Curious as to what are the necessary commuting tools for college students. I'm not sure if there is much of a difference from standard bike commuting but either way what will make my 10 mile commute easier this year. I need to carry a laptop and some books plus a change of clothes. Should I use back pack or panniers? I ride a 2014 novara verita if that helps with any suggestions.

How you carry your stuff is a personal preference. Most will say a rack or panniers, and then there are those of us who use messenger bags, back packs and rolltop back packs. PNW? Definitely fenders. Budget in a multitool, small pump, spare tube or a patch kit. Then there is the lock. Under no circumstances should you be using any type of cable lock. Get one or two good U locks, and use those. OnGuard makes a good U lock that is around $30. Try to make your bike look less flashy if possible. Always try to park near bikes that are more flashy and expensive, and you will be less of a target.

A serious Lock up scheme .. with just a U lock you may come back and have No wheels

Depends also on how big your laptop is. My work laptop won't fit into my panniers. 10 miles each way or 10 miles total? Personal preference: panniers, especially if each way. If total, as long as you have a good waterproof bag.
Fenders
Multi tool
Spare tube
Patch kit
Tire boot
Pump
Bottle cage - be it water, coffee or "other" beverage, it is nice to be able to bring your own. In the winter, one of mine gets dedicated to coffee in a spill proof travel cup
At least 1 rear light and 1 front light
Good locks

The lights and locks will be a bigger ticket, as will be whatever you choose to use to carry everything around in - just make sure if you get caught in pouring rain that your stuff will stay dry. Also, have an alternate plan in place incase something goes really wrong 1/2 through. I have had a mechanical that put me out of action 1/2 through my commute and had to call a coworker to come and get me, and then get a ride home later - those sorts of things are rare, but they do happen. In my case, it was a poorly adjusted rear derailleur that let my chain go behind my cassette and lodge itself between the cassette and hub/spokes. Only way to get it out was to take the cassette off.

I lock my rear wheel and frame to the rack, and the front wheel to the frame using good U locks.

accessories have to come Off when you leave the bike in the rack. in your pocket or someone else's.

a) i hope you have a small lgithweight laptop because you may not think a 2 pound laptop is too heavy in your hands, but when it's clunking around in a pannier or sitting in a backpack yanking on your shoulders for 10 miles you'll think otherwise
b) locks locks locks
c) more locks
d) strong headlight, strong tail light - both should be easily removable at a moment's notice to take with you.
e) usual stuff like a spare tube and co2
f) i suggest toe cages instead of just riding straight platform pedals or clipless. it will allow you to wear whatever shoes you want and walk normally to and from the bike
7) i prefer rack + panniers over a backpack simply for the back sweat issue - but also because it takes the weight off your shoulders.

1. Consider the weight of your lock as you're searching. Get a strong U-Lock that is made out of HARDENED STEEL. Those kinds of metals are much stronger, and can only be defeated with power tools. I commute only 6 miles each way, and my lock is the heaviest item on my commute. Am considering just keeping the lock on one of the racks I frequent.

2. Lights - I'd say 350 lumens minimum.

3. Wheels - Consider looking up a QR wheel lock, like the Lock n Roll. The QR is only activated if you can turn the bicycle past 90 degrees. Most thieves wouldn't have the slightest inkling that that's the way to unlock your wheel. Saves you from having to use multiple locks, you just lock the frame and go.

4. Check your college and find out what kind of resources there are for cyclists. For example, ASU has showers and lockers for cyclists who commute in. Likewise, there's a bike shop that has showers and indoor racks with cameras, bike stands for self-repair work, water cooler, etc.

I only carry clothes, bike tools and spare tubes in a backpack. The lock (huge chain and two piece U lock) stays on the bike rack. I don't carry a laptop since I have a desktop both at home and at work. Maybe leave the laptop at home and carry a small spiral notebook to school? The book(s) will be the added weight for you. But you could probably economize by only carrying the book(s) you need for the day and leave the rest at home. Or if you can get a PDF for each book, then put them on the laptop and just carry that.

Oh, for the lock you might save money by just going to a local hardware store and buying a big chain and lock from them. I spent about $80 for mine which was less than the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit lock and chain. I also got the same chain with a much better lock for the price. I remember asking the hardware store owner if the lock was good or not. He said, "I use it to lock up my store." That's good enough for me.

