Advertisement Feature – gifted high school essentials
Get ready for back to school and grab the high school essentials your teen will actually need and use at school
High School Essentials
Affiliate Disclosure – I have included affiliate links to useful products and services related to the topic of this post. If you purchase via the links I may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read full disclosure policy here
This time of year is always busy. Preparing for back to school can feel endless, and when your child is in high school there’s a long list of essentials to gather and pack.
Below is a practical list put together by teenagers — the items they actually use, want and need for school.
High School Essentials Kit
School Bag
A good school bag is essential. Let your teen choose one they find comfortable and that fits their style — feeling confident about your bag makes a big difference.
Make sure it’s large enough to hold a lunch box (if they take one) and any sports kit. Having everything in one bag makes travel to and from school and moving between lessons much easier.
Pens
Stock up on basic pens — black, blue, red and green. Ordinary ballpoint pens are best; don’t overspend because pens tend to get lost frequently.
Pencil Case
Choose a pencil case that looks good and fits in with your teen’s style. It shouldn’t look babyish or sad — they’ll want something they’re happy to use at school and that suits their social group.
Pencils
Get plenty of pencils in different grades — HB, H, B and 2B — and some cheap ones, since they’re easily lost. Don’t forget coloured pencils for projects and highlighting diagrams or notes.
Oxford Maths Set – High School Essentials
A full maths set is essential. If possible, keep one set for everyday use and another spare set at home reserved for exams. That avoids last-minute stress if a set goes missing before a test.
Scientific Calculator – High School Essentials
A scientific calculator is non-negotiable for secondary school maths classes. Regularly bringing one to lessons avoids missed content, incomplete notes and potential consequences for not being prepared.
A4 Note Pads
Always keep at least one A4 notepad in the bag for class notes, homework planning and quick sketches. They’re handy for organising thoughts and revision.
Highlighter Pens
Highlighters are essential for annotating novels, textbooks and revision notes. Multiple colours help with categorising and quickly finding important information.
Tipex
Correction fluid or tape is always useful to have on hand for neat, quick corrections in class or homework.
Glue Sticks
Glue sticks are indispensable for projects, classwork and homework. Buy several, as they dry out or get misplaced easily.
You might also want to check out school bag essentials for girls — a complementary list of items to pack alongside books and school supplies.
Save our high school essentials to Pinterest for later!
For full details of the disclosure policy please read here.