11 Graduate School Essentials for Working Professionals

So you’ve been out of college for a few (or more) years and are starting graduate school soon — congratulations!

Then it hits: what does back-to-school shopping even look like for a full-blown adult?

The pressure’s off to have the trendiest Trapper Keeper, but there are likely a few essentials you’ll want to have before the first day of class.

Here are the main categories I’ll cover (with examples of must-have vs nice-to-have items for each):

1. Technology

2. Office Supplies

3. Health and Wellness

Before Shopping for Graduate School

Keep in mind that the first semester is a major transition and to only get the basics. You’ll likely only need home versions of what helps you be successful at work if you go to an office.

That said, feel free to treat yourself to upgrades of your favorite items — you deserve it for taking on the challenge of graduate school.

---

---

Technology

Technology Shopping List for Graduate School:

• Desktop computer, laptop or tablet with keyboard/smart pen

• External hard drive for back-up storage

• Noise-cancelling headphones

• Digital smart notebook

---

Must-Have Tech for Graduate School: 

• Desktop computer, laptop or tablet with keyboard/smart pen

As a student, you likely have a lot of paper-writing or projects in your future. Having a reliable computer with available storage space for coursework and any required software is a must.

If your personal computer is 5+ years old or you’re concerned about whether it will survive until graduation, a new one may be worth the investment.

If you prefer a tablet for portability and note-taking, pick up accessories like a keyboard and smart pen to maximize its capabilities and uses throughout your program.

Pro Tip: If your courses will require the use of certain programs or software (ex. Adobe products, statistical analysis software), ask current students if they recommend Mac versus PC for ease of use doing school work.

Nice-to-Have Tech for Graduate School:

• External hard drive for back-up storage

Depending on how much storage you will need and the length of your graduate program, you might consider a physical hard drive in addition to any cloud-based programs like Google Drive.

If you have a significant long-term project — especially a dissertation for future PhD students — the piece of mind from having your work saved in multiple places is worth the cost.

• Noise-cancelling headphones

For those who need to block out the sounds of the world to focus — noise-cancelling headphones may be useful for your efficiency.

Again, if this is the type of item that helps you focus in your job or other parts of your life, it will be especially helpful when you’re back in school.

• Digital smart notebook

What is a smart notebook? I had no idea until a classmate brought one to class and raved about it.

Essentially, it’s a notebook with reusable pages that are saved digitally for future reference. You write on each page, save it to the cloud, then wipe it clean like a white board.

One benefit is being able to organize your notes and search for key topics on demand. (Ever wish you could Ctrl + F your notebooks?)

Intrigued? Check out the Rocketbook Smart Notebook — it has a 4.5/5 rating with 50,000+ reviews.

Fun fact: Research shows that handwriting, whether on a digital device or pen and paper, supports better memorization than typing (National Institutes of Health)

---

Office Supplies

Office Supplies Shopping List for Graduate School:

• Notebooks and pens or pencils

• Calendar or planner

• Post-its

• White board or easel pad

---

There are no “must-haves” in this category in case you prefer being fully digital.

For those who love the excitement of handwriting notes and the smell of new school supplies, though — I’ve got you covered.

Nice-to-Have Office Supplies for Graduate School:

• Notebooks and pens or pencils

If the digital notebook feels too techy, these are the old faithfuls of student life.

Do yourself a favor and get notebooks and pens that you genuinely love using, it will make your note-taking and school experience infinitely more enjoyable.

Even if you go with inexpensive notebooks, shop for nicer pens that write smoothly and are comfortable in your hand — you’ll be using them for countless hours throughout your graduate studies. (There’s no need to add carpal tunnel syndrome to sleep deprivation).

• Calendar or planner

As a graduate student, it took me at least a semester to find the right planning system for how my brain functions.

Ultimately, I used a color-coded digital calendar (combination of Google Calendar on my phone and Microsoft Outlook at work), plus I created a large semester-view version on my apartment wall with paper and multi-colored post-its. I used these to note readings, assignments, and big happenings in life for encouragement.

Here are two large post-it planner iterations I tried:

I maximized the refrigerator for a full semester overview to see which weeks would be busiest, plus notable events. This was at the start of the process, it was full of post-its an hour later.

