What Should Be In My Backpack For School
It’s that time of year – summer is coming to an end, as is your summer break! You’d have received a list of “must-have” items from your school and started shopping for everything from textbooks to new pencils, but if you’re new to this, you’re probably wondering what else should be in your backpack for school.
The good news is that millions of students go through this every year and we can learn from them. Here’s our team’s simplified list of what to consider when readying your messenger bag or backpack for school.
Keep your backpack light enough to to walk upright!
Let’s start with what will go into the “big pocket”.
Books
When packing books, remember to actively use your locker! Think about where your locker is located in relation to where your classes are for the day. If you can leave a few books in your locker, it will help lighten the weight of your bag. You can also store one or two books that you can read in your spare time, during study hall, lunch or at the end of the day.
Notebooks and Folders
How many notebooks do you need? You may need one per class. We also recommend putting loose sheets in folders so they don’t get crumpled. Again, you don’ t need to carry every notebook with you all day if you make use of your locker.</
Planner
Your school may be one that provides their students with a planner on the first day of school. If your school doesn’t, it is important that you get one to put in your backpack for school. A planner will help you keep track of your assignments, tasks and extracurricular activities. If you prefer a digital planner, here are some options!
Pencil Pouch
Pens, pencils, highlighters – have 2-3 of each in case you lose one or need to lend one to a friend. And it really makes sense to put them all in a pouch so you’re not digging around the bottom of your backpack when you’re in a rush to find one! By the way, schools may have sharpeners, but it is nice to have one handy just in case you’re working outside the classroom.
Laptop/Tablet
If you use your own computing device at school (not limited to what your school provides in the classroom), remember to bring a charger too. It is also best to put your laptop/tablet in a protective pouch or cover to keep it from getting scratched in your backpack.
Personal Items
Though much of your cosmetic, grooming or personal items may be left in your locker, you may want to have some of them handy in your backpack. Putting them in a pouch makes it easier to access them when you need to and keeps you from accidentally melting chapstick over your books! You may also want to include any critical medical items (e.g. your inhaler) here so you can get to them immediately if necessary.
Now let’s look at what you can put into the “small pocket”.
Flash Drive
These are super handy to save files or backup important work that you may take from home to school for example. They’re even useful to share extra large files with your friends, especially if you’re working on video projects together.
Calculator
If you need a scientific calculator, you can keep it in the small pocket if it is large enough to hold it.
Wallet
Don’t forget your wallet! Your debit/credit cards, cash and ID can be stored in the small pocket of your backpack or, you can carry your wallet in your pocket if you prefer.
Phone/Headphones
The small pocket is a good place to stash your phone and headphones, unless you’d rather have them in your pocket!
There are a lot of other items that you may need: gym shoes/clothes, water bottle, lunch (if you pack your own) etc. It may be better to pack your athletic items in a sports bag to leave in your locker and put your lunch in a separate pack/container to keep it from getting crushed and leave that in your locker too if you can.
Want more tips on what you need for your backpack for school? Check out these images for more ideas.
Have tips you’d like to share? Leave a reply!