If you’re anything like me, you love some good “What’s in My Bag” content. Whether it’s a TikTok, a YouTube video, or an Instagram carousel, I love seeing what items people carry around with them on the daily. Today, I am giving back to the What’s in My Bag Community by sharing what I carry in my school bag on a typical day. Welcome to a personal tour of my bag; UMass student edition!
As someone who carries around a large tote most of the time, organization is key. Without pockets or organizers, I use pouches of various sizes and styles to keep my smaller items from getting lost or going missing. They also make it much easier to switch my items between bags and purses in a rush.
In my largest pouch, I keep small items that I like to have around but am not constantly reaching for. Inside, there is usually a packet of Salonpas patches, grape-flavored mints, a granola bar, a hair elastic, a Swiss Army tool, and a small packet of tissues. Sometimes I need some muscle pain relief. Sometimes I’ll be stuck in a long meeting and need a quick snack. Sometimes I need to tie my hair up. Sometimes I need to give myself a quick manicure if a nail breaks or I need to cut a loose thread off of my clothes with my Swiss Army tool. With allergy season, having tissues for sneezes and sniffly friends is always useful! It’s my little emergency pouch for all of the unplanned things that may occur in life.
In my two smaller pouches, I carry beauty products and feminine hygiene products. I repurposed a Dior Beauty drawstring pouch to carry things like concealer, a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer, a spoolie, and a mini cherry blossom hand cream. In my other pouch, which is adorned with cats, I always carry around various period supplies for those days that catch me or a friend by surprise.
In my final pouch, I carry around various stationery. I use a paper planner so I always have a small set of mechanical pencils, multi-ink pens, an eraser, and a highlighter in my pencil pouch. I also have a small dual flash drive for class projects that require file-moving between library computers and my laptop.
The rest of the space in my bag is reserved for larger items (that won’t fit into a pouch) or items that I often reach for. My laptop is probably the bulkiest item to carry but it is key for schoolwork. Another heavyweight champ is my big purple water bottle, which I usually only fill to the halfway point to make my bag lighter. Nestled between them is my trusty pink planner that I’ve been using since my sophomore year at UMass. My sunglasses, AirPods, phone, and wallet (which holds my cards, some cash, my keys, some Listerine breath strips, and a singular UMass temporary tattoo) fit into the little built-in pocket of my tote for easy access.
This may seem like a lot of stuff to carry around with me everywhere but it’s comforting to have my daily necessities within arm’s reach. From my grape-flavored mints to my mini cherry blossom hand cream, the contents of my bag are a sneak peek into my life. It’s why I love seeing what’s inside other people’s bags; it gives me a small window into who they are.
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