I created this version mid-semester (note it starts at week 6 along the bottom). The blue post-its were assignments and projects.

I loved the wall version of my planner because I could turn the post-its sideways as I completed assignments and tasks, which meant I could visually see my progress and how close I was to finishing each semester.

Questions to ask yourself when choosing or creating a planner:

- How far ahead do I want to be able to see upcoming due dates? (weekly? monthly? semesterly?)

- Do I prefer a simple system that I can customize or would I rather have a structured format? (ex. some planners are detailed with additional sections for notes, habits, goals, etc.)

- Will this planner fit in with my working style? (be wary of options that might overwhelm you after a few weeks to the point you stop using them)

There are countless versions of planners (daily, weekly, monthly, academic year) — give yourself grace and time when finding the one that works best for you.

• Post-its

I love, love, love colored post-its. They’re versatile, visual, and multi-purpose — especially for student life.

In graduate school, I used post-its to:

- mark important pages in textbooks

- jot down ideas for coursework and projects

- construct my wall planner (see above)

- write notes of encouragement on my bathroom mirror and front door

If you’re a post-it person, too, going back to school is the perfect time to get a full rainbow of options.

Trust me, you’ll use them.

• White board or easel pad

If you’re a visual person who prefers writing on a larger space to outline projects, takes notes, or draw arrows and shapes to make connections for complex ideas — it’s worth getting a small white board or easel pad (basically giant post-its, seen above on the wall planner) that you can put on an open wall space.

Similar to the note on pens above, invest in a quality board and markers that don’t leave residue. Scrubbing down a white board will be at the bottom of your priority list but one of those minor annoyances with big effects during stressful points in the year.

---

Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness Shopping List for Graduate School:

• Healthy snacks and drinks

• Ergonomic chair or accessories

• Adjustable desk

---

Must-Have Health and Wellness Items for Graduate School:

• Healthy snacks and drinks

There are long days and nights ahead of you as a graduate student. And what’s equally as inevitable?

Hunger pangs while studying.

Stay healthy by pre-planning your snacks and drinks for home or studying elsewhere. If you have a stock of dried fruits and nuts ready to go, you’ll be more inclined to choose them over saturated fats and sweets.

Do the same with drinks.

Need more water?

Buy a water bottle that sparks joy to help you keep the habit.

Pro Tip: This will sound strange, but I trained my body to get into school mode by only drinking certain flavors of seltzer water while paper-writing. (RIP Dasani cherry and lime seltzers). The second I tasted one, my body knew it was time to focus.

And yes, there’s research to support multi-sensory learning as a way to retain information (National Institutes of Health).

• Ergonomic chair or accessories

It’s amazing how quickly an uncomfortable chair can interrupt the best-intentioned study session. Who can focus while they’re in pain?

Do yourself a favor and prioritize seated comfort early in your graduate school journey.

While the dream may be an ergonomic Herman Miller Aeron office chair ($$$), you can make an existing desk or dining chair more comfortable with something as small as a portable lumbar support pillow. Bonus: a pillow can be moved to the bed or couch for those rough days, too.

Nice-to-Have Health and Wellness Items for Graduate School:

• Adjustable desk

Comfortable seating is a must, but investing in a new desk or large desk accessory might be out of budget or a low priority.

That said, I am a petite person who bought an adjustable desk after finishing school and deeply regret not getting one sooner, especially for graduate school.

It’s amazing what a difference desk height can make while sitting for long periods of time. Plus, having the option to stand and read or write is healthier than sitting for hours at a time.

---

Graduate School Shopping List Recap

Technology:

• Desktop computer, laptop or tablet with keyboard/smart pen

• External hard drive for back-up storage

• Noise-cancelling headphones

• Digital smart notebook

Office Supplies:

• Notebooks and pens or pencils

• Calendar or planner

• Post-its

• White board or easel pad

Health and Wellness:

• Healthy snacks and drinks

• Ergonomic chair or accessories

• Adjustable desk

Ultimately, invest in items that will make your student life more comfortable and streamlined for both mind and body.

To help create your list of must-have back-to-school supplies for graduate school, ask current students in your future program what they love to use and why. Pay attention to what they share that resonates with your life and habits.

It may take a few tries to find what works, but will be worth the effort.

---

---

Related Posts