Hey #PashFam! We asked the Passion Planner team which tools were absolutely essential during their time in college. With their responses, we created a list of the ten best back to school supplies for the upcoming school year. We hope you enjoy!

1. Muji Pens - $13

Muji pens are perfect for school because of their simple design. Plus, they offer many different colors to use for writing or drawing in your notebook. Because Muji pens are gel pens, the ink flows out of them with very little effort, which makes it perfect for taking many pages of notes in class. One thing to know about the Muji pen is that the ink will smudge slightly when highlighted over.

2. Mildliner Highlighters - $6

Mildliner highlighters offer both a bold tip and a fine tip on each pen body. This makes Midliners very convenient for school, as you can underline with the fine tip, or highlight entire sentences and sections with the bold tip. Our favorite thing about Mildliners is that they come in a variety of colors, including cool and warm tones, which is a rarity amongst highlighters. Don’t let that fool you though, these highlighters are vibrant enough to make their mark on anything you want to highlight. If you choose to buy the Mildliners, you’ll have much more flexibility in how to organize your notes or your planner.

3. Staedtler 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil - $10

The Staedtler mechanical pencil is simply one of the best. It’s a bit heavier than your normal mechanical pencil because the body is made of metal. The weight allows for much better control over the pencil, letting you accurately put your words or images on paper.

4. Bradley Mountain backpack - $185

Bradley Mountain backpacks are certainly on the expensive side, but they are made in the United States with high quality leather that will stand the test of time. To put it simply, this is the last backpack you’ll ever need to buy. Not only is it timeless, but Bradley Mountain will also fix your bag for free if it breaks in the future. This bag is ready for you to throw your laptop in and head to class.

5. Hydroflask water bottle - $45

According to research announced at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, “...college students who brought water with them into an exam scored higher marks than their counterparts who didn’t have water.”

We always knew staying hydrated was important, but it may even help you with your grades. The Hydroflask is perfect for keeping your water cold on hot days. They come in a myriad of colors, so you can even match it to your backpack and add it to your routine as a daily accessory.

6. Passion Planner - $35

A good planner is crucial to any successful school year. Keep your classes and homework assignments organized and planned out, while also working towards the other goals you have in life. The Passion Planner helps you break down your long term and short term goals and schedule them into your day so you tackle your dream one day at a time. They come in plenty of colors, sizes, and dated or undated pages, so you’ll definitely be able to find the right Passion Planner for you.

Use a free downloadable PDF for a few months to see if you like it or check out our YouTube channel for tips and tricks on how to make the best use of your planner.

7. Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones II, Noise-Cancelling - $350

Bose headphones are incredible because they’re noise cancelling and have Bluetooth capabilities, which makes them perfect for focusing while studying. Another cool feature is that you can pause your music or audiobook by simply tapping a button on the headphones. This makes it incredibly easy to take notes as you listen to audiobooks or study.

8. Tile - $22

Have you ever lost the keys to your dorm room? Made it to the front of the line to pay for your lunch and you can’t find your wallet? We know the feeling. The Tile stops this from ever happening again. Attach this little tile to your keys, wallet, laptop, or anything else that is extremely important to you and ensure that you never lose it again. Each tile is enabled with Bluetooth technology that allows you to check where your item is on your phone. You can also ring your device so that it makes an audible noise in the event that it’s located in a place where you can’t see it.

9. FitBit - $70

The FitBit can help you stay healthy while also staying productive. One of the key features for students is that it tracks your sleep if you wear it to bed. With this feature, you can make sure that your study sessions in the library aren’t running too late into the night. The power of sleep is pretty incredible - this article from Time Magazine reminds us that while we sleep, our brain removes toxic detritus that can cause huge issues if it builds up. Use your FitBit to make sure that you’re staying active while you’re awake and getting enough rest when you’re asleep. The FitBit can help you stay productive while balancing school and health throughout your day.

10. 64GB USB Flash Drive - $13

A USB is an obvious necessity in college. Not only can you keep homework assignments on your USB for quick printing in the library, but you can also keep your resume or portfolio on your USB to give to any potential employers you meet in passing.

What are some of your must-have items for the upcoming school year, #PashFam? Share in the comments below so that we can all bring our best selves to school this year!