Four ways to make school supply shopping easier
For CU students, the season for school supply shopping has commenced. Follow these helpful hints and get ahead in the game.
1. Be in the know.
It is a good idea to find out exactly what you need for each of your classes before making a shopping list. One idea is to go to classes with a notebook and write down what is necessary for the semester.
“Personally, I like to go to the first day of classes and find out what supplies I will really need for the class. Then after I have been to all my classes I can buy school supplies,” said Mary Frances Griffith, junior environmental studies major.
The idea is to plan ahead, in an attempt to avoid buying extra and unnecessary supplies.
2. Be green.
Before heading out to the store to buy an array of shiny new materials, first see what does not need to be purchased.
“The first thing I do before I buy new stuff is to look through what I already have, and go from there,” said Alexander Rowan, senior English major.
All it may take is ripping out the old notes and gluing construction paper to the front cover to makeover a perfectly good notebook. Searching through old materials is likely to result in at least a few usable notebooks, pencils and folders.
3. Be the early bird.
Target has become a wildly popular store for CU students. Located at 2800 Pearl Street, Target has become a CU student’s staple. However, with this popularity comes long lines and a hugely depleted stock. Despite the setbacks, there are few ways to beat the crowd.
“I would recommend coming in the mornings,” said Katie Erickson, a Target staff member. “Anytime before 11 a.m. is best.”
Also, according to Erickson, Target gets new shipments each night, so the best way to get school supplies is to show up in the morning before the afternoon rush. Target is open Monday through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.
4. Be one with the Internet.
The CU Bookstore may have all your books, but maybe not all at once. It may be a great resource for students, but it does not have everything for everyone. This is where Amazon comes in.
“Amazon is a great place to look for textbooks, and it is surprisingly cheap too,” said Rowan. “If the bookstore does not have my book I just get it on Amazon.”
School supply shopping can be an ominous task if you don’t meet the challenge head on. The trick is to plan ahead and think creatively in order to beat the Boulder rush.
Contact CU Campus Press staff member Emily Sturges at Emily.Sturges@Colorado.edu.
