Starting your year off the right way isn’t always an easy task. Here are my top five recommended items to help make this school year a breeze:

1.     A backpack – Awkwardly hauling your books down the hall and praying they won’t spill out of your arms, isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. Invest in a backpack that will make trekking from class to class less of a hassle. It will save you some physical and mental stress.

2.     A day planner – All the classes, assignments and social obligations we students face are sometimes overwhelming. Do yourself a favour and get organized with a day planner. Putting your daily responsibilities down on paper is guaranteed to lower your stress levels and make you more productive.

3.     A to-go cup – We all dread those early morning classes. I’m yet to meet a fellow student who jumps out of bed with joyful anticipation for an 8 a.m. lecture. Find a good to-go cup that you can rely on to provide your brain with the caffeine fuel it needs to jump-start your day.

4.     Designated bar shoes – The bar can be a dirty place, literally. We’ve probably all witnessed the mistake of wearing new shoes out and by the end of the night they are either in pieces or a completely different color. I’ve seen countless shoes fall victim to the bar, never to be worn again. Choose a pair of shoes strictly for your nights out to avoid ruining more footwear than necessary.

5.     Kraft Dinner – However obvious this may be, it’s a classic for a reason.  Nothing is quite as satisfying and comforting as coming home at the end of a long, stressful day to a warm pot of KD.

Being a student isn’t always as carefree as we’d like it to be. So hopefully this list makes navigating your way through the academic world a little less hectic.