I recently started my first year of college and thought I'd share with you some things I find essential to have with me in my rather oversized bag.
1. The Bag.
I bought this a few weeks ago in the shop which gave me inspiration for my blog name, Penneys! Now, I know some people have a love/hate relationship with this shop but for me personally, they can do no wrong. This bag is kind of a Michael Kors Jet Set rip off, but for €11 and with that gorgeous metallic chrome colour, I was in love. I feel I could fit my entire life inside this bag if I tried hard enough and so it's perfect for college.
2. A Water Bottle.
As everyone knows, it's very important to drink enough water and what some may not know is that the commercial plastic water bottles you buy in shops are really bad for your health, here's an article with '7 Reasons To Never Drink Bottled Water Again,' it's worth reading! When I found out that the plastic in those bottles can break down over time, I bought this BPA free bottle, which I can reuse as many times as I want knowing that it won't affect my health.
3. An iPod.
While I'm fortunate enough not to have to get the bus to college most days, an iPod is always handy to have if you have a cancelled lecture or need to focus while studying in a noisy area. If you do get the bus, listening to music always makes the journey pass faster and on early mornings it might be the perfect thing to wake you up.
4. Student ID.
In my college, we're given a Student ID card which you can transfer money onto. This can then be used to buy food in the restaurants on campus and to get into the library. Student ID can also get you discounts in some shops so make sure you remember to use it.
5. A Small Make-Up Bag.
I'm not one for covering myself in make-up everyday so instead I keep some carmex, deodorant, a pen and a USB stick in this mini bag. Because my course is mostly computer based a USB stick will be essential for carrying around my work.
6. Notebooks.
On my first day in college they gave us the 'Student Survival Guide' that you see in the picture above, filled with information and tips for first years, it also has an agenda in the back but as you'll see later I already have one and probably won't use this as much. The other notebook was bought in a quirky new shop on Patrick Street in Cork called Tiger and I love it, I use it for writing down things I might forget later.
7. Portable Power Bank.
I'm one of those people who get panicky when my phone battery goes below 40%, crazy I know! I bought this Anker Power Bank from Amazon before Christmas and it's an absolute life saver. I use my phone for absolutely everything so if the battery runs low it's brilliant to be able to charge it on the go. While my power bank holds four full charges you can get smaller version of it that hold 1 full charge.
8. An Agenda/Planner.
In all honesty, I'd probably forget my head if it wasn't attached to my shoulders, so having an agenda where I can write down project deadlines and other important stuff is vital! They're also handy for helping you to remember birthdays or events coming up.
9. An iPad/Tablet.
This may not be 'essential' to some of you reading this but I love my iPad, I mostly use it for reading articles online or ebooks and now with my college course I can read my notes from lectures on it too. Some days it will save me bringing my laptop around which is always welcome as those things aren't feather light!
10. A Hairbrush.
Any males reading this will probably think, "Why in God's name is a hairbrush an essential?" Well fella's, let me tell you this, you don't know hardship until you've been caught on an extremely windy day with long hair, it's just not pleasant!
I hope you enjoyed this post and if I've missed out anything you can't get through a day in college without be sure to comment below and tell me! Thanks for reading!