I’ve always been so envious of guys of what they bring to school because all they need is their laptop cases and that’s it!

All these “What’s in my bag” videos always make it seem like every girl carries a thousand and one things with them to school. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to! Not every girl is the same!

Chances are, you won’t even use most of those things. So here’s how you can protect your back by carrying minimal number of items yet still have everything you need!

My Backpacks

These are the backpacks that I would swap around so that I fully utilise what I have.

The Kanken backpack has a laptop section so I can carry all my items in it and keep my hands free.

As for the Longchamp backpack, it was one of the best investments I made. Believe it or not, I can fit most of the items – sans the laptop, into my backpack! So I usually carry my laptop in its laptop sleeve to protect it. Although, if I wanted to, I could fit my 13inch laptop too. But I would discourage that because it scratches the back of it.

Without further ado, these are the ultimate things that you will need in school!

1. Electronics (without their cables)

• Laptop
• Phone. I can’t live without this since I pay for everything using my phone all the time at school.
• Kindle. Or I would carry a book around.
• AirPods. This is one of the most important things!! But remember to keep them charged so you can use them. I do like to keep a set of spare wired earphones just in case I forget to charge the Airpods.
• Calculator (Scientific and Financial because I’m a business student)

Personally, I don’t bring the cables nor chargers around. However, this is dependent on each individual so you’ll need to judge for yourself. If you’re going to be out for a longer time and you’ll need to use your laptop, maybe you’ll want to bring that charger out.

Tip: While shopping for your devices, make sure that you not only check for the battery life but also the size of the charger! Sooner or later, your devices’ battery life won’t be as good as before, but the size of your charger remains the same!

2. Books, Papers, Notes (School Related)

My notes are in 3 files which are categorised as follows:

• Notes for my Projects
• Notes for this week which I’ve not studied (I will bring this set of notes to my respective class.)
• Notes from previous weeks which I’ve not studied (I will bring this set of notes only if I intend to study outside or if I have a project meeting of my scheduled class

Notes that are studied are not brought to school at all. They will eventually be sorted into a binder file.

By doing this method, I DON’T have to lug the entire semester’s worth of notes to school. Every week, I’ll update these files by moving them into their respective files and making space for new ones.

At the end of the school semester, I’ll bring them all the printing shop to bind them.

Notebooks for each subject. I have a notebook for each module which I use to study the notes.

Similar to the notes, I will bring the ones I need for a class that day unless I intend to study notes from other modules.

Tip: I would suggest planning it such that you’ll only revise modules related to the class so that you don’t have to bring that many things.

For example, I have an Investments class today so I’ll bring the notes and notebook for Investments. After class, if I decide to revise a subject, I would try to revise Investments instead of revising other modules. That way, I just need to bring my Investment notes. However, this will require some planning in advance.

Loose papers. Instead of bringing the entire foolscap pad, I’ll just put some loose foolscap papers into my file for this week’s notes. You don’t really need the entire stack of foolscap paper.

3. Other Paper Products (Non- School Related)

• Planner. I use my planner very frequently to take note of due dates or assignments which are time-sensitive. I also use this to record down things so I don’t forget them. This includes project meeting dates, to do my laundry. However, this is a personal preference. You can also opt for the digital method.
• Current read (If I don’t bring my kindle, I’ll bring a physical book instead). I’m guilty of this but if my backpack gets too heavy, I won’t bring the book. Instead, I would opt to read on my phone. Regardless, physical books are the best.

4. Stationery

Ahhh. The downfall of many of us. It’s so tempting to get a big pencil case to bring all our beautiful markers and highlighters with the intention of using them in class. I don’t doubt it but hold up! Are you really sure that you’ll need them?

Most of the time, you’re not going to use all the stationery you bring to school. You’ll be too busy writing them down to switch among those eye-catching colours.

So bring the lesser stationery and be disciplined about it. Let do it! This is a list of what I bring.

