In college, your backpack is your best friend. Often, you’ll be forced to walk to class and sometimes the trek can be long. You want to be able to keep everything in your backpack to stay organized and put everything in one place. After one year in college, I feel like I have learned through experience all the must-have items I no longer leave my dorm without. Keep reading for my college backpack essentials!
Mini Essentials Kit (all your emergency needs in one little pouch):
- Lip balm
- Advil/ibuprofen
- Gum/mints
- Hair ties
- Blotting sheets
- Mini deodorant
- Band-aids
Umbrella
I learned this one the hard way. Save yourself the misery of returning to your dorm soaking wet by always being prepared!
Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is key. Especially on those hot summer days, the walk to class can be excruciating and water is so important for making it through the day.
Planner
Staying organized in college is key. Professors gloss over assignments and due dates making it hard to keep track of everything you need to get done and when. To-do lists in my planner have literally saved me from failing my classes this year.
Earphones
Not to sound like an anti-social loner but putting my earphones in before starting my walk to class is a necessity. I never leave my dorm without them.
Wallet
There are a few key things I keep in my wallet that I cannot leave the room without! Both my key to my room and student I.D. are necessities. ALSO, pro tip: carry around extra quarters and change to be able to get snacks from the vending machines when you’re on the go and forgot to pack any food.
Snacks!!
Depending on your class schedule, some days you may have one class and some days you may have four. On those longer days, having a snack or two will save you, thank me later.
Flashcards
Having these on hand is really helpful. You never know when you’ll need to jot some little notes down in class.
Calculator
If you are in any math class whatsoever, make sure to always keep this in your backpack. Even if you think you might not need it, you never know when a pop quiz might present itself and trying to do any type of math without a calculator just sounds awful.
Laptop AND phone charger
You never know when the next time you’ll get back to your room to charge these two things will be. I am constantly using my phone and laptop in my classes for note-taking (or let’s be honest, online shopping), so I definitely try to plug-in and charge anywhere I see an outlet.