textbooks or doodling in margins, these pens make every stroke count.
The silicone grip is a game-changer for marathon note-taking sessions. Gone are the days of cramped fingertips after three pages, this soft, ergonomic sleeve cradles your fingers, so you can write longer, neater, and with less fatigue. The retractable mechanism and sturdy metal clip evoke a bygone era of durable tools; no more lost caps or flimsy pen bodies.
Sold in a pack of ten, these “vintage” pens aren’t just classroom workhorses, they’re perfect for journaling, planning, and bullet journaling aficionados. At a time when people crave analog outlets, UIXJODO proves that a simple, well-designed pen still matters.
Owala FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle – “Sip, Swig, Repeat”
Image credit: Owala
Hydration science has come a long way since the days of flimsy plastic bottles. The FreeSip’s patented dual-mode spout lets you sip through the straw during lectures or flip the lid for a swig when you’re late to lab, two drinking options in one sleek package.
Its double-wall stainless steel keeps water icy cold for up to 24 hours, so you’re not downing lukewarm sips halfway through a heat-wave study session. The push-to-open lid locks in spills and keeps the spout clean, no more scraping gunk off your straw before a drink.
At 32 oz, it strikes the perfect balance between capacity and portability, and the carry loop doubles as a lock to prevent accidental pops. Hand-wash the bottle, pop the lid in the dishwasher, and it’s ready for another week of refills, just the kind of low-maintenance essential every student needs.
From backpacks built to last decades to smartwatches that give parents peace of mind, these Back to School Essentials cover every angle of student life. Equip yourself with gear that’s as reliable as it is stylish, and start the semester ready for anything. Ready to upgrade your school kit? Dive into our full reviews and grab your favorites today.
