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Top 5 College Backpack Essentials I Cannot Live Without

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter.

With college starting back up again, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to carry in my backpack for this year. This is my first year living off campus, so I want to keep my backpack as light as possible. However, I also don’t want to feel like I’m going to forget my essentials back in my apartment. As a result, I compiled a list of the 5 items that I can not go about my college day without. Feel free to take inspiration and add some of these items to your backpack!

Water bottle

With the triple degree weather that has been going on as of late, my Yeti bottle has saved me from being severely dehydrated. I try to make it a priority to stay hydrated because not only does it help beat the heat, but it also keeps me focused and awake for class.

umbrella

One thing I’ve learned from last year is that Texas A&M weather is pretty unpredictable. While the weather has mostly been sunny and unbearably hot, I can’t bear to part with my umbrella. It works great when I want to shield myself from the unforgiving rays of the sun. I try to keep it on me at all times in case of an unforeseen rain shower, and I also store a plastic bag that acts as a shield around the umbrella to prevent anything in my backpack getting wet.

chapstick

I hate having chapped lips, so I keep chapstick on me at all times. I don’t always apply it, but when I do, it’s always very much needed. Since I spend so much time on campus, it’s important for me that I’m not walking around with severely cracked lips because I’ll just spend the whole time licking my lips, which would just make them worse!

airpods

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love listening to music. I listen to music pretty much whenever I can, whether that’s in between class or when I’m doing work in the library. In order to not bother everyone with my music or even worse, have no music at all, I make sure to always carry my AirPods with me.

snacks

Spending so much time on campus without eating would make anyone miserable. To try and beat that drop of energy without food, I try to take at least one snack with me. I can always buy snacks or something to eat on campus, but I find that I save much more money by bringing snacks from home with me.

While I’m still adjusting to living off campus, these 5 items have made that transition smoother. It’s great to be able to take a little piece of home with me to college everyday. I hope I’ve inspired you to add these items to your backpack if they aren’t already in there!

Emily Velez is a member of the Writing and Editing Committee at the Her Campus at TAMU chapter. She writes about her experiences and anything that is on her mind. She tends to lean towards topics that discuss Texas A&M or being a college student, but you will also find articles that deal with entertainment. Emily makes several references in her articles to other things going on in her life, but she often references Taylor Swift or a lyric to her latest favorite song. Emily is a junior at Texas A&M, majoring in English with a minor in Professional Writing. She is in a women's organization and tries to be as involved on campus as she can be. Her plans for the future are to either become a technical writer, copywriter, or publisher. However, Emily wants to keep her doors open to any opportunities that arise. In her free time, Emily loves to read, write, and crochet. She recently completed a tote bag and has started on a new journey of trying amigurumi. She loves listening to Taylor Swift, and she knows many of her songs by heart. She also adores anything related to Snoopy, so you will often find her with some sort of Snoopy merchandise.