Books? Laptop? I suggest a sturdy rack that mounts to the rear eyelets as opposed to a mere seatpost mount. Then I would get a pair of Wald folding baskets (model 582). When folded shut most people experience no rattles (I don't) When opened you can put any sort of bag in them. And because of how they mount, and their wire construction, they don't transmit as much of a shock as strapping a laptop to a back-rack would. Here's a photo from a year or so ago where I carried my backpack on the rear rack as usual, but also had a laptop in a padded case on the right, and an old 4-track cassette recorder, padded in another backpack on the left. I use a thinnish bungee cord with each basket to keep the contents from popping out. And the rear "trunk bag" holds two light canvas bags so I can carry loose objects in the baskets should the need arise. BTW my main backpack is secured by a pair of yellow bungees that stay on the bike, running from the bottom of the seat frame to the back of the back rack. I've been doing that for 20 years without a loss. I used to lay the backpack flat, but this is a quicker way to slide the backpack in and out.

A good lock indeed! And accessories will get picked clean. I recommend trying to find a safer place to park your bike.

If you just have a laptop, a backpack would be OK. If you are going to load up your backpack with 20 pounds of stuff, you probably want panniers. The weight is lower and you can more easily turn and see around you. There are tons of accessories you can spend a lot of money on. First, flat fixing kit. If you are going to ride in rain, full fenders. Riding in dark? Lights. If your ride is five miles one way, that's not too bad. You might not need much special clothing.

I think I've seen people say that the Nashbar panniers are pretty good and affordable.

Not specifically bike related, but I bought an iPad so I could use e-books. Saves a lot of weight in textbooks.

I used an Ortlieb waterproof backpack last year, mostly because the bike I had didn't have any way of mounting a rack. This year I have a dedicated commuter bike with a rack and panniers though.

Definitely get a u lock and put it through your frame and rear wheel.

I use my rack and panniers/saddlebags for almost everything... EXCEPT the laptop. Using panniers or saddlebags will really save your shoulders and keep your back from getting all sweaty and uncomfortable. It really makes the ride more comfortable. However... I don't trust such sensitive electronics on the rough roads out here with all the shocks and bumps. That's why I always carry my laptop on my back when I need to carry it (although I don't go to school, I bring my laptop to the University at least once a week, as I host an event for one of the University clubs). Of course, I can't say that I haven't really tried carrying the laptop on the bike, so I might be over-worried as well. Your heavy books for sure would be better put on the back of the bike.

Of course, while the rack and panniers make carrying any load more comfortable, there's also the consideration of carrying your things off the bike. If you're only going a short distance, then it's certainly way more convenient to have something on your back so you can just lock your bike and go in. This is why messengers use messenger bags... They are on and off the bike all day, having to lock up and go in buildings all the time. So that might be a consideration for you.

Personally, I'm not a student - I work (full-time operating my own business). My sister on the other hand, just went back to college this month, and for the first time has chosen to use a bicycle (which I helped her to fix up and make roadworthy). She has a set of saddlebags and rack bag... and has them ALL filled to the brim with her books and stuff. (Mind you, she's in engineering so she also needs stuff like a hardhat...)

But please don't forget the very important locking system!! You need to have 5 things locked up - frame, front wheel, rear wheel, seat, and rack. Seat and rack can be perma-locked with a simple cable lock which runs through both and the back of the frame. The frame of the bike to the rack needs to be locked with a decent lock like a U-lock or a flat bar lock. Then use another sturdy lock to lock your wheels, or at least cables running between the wheels and your main lock. You can lock the rear wheel and frame together with one lock going through both.

I never carried anything but a lock and my backpack, and notebooks more than textbooks. But I lived on or near campus the whole time, walking distance home in case of breakdown; and few people were hauling laptops or cell phones around yet.

+1

I'm lucky in that the two bike racks at Mount Sinai here in the city are up and off of the street. Also, there's a small security booth right at the top of the stairs with someone usually there checking IDs. So that makes a difference especially in my hood (south Harlem Manhattan). So if possible, would recommend that you try to find the most secure place to lock the bike. Ask the security folks and other students for some recommendations. If the area looks a bit shady or there's known theft, then I would recommend two locks. Big chain lock and big U-lock. If the front wheel is quick release, then take it off and lock it with the seat tube and rear wheel.

Bike.
Lock.
Backpack and whatever you need in it.

Annnnnd go.

As OnyxTiger already said try to find a locker so you can use it to stash stuff. Check out the gym or the pool to see if they will give you a locker. If you're worried about your bike being stolen find where the public safety or campus police building is and park your bike in front of their office. Make sure you make small talk with them when you see them and they will remember you and your bike.