Are you a student heading back to university? Or do you just love stationery and this back-to-school period? Well here’s your excuse to indulge in some (window) shopping!
As a PhD student, I don’t go “back to university” as such because we don’t get the summers off (boo!). But I have just made my way back from fieldwork in Brazil and I feel like indulging in a bit of back to school shopping!
Please note that the following items I’ve rounded up are aspirational: I’m planning on buying a few but definitely not all of them! And you definitely don’t need anything fancy to succeed in your studies. Anyhoo, I’ve grouped my back-to-university wishlist into three categories: stationery, bags and style / beauty products.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products that I like and either currently use or would use. If you make a purchase, you support this blog: I may earn a commission at no cost to you.)
Stationery & decor
Whether you’re actually heading back to university, incorporating journaling into your morning routine or taking up drawing as a hobby… There’s always an excuse to indulge in some extra stationery!

- Eco A4 notebook;
- Positivity potion & stress relief brew mug set;
- LEUCHTTURM1917 dotted A5 notebook;
- Pastel Tombow pens;
- Chalkboard & cork board organiser;
- Black gel ink pens;
- 90 colour pencil “dictionary”;
- Geometric “Noteworthy” journal;
- Vegan leather sketchbook.
Back to university bags
As I said in the intro, this wishlist is aspirational – I’m not planning on buying all of these bags! If you could have just one, which one would you choose? Share in the comments below!

- Indigo vegan leather messenger bag;
- North Face green backpack;
- The Great Wave canvas bag;
- White tassel tote bag;
- Basket bag;
- Grey suedette bamboo bag;
- Van Gogh canvas bag;
- Tropical bamboo tote bag;
- Indigo vegan leather backpack.
Style / beauty
Will having a nice new outfit directly improve your grades? Probably not. But will feeling put-together and confident lift your mood and make you more productive? It’s worth a try!

- New York jumper;
- Cherry pie necklace;
- Navy wellies;
- Dark pink check scarf;
- Hydration conditioner;
- Denim jacket;
- Fair Isle apple jumper;
- Black vegan leather boots (these are quite pricey – if you find a cheaper lookalike, please do tell me!);
- Orly Dreamscape nail polish collection.
If you liked this post, make sure you check out my best study supplies for university (+ study tips!).
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