The Ultimate Back to School Shopping Checklist (Plus the One Thing Everyone Forgets)

Every back-to-school checklist covers the same core list, and for good reason — it’s the stuff you actually need. But most of them stop short of the one thing that determines whether the first day feels good, not just whether it’s supplied for.

The obvious list (that you already know)

Notebooks, pens or pencils, a backpack that isn’t falling apart, a lunch container, and whatever subject-specific supplies a syllabus calls for. This part of the checklist barely needs explaining — it’s the same list every year, and it’s genuinely necessary.

The thing that gets left off

What rarely makes the list: something to actually wear on day one that isn’t just functional. A shirt with real personality — something that reflects how you actually feel about the new year, whether that’s dread, excitement, or somewhere in between — does more for how the day feels than another pack of pencils ever will. See Funny Back to School Shirt Sayings, Ranked by Mood for a way to actually match a design to how you’re feeling instead of grabbing whatever’s on a rack.

Why it matters more than it seems

Supplies get the day functional. The outfit is what makes it feel less like a chore and more like something you chose. That’s a small distinction, but it’s the difference between dreading the first morning and actually looking forward to putting something specific on.

For shoppers buying for someone else

If you’re doing the shopping for a student or a teacher rather than yourself, the back-to-school gift ideas guide and the teacher appreciation guide both cover this exact gap — the part of the list that isn’t supplies.

Shop the missing item

Browse the full Back to School collection to fill in the one line every checklist forgets.