• 1 pen of each colour (Blue, Black, Blueblack). It is always nice to have a few alternatives.
• 1 Micron Pen and 1 Calligraphy Pen (So I can do a little BUJO anywhere.)
• 1 mechanical pencil (I put extra lead into the pencil so I don’t have to bring the entire box.)
• 1 Eraser
• 1 Ruler
• Just 1 highlighter or even 2. But no more!!
• 1 Stapler (I got the smaller one which is compact and adorable.)
• Sticky notes

Tip: Try to get a smaller pencil case so you will only bring that amount of stationery to school. Otherwise, you’ll just keep adding to it and before you know it, it’ll too full and heavy to carry around.

5. A little pick me up

• Sweets (Unfortunately no gum is sold in sunny Singapore. Instead, I would keep some mints around. Special tip: this is a great ice breaker and a good way to get closer to your new-found friends in class. Don’t be shy to offer some mints. Sit back and be prepared for the kids in school to become more comfortable in your presence!)
• Chocolate (I love them but I prefer not to keep chocolate because I live in a hot and humid country. If the chocolate melts, it’ll be such a mess.)
• Water Bottle (It is so important to hydrate yourself. Although I’m guilty of not hydrating as much as I should.)

6. Tolietries

To be frank I don’t use too much makeup. This is a simple list and you may need more than it. That’s okay. Just don’t go overboard. Be more selective. Remember to ask yourself “What do you really need?”

• Lipstick/ LipBalm (Dior)
• Eyebrow Pencil (Benefit)
• Perfume (Kate Spade’s in Full Bloom)
• Eye Cream (Dr. Wu)
• Cream/ Lotion (Dr. Jart)

Other tolietries include

• Hand Sanitizer (Hush Candle which smells amazing)
• Eye Drops (for when I wear Contacts)
• Inhaler (to clear my nose when it gets stuffy when I wear the mask)
• Extra Set of Contact Lens (Olens)
• On-the-spot relief (Origins Peace of Mind, for when I get a headache. This works wonders)

7. Others

Most of these items are pretty self explanatory.

• Wallet (I’ve started using a smaller one instead of my old long one which every girl uses.) I keep a USB, cash, Student ID, Driver’s License, etc. in it.
• Fan. Running around campus can be so hot in Singapore. So I like to keep a handy handheld fan. Looks cool and keeps you cool. Need I say more? Yes, it was a pun please laugh!
• Tissue
• Sanitary Pad
• Masks (I keep an extra one in my bag just in case I forget. And I always forget)
• Glasses. (I wear contacts at school but sometimes, towards the end of the day, it gets a bit dry and it becomes uncomfortable. So I’ll change out of them before I drive home.)

What do I not bring

• Textbooks. I usually avoid buying textbooks because they are so expensive and heavy to carry around. If I have to get them, I’ll keep them at home for reference and revision. I’ll also find the online version which is typically circulating amongst the cohort. It also makes the textbook easily accessible as long as I have my laptop with me. Definitely a win-win.
• Binders. I have nothing against binders. These big and bulky thing is great for organization at home. However, it’s far too heavy to lug them to school. Besides, I don’t use most of the notes in there. So I simply take what I need and leave the rest at home.

Bonus: Accessories

• Watch or Bracelet (I don’t normally wear my bracelet because I wear a watch on my left hand. If I wear the bracelet on my right hand, it gets in the way. Thus, it’s one or the other.)
• Hair tie (Definitely a must-have for every girl with long hair. I’ll wear around my wrist so I don’t lose them easily. Girls, you know what I’m saying. I usually get mine from Daiso and cut the elastic into the length I like.)
• Necklace (If I’m feeling a bit fancier that day.)
• Mask (The new fashion in the Year 2020)

And that’s what I carry with me. It does sound like a lot of things but these are essentials that I like to carry around with me.

What are some of your favourite school essentials? Comment down below!

Just in case you missed my previous blogpost on “Useful chrome extensions for university students”, click here!