The following was written for a school newspaper during my early years of college. I include it here for archival purposes.
Because of preference, need and other considerations, the make-up of someone’s backpack is a pretty personal thing. I interviewed Leighton Ipson, a sophomore undeclared major from Washington, Sarah Eggett, a senior secondary education major from Bountiful, Jake Barrett, a sophomore music major from Logan, and Adam Garceau, a junior pre-nursing major from Sacramento to find out what makes their backpack habits unique.
Q: Do you keep your backpack pretty organized?
Leighton: “I keep my backpack pretty organized so I can know where all of my stuff for each class is.”
Sarah: “I keep my backpack very organized. Each pocket has a specific purpose or certain thing that is put in it — of course, the bigger the pocket, the more things that I assign to put in it.”
Jake: “My backpack is anything but organized, but I can navigate [it] well, I guess.”
Adam: “Yes. I know where everything is at all times. It’s important to keep track of it all so I don’t forget something for class.”
Q: What’s the most important thing you bring with you to school each day?
Leighton: “My laptop — I use it for almost every class.”
Sarah: “For academics, pens/pencils and notebooks for each class. For health, my water bottle is a must.”
Jake: “My music.”
Adam: “My phone. It’s my best study resource and great for taking notes if I forget my notebook.”
Q: Is there anything you carry with you regularly that you think is unique?
Leighton: “I keep a first-aid kit with me and it’s come in handy.”
Sarah: “I always keep a game with me. For example, [I carry] a deck of cards or mini-farkle.”
Jake: “[I carry] a kitty folder.”
Adam: “I like to carry my grip exercising ring so I can stay strong and a pocket face mask for CPR.”
Q: Have you ever tried going without a backpack?
Leighton: “I really haven’t. I need everything in my backpack.”
Sarah: “I tried just going with a shoulder bag for a day, but there weren’t enough pockets, no pocket for my water bottle, and my shoulder started hurting. So, needless to say, a backpack is normally my standard.”
Adam: “I’ve always used a backpack. I tried to replace it with just my iPad, but then I found I had to carry paper homework and a pencil. My backpack has gotten smaller. I’ve definitely become more minimalist over time.”