Most schools, colleges, and universities are getting ready to start the new semester with either all online classes or a hybrid of online and in-person classes.
Because of this, I thought it would be helpful to gather a list of things that will help you be successful.
All of these are things that me and my siblings used while we were doing online classes this past Spring 2020 semester, and that made a difference in our organization and productivity.
Most of things will be on Amazon Prime, so if you need them quickly you can get them ASAP!
This article may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. Lamp
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It can be super frustrating to be taking late afternoon or night classes and for your work area to not have enough light.
Or when you have a presentation through Zoom and everyone can barely see you.
A lamp is a quick fix to both those problems.
This one is especially cool because you can control the brightness.
And after hours and hours of light exposure from your computer, phone, etc that one feature can become a big plus.
2. Sticky Notes
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Sticky notes are something that I just got back in the habit of using.
They are great for marking an important page, adding quick notes or reminding me to do something.
I found these awesome ones that you can use to mark an important page and write notes within it with plenty of space!
I definitely like the size better than normal sticky notes.
It saves me from using a sticky note to mark the page and another for my notes.
Sidenote: I also forgot how fun it can be to just play with sticky notes. Great stress relief.
3. Power Strip
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Power strips can be super helpful when you have a lot of electronics that need to charged.
As well as when you need to charge your computer but there is not a plug that is nearby enough for your regular computer charger.
4. Desk Organizer
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In my opinion, keeping my desk organized was a huge factor for my success.
It helped me know where all my notes where, and I had everything I needed close by.
Having a desk organizer like this one, gives everything in your desk a ‘home’.
Once you have a spot for everything you need, you dont need to worry about having to find it in a random spot later.
Especially if you are taking an open note quiz and you have no idea where your notebook is!
This desk organizer is not like the one I have used but it is Amazon’s Choice.
5. Notebooks
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This is an obvious thing, keeping all your notes in one space be it a notebook or a binder is super important.
I have honestly always prefered to write my notes on a notebook and then create a binder with a ‘clean set’ of notes.
Meaning that I rewrite my notes to be more concise and easy to look back at.
My favorite brand of notebooks to use by far is Five Star because you can have several subject notebooks like this one.
Yet, that is just my personal preference.
You can also get cheaper notebooks like this one that Amazon recommends.
I would recommend you get college-ruled notebooks because you will use less pages to write your notes. And they still have plenty of space for big handwriting.
6. Trash Can
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Having a messy desk can be super annoying, and take up a lot of space.
Make sure you have a trash can close by so you can throw away all the paper or water bottles or whatever it is that is cluttering your area.
I personally love this one because it is skinny, so it won’t take up a lot of space if you choose to hide it under your desk.
7. Planner
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Having classes online and working from home has a lot of pros and cons.
A strong con is that it can become easier to keep track of what work you need to do and for what day.
Having a planner has always been a great solution for this.
You can either choose to do it all online through your google calendar or getting a physical planner.
I personally use google calendar for super important deadlines, since I can set a reminder that will be sent to my phone and apple watch.
Yet, for smaller things like homeworks, I will write those in a physical planner.
I recommend getting a planner that will encompass your academic year and not a normal Jan-Dec year.
I think this one is a pretty good deal for around $10.
8. Water Bottle
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Dehydration is a HUGE inhibitor to mental abilities.
And if you are constantly working from your desk at home it can be easy to forget that you haven’t had a lot of water during the day.
I would never carry a huge water bottle around campus, just because it doesn’t really fit in my bad and I am sure I would forget it somewhere.
But, now that we are working from home having a big water bottle like this one can be the way to go.
Especially since it has reminders to drink water by certain times.
9. Highlighters
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Everyone knows the importance of highlighters for good notes and organization.
If used correctly, they can help you highlight the most important notes you have or the most pressing item on your to-do list.
10. Pens
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I know that everyone has their personal preference on pens.
But this are seriously amazing, especially if you like fine tip pens.
They have a huge variety so it is easy to just assign a color to a specific topic in your note taking.
If you are someone who doesn’t color code their notes, I would still recommend these to keep your notes fun every once in a while.
11. Printer
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If you are working from home, you will mostly likely no longer have access to the library printer.
And you honestly might not need a printer since you aren’t turining in hard copies of your assignments.
But if you are someone who likes to have a physical copy of an assignment you are working on, or proofread your essays better by hand I would recommend getting a printer.
This other option is not prime, but it is an Amazon bestseller under $100.
12. Headphones
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In my opinion, good earphones or headphones are a must have for online classes.
Sometimes working from home can be loud if you have other family there, especially if they are also working.
The ones shown are the newest Apple airpods, and they obviously have great reviews and are awesome if you love in ear earphones.
My personal favorites are the Powerbeats Pro.
They aren’t meant to sit inside your ear but sit around it, and they have noise cancelling.
Amazon’s choice of over-ear noise-canceling headphones are these ones, and they honestly have pretty good reviews and are way more affordable.
13. Mouse
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After using your computer for a long time, you can easily get frustrated at your trackpad.
That’s why lately the usage of wireless mouses has become popular.
This specific mouse is really great, because it helps your wrist by preventing carpal tunnel.
This is especially useful for art students who really spend a lot of time on a mouse.
14. Laptop Stand
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I think a laptop stand is a good halfway point between no stand and a standing desk.
I have been honestly shocked at how expensive a standing desk can be, and have not bought one for myself.
Yet, this laptop stand is only $42 and helps my posture a lot while working.
Which in turn, makes it more comfortable to work. Making it easier to work for a longer period of time.
This one is also pretty nice because it has a specific area for your mouse as well.
15. Computer
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At the end of the day, for you to succeed in online classes , the #1 thing you need is a computer.
If you happen to have one that you suspect will be giving out soon, this would be THE time to get a new one.
Ok, so I cannot personally recommend a laptop on amazon because I have been using a Macbook Air for years now.
The one linked is Amazon’s Choice and I honestly was shocked at the price since it is under $350 right now.
Yet, I would actually recommend you look for the student discounts that Best Buy, Apple, and even Costco offer on laptops.
In Conclusion
In my personal experience having an organized desk and a good schedule is the key to productivity while studying from home.
As well as finding the most comfortable setting for you to work in.
So maybe apart from the things listed above, you might want to invest in a new chair or a different desk, or even just a pillow with back support since you are going to be spending quite a bit of time at the same desk.
It is all personal preference!
If you think of something that helped you while you were studying from home, but was not included in this list let me know with a comment below!
