My sole aim in life is to go anywhere prepared like a General for war, which is why in my school days I carried at least 3-5 bags full of books, water bottles and what not. I was (and always am) deathly paranoid that I will leave something behind and when the time comes I wont have it at hand.

And so, even though over the years I have considerably lightened my bag and reduced the number to one (very begrudgingly), it is not what you would call “an average university-goer” bag pack.

My bag is a LAVIE bag with a capacity of 40L and it is still bursting with the stuff I carry. So if you are curious what I may need on a daily basis, here’s a list.

• Ring binder/ notebook to write down notes.
• Bare acts as per the subject being taught
• My planner/ bullet journal or both
• A separate college folder to carry A4 sheets, any xerox I may need, prospectus and syllabus of our college
• A rough copy for random doodling.
• My pouch (I have three but I carry only one to my university)
  • Black and blue pens – At least three of each
  • Pencils – both mechanical (size 2mm and 0.5mm) and non-mechanical
  • Ruler
  • Eraser
  • Sharpener
  • Pen drive
  • Pen knife (Don’t ask why)
  • Gum
  • Stapler
  • Mini notepad
  • Highlighter – earlier four, but since one pouch died due to overloading reduced to two
• Tissue set – not for me, but for a crying soul (and if I happen to be just in the area. Its been 4 years and I haven’t had the chance to use it.)
• Sanitary napkins – always be prepared.
• Stole/ Scarf – to tie on face when I go out in the sun/ dust (in addition to the dupatta I already use)
• Laptop (it weighs 2.1kg and I skip it some days because my back hates me when I make it feel like a donkey lugging around an already heavy bag pack)
•  A book to read if I feel bored
• Water bottle
• Rags (to clean, India is a dusty place, I am always wiping or scrubbing)
• Miscellaneous kit –
  • Bindi (I wear it on a daily basis)
  • Hair band/ clip (I have pixie haircut, I don’t need it but I carry it for the other girls)
  • Safety pin (for wardrobe malfunctions)
• Camera – mine is Nikon Coolpix A300 great for macro/ landscape/ pet photography
• First Aid Kit –  (again, for others and seldom for myself)
  • Disprin for head aches
  • Boroline or equivalent for bruises or wounds
  • Divya Dhara or for sinus or insect bites
  • Paracetmol for high fever
  • Band-aid + Cotton for immediate treatment of wounds
• Purse
  • Pen (I have a hoarding problem)
  • Photographs (Passport)
  • Cards (seldom)
  • Library card
  • Driving license (in the event I need to prove my identity)
  • Money (I am always broke so never have much on hand)

And that’s it folks!

Let me know what you carry in your bags!