Items Every College Girl Needs in Her Bag
by Hannah Haghighi
College life is truly an outstanding example of “survival of the fittest”. Long days and sometimes longer nights make for a challenging, yet usually rewarding, experience. We are all here to learn, but what about those little inconveniences of everyday life that can get in the way of being able to do that to our best ability? Now, we aren't talking about something as bad as missing your bus or sleeping through your alarm, but these small things can still be really irksome, and if more than one of them happens in a day, it can feel like life is beating you up for no reason at all.
One of the top contenders in the Things That Ruin Your Day In The Most Annoying Way Possible category is something that I have been dealing with a lot lately, as my college campus is best and most efficiently traveled on foot: blisters. Maybe it’s just the shoes I’m wearing or the fact that it’s been strangely warm for the month of September (climate change, anyone?), but I feel like I can’t go a single week without developing a new blister. From my vast experience of weathering painful blisters all day, I have learned to keep a little pack of Band-Aids in my bag at all times. Since we love our Mother Earth, it is important to keep our waste footprint at an absolute minimum (or at least try to).
PATCH * BAMBOO BANDAGES * $6.99 for pack of 25
This is why having biodegradable bandages like these from the brand PATCH is so great for dealing with (seemingly everyday) blisters from running around campus all day. Having bandages on me has honestly been a lifesaver on days where I’m out of my dorm for 5+ hours.
WHEAT STRAW PILL BOXES * $7.64
Another huge thing for me as I navigate getting to and from class every day, and everything in between, is having a good pill compact to keep in my bag. This is great for catching headaches before they get bad, as well as carrying around any prescription medications you may need to take. There is nothing worse than getting your period and not having something to fight away your cramps so you can focus in class and do what you came to college to do: go to class! Nobody has time for dealing with those things until they can make it back to their dorm. A cute little pill case like this one is the perfect size to keep in your bag and has an sectionalized interior so you can keep your medications organized. Never again go fishing through your bag for your crinkled up baggie of Advil.
FENTY BEAUTY * PORTABLE CONTOUR & CONCEALER BRUSH 150 * $24
For those of us that like to wear a full beat to class (this includes me when I wake up with the motivation to do so), having the supplies to keep a fresh looking face all day is essential. Whether you are like me and end up looking oily and shiny by the end of the day, or your skin is dry as the desert, there are products out there to help your makeup look flawless. Since I tend to get oily in my T-zone, I try to keep powder and a powder brush in my bag for touch ups. The travel size version of the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder is the perfect size for mid-day touch ups on the go. If this is still too big to fit in your day to day bag, the Fenty Beauty Invisamatte Blotting Powder features a sleek, flat design and is coupled with a portable, retractable powder brush. For those whose base tends to dry out throughout the day, it is always a good idea to keep a small bottle of setting spray on hand. Many brands offer sample or mini size setting sprays, but some of my favorite is the MAC Fix+ mini (which comes in lots of different scents, my favorite being cucumber).
Next up on the list for school bag must haves: lotion. One of the worst feelings is realizing mid-lecture that your arms or elbows are as ashy as they’ve ever been. Plus, it always feels good to be able to add a little moisture and a pleasant scent during the day. One super moisturizing lotion I was introduced to over the summer that I am still using into fall is Sol De Janeiros Brazillian Bum Bum Cream. The original size is enormous, so I keep that one at home for moisturizing at night, but the mini version is the cutest little mini I have ever seen. It holds about 2.5 oz, and is the perfect to-go size.
KIND * BUILD YOUR OWN BOX * $44.44 (one-time purchase - subscription available)
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it is imperative in my day to day life to carry around emergency snacks in my bag. I am the type of person who can’t function right when I’m hungry, and it never hurts to have a little snack in the middle of class to stay awake and alert. My snack of choice is either a bag of almonds or, my drug of choice, KIND Bars. My favorite variety is the Dark Chocolate, Nuts, and Sea Salt flavor, but there are so many to choose from that there's a bar for everybody. Something that's pretty neat is that KIND brand lets you “build your own box”, where you can customize the quantity of the bars you receive and what flavors they are, and it is delivered straight to your house. A bit over the top, yes, but also really fun and convenient.
*Originally published in October 2019, updated March 12, 2023
*DNAMAG uses affiliate links, but these do not influence our editorial content. We may earn commission for any sales from affiliate links.
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