Nova Scotia Community College is an amazing college with lots of opportunities. Regardless of the amount of time you spend there, whether it’s 15 weeks or 3 years, these are some essential items for your first year.
COVID-19 Protection
Protecting yourself from COVID is of ultimate priority. Always keep your hand sanitizer with you and a mask for situations where you may need them.
Cardholder
Having all the cards you may need to access campus resources or for your personal life with you in a convenient cardholder is something so small that makes a big difference. This can be in the form of a purse, wallet, phone wallet or anything you wish to hold your cards. You should have your student ID, government ID, bus pass, health card and driver’s licence where applicable.
Folder for important documents
Over your time at college, you’ll receive many important documents that you should keep stored in a safe location for future reference. Documents such as scholarships and government loan information might be useful for taxes or when you need to repay your loans. For students living away from home, especially international students, it might be useful to keep a copy of personal important documents in case of an emergency. Have one folder dedicated to all your important university documents. This will include social insurance numbers, health insurance information, birth certificates and immigration documents.
Professional clothing
It is required by the college for students to complete a work placement to graduate. Before you know it, you’re off on your placement and in a rush to look for something to wear. Depending on the type of placement you’re doing, this will vary. Students working towards a career in business should look for business attire while those working towards a career in construction can look for protective gear.
Power strips
Especially with online school, students are spending hours on their electronic devices. When you need to charge several things a power strip will come in handy. If you’re at home, an extension cord may also work depending on the number of outlets you have. For students living in residence, this may not be allowed in your building. Check with your residence building to see what the restrictions are.
Power bank
Same as with the power strip, students are using a lot of stuff for a lot of hours. When you’re in the library and your phone is dying and you can’t charge it because all the ports are occupied, a power bank will come in handy. This is just one example, but there have been more instances where you need a power bank.
Planner
Planners are super important. You can use a digital or physical planner, both have their benefits. It depends on the person. However, having a planner is tons better than having no planner at all. Here you can note all your test dates, work placement times, assignment due dates. Having all this information is handy in ensuring you don’t forget about important things.
Google Calendar/Calendar app
If you have a google account then you already have Google Calendar. Google Calendar is able to sync across all your devices so you can check your schedule from any device you have on hand. Important things to include in your Google Calendar are lecture times so you never miss a lecture.
Headphones/earphones/earplugs
Whether it’s for listening to music or blocking out noise, having a device or earplugs are almost necessary. If you’re a commuter student then having a solid pair of earphones/headphones can make those bus rides feel shorter. Or if you just need something to block out noise but don’t want to spend a lot of money on headphones and earphones then earplugs are a good alternative. If you are able to, investing in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones is a good idea. However, this isn’t 100% necessary.
School Supplies
The supplies needed to vary by course and based on individual preference. Shopping for school supplies is super fun and the thing I look forward to every year. Generally, students need pens, pencils, notebooks, loose paper and a backpack. If you really want to make your class notes stand out and more enjoyable to read then getting highlighters and coloured pens to use during note-taking helps.
