When it comes to living on campus, you learn that your backpack essentially houses your life for the next year. Although you may be living on campus as a freshman, your classes probably won’t be on one part of campus yet—you’ll be walking around all day. So, the best way to make sure you have everything you’ll need is to pack your backpack like a master!
The first thing I always make sure of is that I have a secure, but easily accessible spot in my backpack to store a small wallet (and the most important thing in your wallet is your Penn State id+ card). You’ll need it to enter dorms, pay for meals, and for most of your exams, so make sure it won’t fall out. You can also put an id holder on your phone if you prefer to carry it that way. You will need a place to put your key as well. Some people use a lanyard, others keep it on their wrist, you could keep it on your wallet or maybe you have as spot in your backpack that you always put it. Any way that you decide, choose a system so that you DO NOT LOSE IT. It is way too expensive to change those dorm room locks.
You’ll also need a space for your laptop or notebooks (whatever you decide to use to take notes in class) that isn’t at risk of bending or breaking if you drop your backpack next to your bed after a long day. It’s important that you keep your heaviest materials near your back so you don’t strain yourself on the way to class on that trek across campus. Another note for class materials: if your teachers require you to take textbooks to class, consider buying an e-textbook and bringing your laptop to class to access it when the need arises. This way, you won’t need to stop back and forth at your dorm to pick up and exchange your textbooks, and you guarantee that the heaviest “book” you’ll carry is a laptop (which isn’t too bad compared to some monster-sized textbooks).
It’s also important to make sure that you have a secure but easily accessible spot for your cellphone in your backpack (usually what I do is keep my cellphone in the water bottle pocket on the outside, and store my water bottle inside my bag). The first year is the toughest because you’ll want to have your phone out constantly with google maps up hoping you don’t look too dorky for not knowing your way around campus yet (don’t worry, you’ll get it locked in by the end of your first semester), but once you get into that groove, you will probably struggle to find a place for it (because for some unknown reason, women’s pants aren’t allowed to have actual pockets??). Luckily, it’s temperate for most of the school year, so a light jacket with pockets is another viable option, but make sure you have that back-up space in your backpack for the warmer months.
The last important thing to have enough space for in a backpack is a water bottle (as I kind of mentioned before). You may not think of it, but walking to class every weekday is a lot of exercise—especially as a freshman whose classes are all the way across campus. Staying hydrated is so important for you and can impact your mental and physical health (drinking a lot of water also helps you avoid that pesky freshman 15 everybody talks about). The style of water bottle depends entirely on your personal preferences (I like ice cold water, so I use a heavy metal Hydroflask), but make sure that you don’t ignore the fact that water bottles weigh a lot more than you’d think; so try to make a space for them relatively close to your back so your backpack isn’t weighing you down constantly. Try to aim for a water bottle that holds at least 24 oz of water (I, personally, find that 32 oz is the perfect amount) so you aren’t constantly stopping to refill, but it doesn’t weigh more than your entire backpack.
A few other small things to consider are writing utensils (make sure to stock up on #2 pencils for exams and scantrons), hand sanitizer, Tide to-go, chapstick, snacks/gum, and extra charging cords. You know what you like to keep in your backpack (I am a horribly messy eater, so Tide to-go and hand sani are a must), but the key to making sure everything fits but you don’t create a black hole is to compartmentalize your backpack. This means that similar items go together (e.g. headphones and chargers together, chapstick and gum together, hand sani and band-aids together, etc.). That way, you won’t have to think and you can just go for whatever you need. But, to keep the organization, it’s so worth those extra five seconds to put something back in its place, because eventually, you’ll have to turn your backpack upside down, shake everything out, and start from scratch.
To finish off, I’ll leave you with a really important piece of advice that a friend gave to me when I first started out: for the first time, you will be on your own, for real. You are in charge of your life and if something happens, you are the one that will have to deal with it. So, make sure that everything you need to do is for yourself. This doesn’t mean be rude and selfish, but if you have to choose between helping a friend decorate their dorm or studying for a Physics exam, choose the exam—your time here is short, so make sure you do your best to make it your own!
Laura Brownstead
Team L Envoy
No comments:
Post a Comment