At school, we never had to carry our bags around everywhere
because we used lockers and just carried our books around for particular
lessons. So, when moving to college I was a little nervous about what kind of
bag to use. It sounds silly to be nervous about a bag, but when I was 16 the
idea of having a nice bag was important to me as I know some people can be very
judgemental by what your wear etc. I decided to go with the classic handbag/
tote style bag with the idea that a rucksack was too baby-ish now I was moving
to college. When moving to university, the same nerves were there, but no where
near as large as I felt university was more of an accepting place where you
could wear what you wanted to wear and no one would judge. However, I still had
the idea that a handbag/tote style bag looked more professional and grown up, so
I stuck with that style of bag.
When shopping for a bag, I do have some tips:
·
Make sure you can fit your folders or laptop in
it - I have seen so many people that have bags which are too small meaning
folders and laptops are sticking out or they end up carrying another bag! So
when you are bag shopping just bring along a folder to test it out in the
shop.
·
Make sure it has a sturdy handle! - I have
usually been quite good at this, however last year my bag handle did break on
me whilst at uni which made the walk back home very difficult with only one
handle and my laptop in it. So try and get a bag with rings holding the straps
on or find one with thick sturdy handles.
I got my bag from Debenhams this time last year I believe. I
love it because it has two separate pockets inside one which is for work and
the other for snacks and other bits. It also has two zip pockets on the front
which I keeps pens and my keys in. It has plenty of room for folders and my
laptop which is an added bonus! It was rather expensive at £40 I believe,
however it is still going strong and has lasted me a good year now and will
probably see me through the rest of first year. So, although it’s quite a big
spend, it’s worth it.
Now you have seen what my bag looks like, let’s see what I
have in it:
- Folders - I just like to use a simple popper
folder for each of my modules so I can keep all the lecture slides in there. I
normally just take in the folder for whatever module I am studying that day as
I like to have past lectures slides on me in case the lecturer discusses last
week’s work. I got these from Tesco!
- Laptop - I always take my laptop into uni as I
find I am quicker at typing and I have certain software that I like to use to
help me take notes during lectures. I also find by having my laptop on me, I
can do any assignment work during the breaks too!
- Diary - I like to have my diary on me as I can
see any deadlines or specific dates and can plan my week/ day easier. I also
like to keep post-it notes in there with a little to do list for that day. I
just got this one from TK Max!
- I Pod - Yes, I still have an I-Pod haha I like
to have a separate device for my music as I don’t want to clog up my phone,
plus it still used the old headphones so I don’t have to buy the new apple
adaptor ones! But I always have this on me for when I am walking to and from
uni.
- Pens - It sounds crazy to think I need pens and
highlighters when I use my laptop most of the time, but you never know when you
may need one.
- Snacks and Water - very important when studying!
I prefer to bring my own lunch and snacks to uni because although the food is
very good and affordable at uni, I just think it is cheaper to use the food I
already have at home.
- Notebook - I don’t always carry one of these, as
I do most of my work on my laptop. But this semester I have had a more creative
assignment so I have needed to doodle or mind map some things which I prefer to
do on paper.
- Girly bag - I like to keep all my girly things
in one little pouch so I know where it all is when I need it. I just use this
pencil case from Tesco and it has all sorts of things in it from period pads,
paracetamol, lip balm, tissues, plasters and my EpiPen. So I guess you could
say it is like a little medical kit too haha!
Uni pass - I don’t like to wear my uni pass
around my neck, so I tie it around my bag handle so it is easily reachable when
it comes to the gates. I also find by having it tied to my bag handle, I never
forget or loose it like I would if I wore it around my neck.
I
hope you found this post useful if you are wondering what you need when going
to uni or maybe you found it interesting to have a little nosy into a student’s
bag!
