Want to get the best study essentials to spice up your study space to make it more useful and aesthetic? These 40 products are both affordable and great for improving your study space! Stay tuned till the end to download your own FREE checklist!
A desk space that you feel comfortable in is crucial for being productive in that workspace and every month I’ll have a phase where I feel like my study desk needs a little spicing up either with cute stationery or valuable gadgets. Either way, it takes a long time to search for products, read reviews, and then find the perfect one for me.
Luckily, this post will include affordable study essentials that you need to improve your study workspace and some cute products that aren’t really essential but can make your study space look more aesthetic!
Disclaimer: none of these products are part of a paid promotion. This list is curated simply from my opinions of what you may want/need.
Must-Have Study Essentials
Writing Tools
- Pens & Pencils: Invest in a reliable set of pens & pencils because you will be taking a lot of notes & completing many assignments! I know if I don’t have my favorite pen with me, it’s so frustrating to get things done.
- Highlighters: A great way to make your notes pretty and emphasize important points.
- Erasers/Wite-Out
- Sticky Notes: I don’t know how I ever lived without using sticky notes to jot down random thoughts throughout the day! Plus, there are some really aesthetic sticky note packs you can get! It’s also useful for writing myself inspirational messages to put on the mirror for me to see every day 🙂
Paper Supplies
- Notebooks
- Binders: If you aren’t taking notes digitally, you NEED binders. It’s an added bonus if you buy some cute, pastel ones!
- Loose-leaf paper: I promise you your professor will ask you to pull out a loose-leaf sheet of paper and if you don’t have one you are going to have to rip out a sheet from your beautiful notebook & you don’t want to do that.
Electronic Devices
- Laptop: As a student, especially a college one, your laptop will be YOUR LIFE. A laptop is ABSOLUTELY essential. Everything from writing papers, taking notes, completing projects, and more, will be done on your laptop.
In college, I used the Apple Macbook Air and then upgraded to a Macbook Pro my senior year. Be sure to look out for Apple’s deals to score the lowest price! Before purchasing, check to see Apple’s Education Store! At the time I got my laptop, Apple was giving out free Beats headphones with every purchase. I believe now, at the time of writing this post, they are giving away a $200 gift card with every purchase. - Tablet: If you have the privilege of being able to buy a tablet, I highly recommend it. It is a great way to take notes digitally & reduce the need of notebooks, binders, & paper.
- Calculator: Have one on hand for math classes and exams.
- Noise-Canceling Headphones: These allow you to have the perfect study environment wherever you are.
- A second monitor: I know getting a second monitor can be expensive and is definitely a luxury, however, if you can get your hands on one I highly recommend it. Having more screen space for your documents and notes makes being productive 10x easier.
Study Essentials for Organization
- Accordion Folder: An accordion folder is a great way to replace all your class binders and compact them into one. In college, you are always on the go and you get papers handed to you all the time that you just don’t have time to organize until you get back to your dorm.
To prevent having a bunch of stuffed papers in your backpack, get an accordion folder to make it easier for you to quickly open it up and slide anything in there without the mess. - Calendar/Whiteboard: Having a calendar or whiteboard above your desk is useful for putting important dates on.
Furthermore, a portable whiteboard is helpful to use for solving math problems are writing down reactions.
For Your Desk
- Cable Manager: To keep your desk clean and organized despite all your cords.
- Extension Cord: You need an extension cord for your desk to hold all your cords and act as a surge protector.
- Desk Organizer: Having a desk organizer is a cute, compact way of keeping all your stationery in one place.
- Monitor Memo Board: If you have a monitor, having a memo board attached to it can be super useful for putting your important sticky notes on.
Study Essentials for Productivity
Time Management Tools
- Pomodoro Timers: Use a Pomodoro timer to break up your study sessions into manageable chunks & increase productivity!
- Time Management Apps:
Focus & Motivation Tools
- Blue Light Blocking Glasses: Nowadays everything we do is online and working in front of a computer for long periods of time can really affect your eyes and even give you a headache. Blue light-blocking glasses prevent this by blocking the blue light rays coming off of your devices.
- White Noise Machines: Use a white noise machine to block out distractions and improve focus.
- Mindfulness Apps: Mindfulness apps such as Headspace and Calm can help you reduce stress & increase your ability to stay engaged with your work.
- Inspirational Boards: This is just a great way to keep yourself inspired and motivated every time you come across your board. It can serve to remind you what your end-goal is and what you are working so hard for!
Study Essentials For Aesthetics
While function is important, having study essentials that are visually appealing can also make a difference in your motivation and productivity. Here are some study essentials to consider for aesthetic purposes:
Desk Accessories
- Digital Alarm Clock: If your desk is next to your bed, having an aesthetic digital alarm clock is just the cutest and most functional way to spice up your workspace.
- Desk Calendars: A nice little extra decor for your desk.
- Desk Plant: A desk plant can add life & vibrancy to your study space and provide health benefits by purifying the air and reducing stress.
- Decorative Items: Art prints with inspirational quotes or nature scenes are a great way to add personality & style to your study space.
- Phone Stand: Having a phone stand for your desk is just another way to make your life easier by propping up your phone at the perfect angle so you can better view your screen.
Study Accessories
- Bookends: These can add both style and function to your study space. They can keep your books and magazines organized and prevent them from falling over.
- Cute Pencil Pouch: Not only is this pencil pouch large capacity and high quality, but it is the cutest way to keep your stationery in order.
- Muji Pens: Colorful Muji gel pens are great for writing cute notes!
- Washi Tape: Cute way to decorate your notebooks!
Other Random Products
- Milk Carton Water Bottle: Why have a regular water bottle when you can have one that looks like a milk carton?
- Coasters: Cute coasters for your cute mugs.
Study Essentials for Comfort
- Ergonomic Desk Chair: An ergonomic chair can reduce back pain and improve your posture during long study sessions. Look for chairs with adjustable height, lumbar support, and comfortable cushioning.
- Standing Desks: Adjustable standing desks are a great way to change up your study space in terms of being able to do your work sitting down or standing up.
- Cozy Blanket: A great way to add comfort & warmth to your study space and create a cozy atmosphere!
- Mug Warmer: The best purchase I have ever made for my desk. If you’re a coffee drinker, tea drinker, or anything-warm drinker, you need this mug warmer. It is the best way to keep your drink warm throughout your study session so you don’t have to get up every 5 seconds to microwave your mug.
- Ergonomic Laptop Stand: Having an ergonomic laptop stand for your desk brings your laptop to perfect eye level to reduce neck and shoulder pain. It also keeps your laptop elevated, thus providing it with better elevation to prevent overheating.
Leave a Reply