OPINION: USF students, add headphones to your back-to-school list

*Most would agree that any back to school essential list begins with the basic pen and paper, but I’m here to tell you why headphones are more important. ORACLE PHOTO/ LEDA ALVIM*

Wireless earbuds, noise-canceling headphones or the good-old-fashioned wired ones – pick your poison.

Wherever you are on campus, it’s uncommon to find a USF student without some sort of type of headphones whether attached to their backpack, around their necks or on their ears. I’ve found that most students would rather go without pen and paper than not have their headphones.

Unless the sound of typical college hustle and bustle is your preferred genre of music then you are going to want headphones to be a top priority when it comes to evaluating your back-to-school essentials.

Headphones eliminate distractions for others, allows for students to decompress and provides an outlet to socialize.

It’s difficult to recount the amount of times I’ve had to listen to another student’s computer or phone while trying to study on the fifth floor of the library. Headphones easily eliminate this issue by reducing noise from electronics.

By having your own listening device it allows for your music, podcast or latest lecture to only be heard by you and not other students.

Some professors will even let you listen to music while completing class assignments. This allows me to focus personally, and prevents me from being a distraction myself.

By bringing your own set of headphones you won’t have to worry whether the student next to you prefers Drake or Kendrick Lamar’s diss tracks as you will be the only one listening to it.

Headphones also allow for the ability to decompress.

It’s safe to say that college is overwhelming at times, however I find that this feeling of uneasiness is easily soothed through the use of my airpods. With the easy click of my airpods case and the familiar sound of it connecting to my phone, I find that I can simply disappear into my own world.

Music transports me straight into my own movie and helps to romanticize my day. Whether a quick minute song on the way to class or Taylor Swift’s 10 minute “All Too Well” track, I find that I am able to sit with my thoughts before being social again.

If I had to guess, I bet that with all this talk of headphone usage there is a fear that it may be hard to connect with others or you may appear unapproachable. But that is simply not true.

This semester I was actually able to make a friend in class because she stopped to ask what I was playing on my airpods. Oddly enough, I was playing her favorite artist.

From there we connected our audio on our airpods and swapped music recommendations. Headphones actually allow for people to connect with others rather than the complete opposite.

It’s safe to say that headphones are non-negotiable when it comes to necessities for college. However, you don’t need the latest Airpod Pros to be successful.

There are plenty of headphones that don’t xceed an unreasonable price range. SkullCandy and JBL have reasonably-priced headphones, ranging from $25-$70.

Regardless of what headphones you decide to bring to college, I can promise you’ll get the most use of your earbuds on campus.

Always bring them with you because on days you don’t, you’ll wish you did.