A new school year will start soon for many students and based off of what I have witnessed on my recent shopping excursions, it would seem the back-to-school shopping frenzy is in full swing. I believe that this is a great time for a reminder that, although we may live in a highly tech-dependent era, there are still some simple and essential non-tech school supplies out there that can be helpful. So, while you are out in the madness shopping for school materials, you may want to reconsider some of the basics before you pass them by.

An eBay article titled “5 Non-Tech School Tools Millennials Are Forgetting to Buy” by user sammydavisvintage delves into lots of detail but I will just highlight my favorite 3 from this list and the reasons I feel they are still important in our technology savvy world.

• Agendas & Planners: Many people depend on their cell phone calendars to remind them of events and tasks but between all the other alerts we tend to get on our phones the really important ones can sometimes get lost in with all the other mumbo-jumbo. Having a physical planner or agenda can be a great way to cut through the tech noise. Some of the agendas out there these days are great not only for remembering appointments and assignments, but many of them come with great motivational quotes scattered throughout, areas to plan budgets, meals and exercise. They might as well be life planners. If you go with a simpler planner, you can always do as Sammy suggests and personalize it with your own quotes, songs, lyrics and memories so then, you’ll have something to save and look back on years from now. Check out myblog from earlier this year to learn more about some of the most popular agendas.

• College-Ruled Notebooks: Many studies have proven that writing things down really does increase memory retention. When it comes to important lessons, I definitely recommend having a paper notebook on hand so that you can handwrite your notes and reap the extra benefits of doing so. Getting a college-ruled notebook means that you can fit more information per page, too. Plus, I personally love to doodle when there is some down time.

• Dictionary & Thesaurus: Now, these may seem old school and unnecessary but they are actually great tools to have on hand. After all, you never know when Wi-Fi may fail you and, as Sammy points out, when you are in the middle of writing a paper, “having a few browsers open on your computer is not the best idea for efficiency and focus.” I agree completely. The more you search for words you are unsure about on the web, the more likely you are to get distracted by an ad, unrelated article, notification, email or other message. Sometimes our time is just too important to risk being eaten up by such distractions. This is why investing in a dictionary or thesaurus might be worthwhile.

Now go shop, but don’t forgo the displays of “old-school” items with as much dismissal as you might normally. They are still around because they are tried and true school materials and, in a lot of cases, they’re also much easier on your wallet than more high-tech items.

Let us know what traditional school supplies you use at school or at work.