Life | 90s | Fads | School

10 Completely 'Essential' Things You Absolutely Needed For School

By Tanya |

As an adult "summer vacation" doesn't mean the same thing that it used to when we were kids. Before, we would get two months off to play outside, watch cartoons and bike around the block before thinking about getting school supplies. Now, we are honestly just feeling nostalgic for those amazing 90s schools supplies we all wanted.

Back-to-school season seems to start earlier every year, but kids today have no idea what they are missing. Our school supplies were just so much better. Well, maybe not better, but definitely a lot more bizarre. We honestly spent so much money on stuff that didn't actually do anything useful, I mean, other than being awesome.

How many of these 'essentially' useless school supplies do you remember?

1. Glue Pens

Why did these even try to exist? They just didn't work... The sponge thing on the end would just get immediately glued shut and then any time you tried to drag it along paper it was completely useless.

2. Pen Erasers

If you ever had one of these then you know the lies that it sold you. Each time you thought "maybe this would be the time it'll work" but no, it would just tear through your paper.

3. Stamp Markers

These were cool in theory, but how many people found them useful? They were kind of annoying to use and never actually stamped properly unless you really took your time.

4. Pencil Grips

These pencil grips turned any boring old pencil into a colorful and comfortable writing implement. Did they actually work? Who knows! But they still make them and now you can buy them without your parents saying it's a waste of money so you should probably treat yourself.

5. Troll Pencil Toppers

I don't know what it is about trolls that was or is so appealing, but it seemed like at one point or another we all had a little troll shoved onto the end of our pencil for no real reason.

That wasn't all we had. So many more useless 'essentials' that could be found in all of our pencil cases to remember on the next page.

6. Push Up Pencils

Okay, I'll be honest, I still have some of these. They still make them, and I was always a fan because its the easiest to sharpen pencil in the world. The only issue is when the stupid little plastic things got lost and the pencil was rendered absolutely useless!

7. Basically Any Pencil Eraser

There were a lot of erasers made that we all collected frantically, but i want you to think real hard about having to actually use any of them. Did it ever actually work? No. No eraser has ever worked properly.

8. Pens With All The Colors

These were so great because then you could use any color you wanted! The only problem was that we all broke them trying to push down all the colors at once...

9. Sparkly or Milky Gel Pens

No matter how many times our teachers insisted, we kept trying to use those milky gel pens to write out our homework. Obviously they were completely illegible and would smudge everywhere, but it did not stop us from getting new ones each year.

10. Pencil Sharpeners (That Never Worked)

Pixabay

So, no matter how fancy the little sharpener seems to be, we all know it isn't going to work great right? It was like winning the lottery if you ever found a sharpener that didn't just chew up have of your pencil and leave you with a useless piece of wood.

Share with your fellow 90s kids!

More Throwbacks

90s

This One Teen's Tweet About Burning CDs Will Honestly Ruin Your Day

By Tanya
All of us who would consider ourselves to be 80s and 90s kids aren't really that old, right? We are still in the prime of our lives, and a lot of us still feel like we're just getting started on our path to being a "real grown-up." Maybe it's not the greatest that a lot of us still feel young, but times have changed since our parents were in their 30s. We've learned how to chill out and take our time in our lives. There's no rush, so let's all just relax and try to stay young longer.Here's the

Fads

Ikea Is Bringing Back The Couch Of Your Nightmares, And People Have A Lot To Say About It

By Tanya
Remember when you were growing up and you'd go hang out in the living room for hours and hours, never leaving your spot on the couch? Well, honestly I can't pretend much has changed, other than the fact that the couch has fewer flowers on it than ever before. Most people stick to a single color now, but back in the day there was apparently nothing more desirable than a good floral pattern. Big flowers, small flowers, pinks ones, or blue, every combination was waiting for you. We've all seen a lot of bad couches in our days, but when

Fads

There's Now Only One Blockbuster Left, But It Refuses To Give Up

By Tanya
We've all known for a while that Blockbuster was basically a lost cause. Most Blockbuster locations closed down many years ago, leaving behind their empty buildings that look like they house all the ghosts of the 90s. However there were a few places where Blockbuster Video refused to die. There were six locations remaining in Alaska, and one in Bend, Oregon, but this weekend marks a sad moment. All of the Alaskan Blockbusters have been officially closed. Four had actually been closed earlier in the year, but this weekend the final two locations closed their doors for good. But don't

Shared

40 Celebrity Prom Photos That Are More Embarrassing Than Your Own

By Moojan
Graduating seniors celebrate by getting all dressed up and dancing the night away with their peers for the last time.It's a night to remember, which is why dozens of photos are taken at prom.  But I'm sure there are some celebrities who wish their prom photos were never leaked online. If you thought your prom photos were awkward, you've seen nothing yet...1. Barack Obama TimeThese four look like they had a grand time at their senior prom. They're draped in leaves and flowers, which means one thing - this photo was taken at a high school in

90s

10 Things That Helped Us All Survive Elementary School In The 90s

By Tanya
Going to elementary school is something that we all had to do, but we all had different experiences. Socially, elementary school was a battlefield. It was exhausting and more dramatic than it needed to be, but at least we all grew up before the internet was a thing. Nowadays kids have to deal with their bullies following them home, at least virtually, and never getting a chance to be alone. Even if it's from their friends, kids should have some time to themselves, right? Disney ChannelWell, when we grew up in the 90s, times were just a lot simpler. Who

School

5 Reasons Why The Scholastic Book Fair Will Always Be The Best Part Of Elementary School

By Tanya
Being in school 5 days a week is kind of like having a full time job, only instead of getting paid in money, you have to sit there and learn. You get sent home with homework, you have to write book reports, you have tests and presentations and all of it is a lot of effort for a growing brain. But there was a place, one beautiful reprieve from our tortuous experience where we could feel at peace. That place was the Scholastic Book Fair. Once a year our schools would treat us by bringing the book orders to life.