YouAlberta
By Sandy
As a student, my backpack has become part of my identity — and for good reason. Since becoming a university student, the quality of the backpack in addition to the items inside the backpack is of significance. For many students, spending more than eight hours days on campus means that there may be plenty of situations coming your way. For example, once during my eleventh hour on campus, I spilled a cup of tomato soup over my favourite pair of jeans. If I had carried a stain remover pen on me at the time that may have saved me from the trauma of having to clean the stains out hours later.
Some items, I’ve come to learn, are of indispensable value, while others might just be surplus weight on the shoulders. So to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, I’ve compiled my personal top 14 items for my backpack purely based on personal experience.
1. Tablet or laptop
For many students who don’t like taking notes by hand, carrying a laptop or tablet is a no-brainer, particularly nowadays when even professors are moving towards computer-based exams and quizzes. I know for myself, forgetting to bring my laptop or tablet to campus meant that school work actually had to be put on hold (typical millennial struggle I know).
[Editor’s note: In a pinch, you can borrow a laptop from the libraries for up to 72 hours at a time.]borrow a laptop from the libraries for up to 72 hours at a time.]
2. Hand Sanitizer
One of the most dreaded nightmares for students is getting sick right before a midterm or final exam. So why not take the initiative to prevent your risk of catching something? As your resident germaphobe, I humbly go through about four miniature bottles worth in a semester. However, even if you’re less obsessed with cleanliness than me, having these before munching on a slice of pizza or chowing down a subway melt will help save you many trips to the washroom.
3. Hand lotion
For the dry Canadian winter days, hand lotion is a necessity for many students. Stock up on small travel-sized lotions that will be perfect for smaller pouches in your backpack.
4. Charging cords
Needless to say, these are the second most important thing after your electronic gadgets. Although the university campus offers some locations to recharge (such as Rutherford library, SUB main floor, and a couple other locations), you may not always be around these areas.
5. Tissues
Despite refilling my backpack’s supply of tissues every week, I find that I am always running short before the next refill. Even if you’re not stuck with an environmental allergy or the common cold, there are plenty of uses for these.
6. Headphones
Besides listening to music (or podcasts if you’re nerdy like me), there are plenty of uses for earphones or headphones. For the days when I need to be hands-free while on a call or even listening to an online lecture, headphones are truly a lifesaver.
7. Colourful pens and highlighters
I can almost make a post about this entirely on its own, but for our purposes carrying a few colourful pens for note-taking should be an essential possession in the students’ toolkit.
8. Stain remover stick or Tide stick
While I did not carry around this tool for the first three years of university, I always knew I was missing something. Especially for social events on campus where I am found wearing different shades of white, the stain-remover stick would have been life-changing. The stain-remover stick can be found at most pharmacies and has detergent formula that helps remove stains right away.
9. Hair bands and bobby pins:
For students with long hair, hair bands and bobby pins are a must for helping tie away loose strands while working out or studying.
10. Scientific calculator
Unless your major is in STEM or business, this one can be optional. However, despite not being a STEM student, I found that there are multiple times where a quick calculation on an exam is required and cellphones are off-limits.
11. Miniature first aid kit
When we think of first-aid kids, we might imagine a hunky lunch-bag sized kit with everything from gauze to scissors. However, for students, having a cell-phone sized kit with a few Bandaids, alcohol swabs, and Q-tips may be enough. Besides, you don’t want this to take up more space than necessary.
12. Gum/mints
If you have a social function after a “highly-flavourful” lunch, a gum or mint can really save you from public embarrassment. It doesn’t take up much room in the backpack and can do wonders after a garlic aioli sandwich.
13. Water bottle
Are you one of those people who get told they don’t drink enough water? Staying hydrated as a student can be hard sometimes, especially when our days are jam-packed. If you’re not drinking enough water already, pack a decent-sized water bottle (~500 mL) and start a new, healthy habit. Water bottle refill stations can be found across campus, including in CAB and SUB.
14. Plastic fork/spoon:
For times when I forget eating utensils in my meal prep, having a backpack one in my backpack has saved me multiple trips to the food court.