Mini #2: What’s in my uni bag?
Arguably one of my favourite things to do when I’m bored (or procrastinating) is go through my uni bag and make sure I’ve got everything I could possibly ever need in there, and then order additional things. Things that I probably don’t need but want to have anyways, because who doesn’t love a nice little shopping spree (my bank account doesn’t). In today’s article we’ll be discussing my absolute essentials for things I always have in my uni bag, ready to walk out the door on a moment’s notice, for all those times I forget I have a lecture and need to GO.
THE UNI BAG ESSENTIALS
Chargers - the unequivocal no-brainer of something you absolutely must have in your bag at all times is a phone/laptop/iPad/headphone charger (you get my point). I always carry a portable battery with me in case my phone spontaneously dies (which it’s been known to do) and keep a laptop or iPad cable in there just in case they die during the day (although I usually will make sure they’re charging the night before).
A mini essentials kit - things like a pack of gum, spare plasters, spare hair ties, pads (for my gals), a pair of wired headphones, a £10 note (you never know), a spare pen, and painkillers (if you’re anything like me and get headaches all the time). All these random bits will definitely serve you at one point or another and you’ll be grateful you had them with you! Keeping these bits in a little pencil case or cosmetic pouch will do the trick to make sure they’re not floating aimlessly through your bag.
An umbrella - as much as we all wish it wasn’t true, the UK can get incredibly wet and soggy sometimes and the last thing you need is to get soaked walking to a lecture, between lectures, or even worse, on the way home. Having a small umbrella that fits into your bag, or a waterproof that folds up nice and small, will be a lifesaver on those grey days.
A water bottle - I’ve got one that is basically my dedicated ‘uni water bottle’ and for the most part, stays in my bag so that I never leave the house without it. It’s always important to make sure you’re staying hydrated and having a water bottle with you goes a long way to ensuring that you do!
A small notebook/notepad - yes with evolving times people take notes on physical paper less and less, but on the rare occasion that you need to be able to write something down really fast, or if you’ve forgotten to charge your devices, having a small notepad on you will save you from the woes of having to run home and grab a charger just to take notes in one lecture.
A layer (in Winter) - this is definitely a seasonal recommendation, but once it gets really cold I like to keep a light layer (think a thin jumper or jacket) in my bag. I often fall victim to having my coat on and not having a layer in between (so I’m either freezing or boiling), which is not ideal if you’re sitting in a lecture theatre. Having a layer I can easily throw on and not worry about missing has saved me so many times!
A coin - for my final trick, I shall recommend you bring a coin! Definitely quite random but some lockers at university require putting a coin in for you to be able to lock them (like outside of labs), so having one that just lives in your bag and you never have to think about is definitely the way to go to make sure you can always keep your stuff safe.
I hope that today’s short & sweet article has provided some useful tips for things you should definitely throw into your bag and given you some insight into things that I certainly always have in mine. Whilst some of my recommendations aren’t the most obvious, they’re certainly helpful and have saved me some frustration over the past year, so hopefully they can save you some too!
Next week we’ll be taking the week off for promotional reasons, but on 5th we’ll be getting into the fine art of selecting a house to live in (whether you’re going into 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year)… All that and more to look forward to - our members exclusive article on the delicate dynamics of choosing your housemates also comes out later next week, so keep an eye out for that!
As always, Happy Tuesday, have a lovely week and remember to keep refining.
Mia