List of school supplies for high school: 10th, 11th, and 12th grade
In high school, the days of the supply list handed out in June are over: most high schools don't publish one, and each teacher announces their requirements during the first class. This is both a gift—students finally choose their own organization—and a trap, as only one purchase is truly strategic and expensive: the graphing calculator. Here is the basic list that applies in all cases, from 10th to 12th grade.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Before school starts, buy only the basics: pencil case, planner, double and single-sheet filler paper, and supplies for organizing (binders, a sorter, or notebooks—the student's choice).
- The key purchase: a graphing calculator with exam mode (NumWorks, TI-83 Premium CE, or Casio Graph 35+E II)—but wait for the first math class, as many high schools organize a group purchase.
- In 11th and 12th grade, supplies depend on specialized subjects: cotton lab coats for Physics-Chemistry and Biology/Geology labs, and plenty of filler paper for essay-based subjects.
- What lists forget: study aids. The High School Cheat Sheets condense what you need to remember from 10th to 12th grade into handy tips.
What changes in high school: no more lists, more autonomy
In middle school, the list told you everything. In high school, the institution provides a few indications at best, and each teacher specifies their expectations during the first week. The practical consequence: equipping yourself for the start of the year happens in two stages. A foundation purchased in August—identical regardless of the high school—followed by additions after the first few classes. Another notable change: many regions lend or finance a laptop for high school students; check before buying one.
The common foundation: what is used from 10th to 12th grade
| Supply | The detail that matters |
|---|---|
| Course organization | Student's choice: 24 × 32 notebooks, flexible binders by subject, or a sorter + a large archive binder for home. The combo of a sorter (light for daily use) + binder (for filing on weekends) is the most common in high school. |
| Double and single-sheet filler paper | Large format, squared, punched—in quantity: tests, essays, and lab reports consume them all year long. |
| Pencil case | Four-color pens, HB pencil, eraser, ruler, highlighters, glue, correction tape. The geometry kit from middle school is still useful in 10th grade. |
| An agenda or planner | Always essential: high school adds proctored exams, assignment deadlines, and, in 12th grade, the Parcoursup university application process. |
| Wired headphones | Required in language classes for listening comprehension (and specifically wired ones are required on the day of evaluations). |
| A USB drive | For documents to be handed in and backups—even if most things go through the ENT (digital workspace). |
| A sturdy bag | The satchel gives way to the backpack: just make sure a large-format binder fits inside lying flat. |
The strategic purchase: the graphing calculator with exam mode
This is THE high school supply: a graphing calculator equipped with exam mode, which is required for baccalaureate exams. Three models dominate the classrooms: the NumWorks, the TI-83 Premium CE, and the Casio Graph 35+E II—all are suitable; expect to pay between €60 and €90. Two tips that save money: wait for the first math class, as many high schools organize a group purchase at a reduced rate; and consider buying second-hand, just verifying that the exam mode works. Well-maintained, it will last through all three years of high school and often through the following years of university.
The smart move In high school, no one checks the brand of the binder or the color of the notebook cover. Reuse everything that survived middle school—pencil case, geometry set, display books—and focus the budget on what matters: the calculator and good study conditions.
According to grade level and specializations
| Grade | What to provide in addition to the foundation |
|---|---|
| 10th Grade (Seconde) | The foundation is sufficient. The graphing calculator is bought after the first math class; a long-sleeved cotton lab coat is required for Physics-Chemistry and Biology/Geology labs. |
| 11th Grade (Première) | Specializations dictate the rest: the lab coat becomes essential in scientific specializations, and essay-based subjects (French, HGGSP, SES) consume filler paper by the pack—the year ends with early French exams. |
| 12th Grade (Terminale) | Same logic, with Philosophy added. This is also the year for past exam papers and study sheets: provide index cards or dedicated display books for final exam revisions, and a planner that can handle Parcoursup deadlines. |
The budget for a high school school year
Excluding the calculator, a high school start-of-year often costs less than middle school: fewer mandatory notebooks, more reuse. It is the year of the calculator (€60 to €90) that weighs on the budget. The back-to-school allowance is paid until the student is 18, and most regions add their own specific aid for high school students—funded textbooks, youth cards, sometimes even laptops.
What lists always forget: study aids
The foundation equips the student for taking notes. However, what makes the difference in high school is what they do with those notes in the evening: the bac (including continuous assessment) relies on the consistency of revision and the amount of memorized material—formulas, dates, definitions, irregular verbs. This is exactly what the "Pense-Bêtes" (Cheat Sheets) condense:
High school cheat sheets · tips for remembering · 10th-12th grade
The Big Book of Cheat Sheets — High School Special (10th-12th)
274 mnemonic tips to remember what high school requires you to learn by heart: math and physics formulas, history dates, English connectors, philosophy benchmarks. The legal cheat sheet that stays in your head on exam day.
€29.99Free delivery · printed on demand in Europe
Discover High School Cheat Sheets
The PDF version · received immediately by email
The Big Book of Cheat Sheets — High School — PDF
The same 274 tips, in PDF to read on a tablet or print sheet by sheet—practical for slipping the formulas of the current chapter into your sorter. Received in a minute, ideal the day before school starts.
€14.99Immediate download
See the PDF versionFor the method that goes with the equipment: our memorizing in high school page explains how to revise effectively from 10th to 12th grade, and the high school collection brings together all our books for these three years.
Frequently asked questions
Which calculator to buy for high school?
A graphing calculator equipped with exam mode, required for baccalaureate exams: NumWorks, TI-83 Premium CE, or Casio Graph 35+E II are the three standards, around €60 to €90. Wait for the first math class before buying: many high schools organize a group purchase at a reduced rate, and the teacher sometimes indicates a preferred model.
Is a lab coat mandatory in high school?
For Physics-Chemistry and Biology/Geology labs, yes in most high schools: a long-sleeved white cotton lab coat (no synthetics, which can melt or catch fire). A budget lab coat is perfectly fine—it serves from 10th to 12th grade; just remember to mark it with the student's name.
Notebooks or binders in high school?
Student's choice, unless a teacher requires otherwise. The most widespread setup: a light sorter for the day, and one or two large binders at home where the lessons are filed each weekend. 24 × 32 notebooks remain popular for subjects with structured courses like math or history.
How much does a high school start-of-year cost?
Excluding the calculator, often less than in middle school: the foundation (paper, binders, pencil case) remains modest and much is reused from one year to the next. The real expense is the graphing calculator (€60 to €90), a purchase that lasts all through high school. The back-to-school allowance is paid until the age of 18, and most regions add their own aid for high schoolers.
The "must-knows" of high school, transformed into handy tips
274 cheat sheets from 10th to 12th grade — printed on demand in Europe, free delivery.
See High School Cheat Sheets — €29.99