Shopping for new school supplies is like a cleansing of some sort. For me, it serves as an opportunity to reinvent myself and start fresh, and honestly, what better way is there to do that than with a brand new notebook and some pens?


Below I list down and describe the things I pack in my school bag. Of course, the things I pack in my bag vary daily, depending on which classes I have, which orgs I have meetings for, and if I decide to go to the gym after class. The list below consists of my staple items for every day of the week.

1. I Am Very Busy Agenda

I saved up a month's worth of allowance just to be able to get this. I've been eyeing this planner for so long, that I was beyond ecstatic when I finally got one for myself! It's an 18-month agenda from ban.do and if you think the cover is cute (it is, isn't it?) you should see what's inside! It has aesthetically pleasing pages and a sheet of stickers you can use to decorate the pages. I recently got a pack of sticky pads from the same store and I now stick those on my planner for extra notes and reminders. I love this planner a lot, and anybody who has hung out with me in school this year would know just how much I adore and stand by this.

One of the things I hate having to do is reuse old notebooks. No, definitely not because I love seeing all the unused pages go to waste, but because I'm very particular about notebooks (and all kinds of stationary) and I get a feeling of satisfaction when I write my courses' titles on the very first page of a clean, unused notebook. The only problem is that I almost never get to reach the very last page of the notebooks I buy for school. When the semester ends, I'm left with at least 20 unused and clean ruled pages that I will have to find good use for before my conscience gets the better of me.

This year, to keep myself away from all that, I decided to buy a ring binder and loose ruled sheets instead. This way, I can control the number of pages per course and feel less guilty for accumulating all these empty and clean pages. I use my ring binder for 6 classes, and I cut cardboard paper and used it to make dividers for the sheets. Despite the fact that it's a bit bigger than my usual notebooks and that I'd have to bring the whole binder instead of just 2-3 notebooks per day for my classes, I'm loving this decision! It makes it a lot easier to keep my notes clean and to save paper.

I also use a clear book for the photocopies of my readings and for copies of the class syllabus. I find it easier to look for papers in a clear book because flipping through the pages already gives you an idea of what you have in the book and you don't have to dig or open envelopes for loose sheets. 

The small envelope I put in my bag is for smaller pieces of paper and notes that might fall if I place them in my binder of clear book. It's also where I keep the blue books I need for my classes.

Ah yes, another pink item from my bag. This pencil case was a gift to me and I've been using it for almost a year. It fits all my pens, some brush pens and markers too. What makes it easy to use are the zippers found halfway through and at the top. When I'm working on a table, I make the pencil case stand and use either of the zippers to get whatever I need from it. As someone who keeps a lot of pens and markers in her pencil case, I prefer using this kind over the usual horizontal cases with one zipper which require me to dig through several pens to get to the one I'm actually looking for.

Not much of an explanation for these, really. I don't really like bringing my laptop with me to school because it doesn't fit inside this backpack so I bring my iPad and use it as I would my laptop. I type documents, make presentations, do research, and in my free time, listen to music, watch movies, and read books.

My backpack's front pocket has a variety of items. The usual things you can find in there include my gym key (for when I survive the school day with enough energy to go on a treadmill), pepper spray (protection! from! people! who! will! not! hesitate! to! attack!), and my house keys.

Some days, I'd have loose change, a folding fan, and a spare pen in my bag's front pocket. Oh, and used tissues and candy wrappers. They always find a way to get in there.

Ah yes, this thing. I bring a make-up kit with my essentials, a small brush, a Swiss pocket knife, some tissue, sanitary pads, oil absorbing sheets, and whatever else I can take from my bathroom mirror before I leave for school. It's really just a little kit with all the emergency things some kid like me might need. 

Okay, but let's be real, it's only the fourth week of the semester. I won't be surprised if I end the semester with a completely different bag and missing items. Although I do hope that my little list of items helped you one way or another. 

Share with me what you keep in your bag! If you want to stay in touch, send me a holler and let's hold each other accountable for whatever items we lose before this semester ends!