obligatory "what's in my bag" post

NOTE: I am NOT sponsored by any of the brands featured in this blog post.

They say that one's bag is the window into the soul. And by "they", I mean I made this quote up.

I've been wanting to hop on the "what's in my bag" bandwagon for quite a while now, and with my first year of university rapidly approaching, it seems like an appropriate occasion to do so. Many different variations of this trend can be found on the net—from tech bros, entire subreddits dedicated to "everyday carries" (r/EDC), artist communities, and fellow engineering students on TikTok. It's an interesting form of self-presentation in which others can get a glimpse into your daily life and personal stories based on the possessions you choose to showcase.

Aside from that, I hope this can give some pointers to any future students who have questions on what they should pack for a day on campus.

1. THE NORTH FACE VAULT BACKPACK (27 L): A gift from my step-father who had this backpack sitting in his drawer unused. It has a basic dual-compartment layout with a padded laptop sleeve, two side pockets, and a daisy chain. Notably, it also has well-padded shoulder straps and a sternum buckle, which are firsts for me in the backpack department. At least within my circle of family and friends, The North Face products have a great track record for their quality, so I'm banking on this one lasting me through undergrad.

2. SAFETY ALARM: I bought one online after recommendations from my aunt and older cousin who take the TTC regularly. It also comes with a light. Toronto is a relatively safe place for most people, especially in comparison to other major North American cities, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

3. CARABINER W/ HAIRTIES: I don't have long hair, but I always keep several on hand for other people. #WomeninSTEM or something.

4. OWALA FREESIP WATER BOTTLE (24 ml): I bought this over a year ago after my cheap plastic water bottle finally got obliterated. Shamefully, I was influenced by the Owala hype train, but I can certainly attest to its advertised convenience, temperature insulation, and durability. It is, however, a slight pain to clean the mouthpiece due to how narrow it is. Mould grows easily around the rubber components if I don't sanitize the parts regularly.

5. CHEAP MINI-UMBRELLA: I stole this from the family shoe closet a few years ago and kept it in my school backpacks ever since. Despite it's crappy build quality and ugly purple colour (in my opinion), this umbrella has saved me from many a storm. One of the flimsy metal arms broke and lost a screw, so I had to improvise by connecting the joints with a paperclip. We'll see if it can survive the Toronto weather.

6. FREDDY FAZBEAR WALLET: My legendary Freddy Fazwallet. I bought this as a birthday gift for myself three years ago and I hope I can continue using this way into my 30s and 40s for shits and giggles. Attached is an Umbrella Corporation (Resident Evil) card-holder for my PRESTO fare. Other than necessary cards and IDs, I always keep some cash and coin on me if I'm in a pinch.

7. CASIO FX-991CW SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR: One of two(?) scientific calculators approved by the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. I still don't actually know how to use this to its full potential. Since everybody and their mother will have one of these, I put my name and contact on the back, and I recommend everyone else to do the same.

8. SUNGLASSES: Aviator-style sunglasses I got for free from my job. They make me look cooler than I actually am.

9. PADS, TAMPONS, THROW-UP BAGS, BAND-AIDS: I keep these in a plastic bag in the zip-up compartment. Even if I don't need them, I'm prepared to give them to peers who do.

10. MEDICATION CASE: I got a cheap organizer and some labels off Amazon. Stocked inside are Gravol, Pepto Bismol, generic anti-histamines, Tylenol, and nasal decongestants.

11. MISC.: Chapstick, tissues, hand balm, etc.

12. PENCIL CASE: A trusty Herschel pencil case I've had for four years. Inside are various coloured highlighters, mechanical pencils, pens, a ruler, a pair of scissors, erasers, a gluestick and some white-out.

13. CHARGERS & POWERBANK: I keep an EAFU portable powerbank and two cables with charging blocks for all my devices. I store these in a mesh zip-up bag to prevent tangling. Long days on campus from evening to night means most eng. students will need to rely on a re-charge at least once.

14. JOURNAL: I am trying to be more "mindful" and "reflective"—whatever that may mean. I mostly just vent, rant, and record out-of-pocket or funny quotes here.

15. IPAD PRO 11" & PENCIL PRO: I've had this since 9th grade and it still handles everything like a beast. I primarily use it for taking notes and completing assignments on OneNote, which automatically syncs with the desktop app on my laptop.

16. LENOVO YOGA 2-IN-1 LAPTOP (14" AMD): My most essential piece of tech, besides my smartphone. I got it for a discount during the Lenovo 2024 summer sale and ever since then, I've loved this laptop. Its 2-in-1 design and inclusion of a pen have made it a seamless means of taking notes during class and doing design work with AutoCAD, KiCad, etc. So far, it has been able to keep up with demanding programs and some games like the Sims 4. Despite the praises I have for this laptop, I am worried about potential hinge failures that seem to be a reoccuring theme in 2-in-1 devices.

17. LOGITECH M240 WIRELESS MOUSE: I bought this bluetooth mouse for about $20.00 on Amazon. It's compact, connects smoothly, and I haven't had any complaints with it thus far. I'd highly recommend any student to use a mouse for the sake of comfort and precision while working/studying.

18. ACCORDIAN FOLDER: Most course content is digitized on Quercus/Canvas nowadays, but I keep an accordian folder for any sheets and scrap paper I need to keep.

19. FIRST AID KIT: Bandaids, gloves, gauze, and more. Comes in handy especially while working in design teams.