As a second-semester senior who, between work, school, and errands, is endlessly on the go, my backpack and I are like a well-oiled machine. If I’m ever looking for any one of my essential items I can blindly reach into my bag at any time of the day and pull it out.
While everyone has their own essential items, what I carry with me on a daily basis has miraculously helped me somehow survive the past seven semesters. Hopefully, this will help you get an idea of how to pack your bag if you are like me and a commuter student, or just constantly on the go.
1. Electronics
As someone who depends very heavily on electronics to get me through both my academic and work life, electronics are a must to always have with me. In fact, electronics are so crucial for me to have that they have their own mesh compartment (so I can see through and make sure everything is there before heading out) right as I open my bag.
-Phone charger
-Headphones
-Computer & computer charger in a laptop sleeve
-External hard drive
-Occasionally my Kindle Fire (depends on how long of a day I have with how many breaks)
2. Academic materials
How can you be a college student without anything academic inside your bag? Sure there’s always that one kid each semester who doesn’t bother to even bring a bag and therefore not even a pencil but said person tends to be spottier than others when it comes to attendance.
-5 subject notebook (it’s just easier for me to have one notebook a year than a bunch of small ones)
-Planner
-Pencil case full of never-used pencils and erasers (because I use pens now but never bothered to clean out the case from freshman year) and a flash drive in case I need to back something up quickly
3. Miscellaneous
These items are almost always my life-saving items. These are the items that can either make or break my day, the items that cause literally earth-shattering consequences if I'm without them. OK, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but anyone who’s reached into their bag expecting to pull out ChapStick but instead found that it's not there knows exactly what I’m talking about.
-ChapStick
-Pack of gum
-Nametag for work
-Couple of SD cards
-Fidget Cube (just in case a random wave of anxiety comes knocking at my door)
-Extra hair tie
-Creative writing notebooks (yes, I have multiple with me all of the time)
-Wallet with cash, ID, cards, etc., and a backup ChapStick and Vick’s VapoInhaler stick
-Snacks (usually a granola bar or serving of trail mix)
4. Items that technically aren’t in my bag but I always have with me
-Reusable water bottle
-Lunchbox to hold sometimes breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I basically live in my car)