How to Prepare for the New School Year

The start of the school year tends to come around fast, so being organised is important. If you don’t have everything ready for the first day, you risk being late and missing important items, which is not a great way to start a new term. Whether you are buying equipment for yourself or someone else, here’s a guide to getting organised.

Look for Deals on Expensive Items

Some pieces of equipment are more expensive than others. A laptop sits firmly at the top of this list. Since a lot of learning is done digitally these days, most kids need a laptop for school. If you are lucky, the school will provide one, but otherwise, you’ll need to buy a laptop before the new semester starts.

Many big tech brands run sales and offer discount codes a month or so before the start of the new school year. This is an excellent time to buy a laptop.

Consider your budget and what the laptop is likely to be used for. A Google Chromebook is a good option for students, as it has great functionality and is compatible with popular productivity apps like MS Office. Windows laptops are the most popular, but buy the best one you can afford, preferably a laptop with at least 8Gb of RAM and a minimum i5 Intel Core processor, such as a Lenovo laptop for school.

Check the Reading List

A school year means new classes, and possibly new subjects to study. Get hold of your reading list for the next semester and start shopping for the books you need. It is a good idea to buy these a few weeks in advance, so you have time to dip into them. Getting a head start on subjects you are unfamiliar with or not as confident in, is smart.

New books are readily available online, but if you are on a tight budget, look for second-hand versions instead. Just make sure they are the right edition, as earlier editions of textbooks might lack essential information, or have information that is out of date.

It is also worth looking for digital copies of textbooks, as they don’t weigh anything, which is always a bonus at the end of a long school day.

Stationery Supplies

While a lot of work is done online these days, some stationery is essential. Pick up pens and notepads for revision and research. Add a pack of highlighters and some cool post-it notes so you can mark important information and make it easier to find later.

Don’t go with generic, cheap stationery. Pick items that fit your personality; it’s one of the few areas at school where you can dare to be different.

Finish Summer Assignments

Finally, don’t wait until 9 PM the night before school starts to check what summer assignments you were supposed to complete. That’s not sensible in the slightest. It’s much better to complete any assignments at the beginning of the summer break, so you can relax and enjoy the rest of the summer without assignments hanging over your head.