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Backpack Necessities

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.

Average people associate October with spooky and scary things like vampires, scary movies, and trick-or-treating; however college students have a much scarier association with the tenth month of the year, midterms. Midterms in all its horror evokes images of coffee-driven sleepless nights, of scrambling to finish a six page paper, of desperately trying to memorize 100 different terms and their significance, and of horrific and bloodcurdling stress. It is important to be both mentally prepared for whatever horrors may await you, as well as have the items needed to get you through this frightening time.

 

A water bottle. Although college students are typically big proprietors of coffee, during the day water is the way to go. Water will keep you hydrated and feeling good all day, without any of the jitters that coffee might cause.Too boot, usually on water is actually allowed within exams rooms or libraries, so a water is a must for camping out all day in a library or even just have an exam. Chances are your campus has water bottle filler everywhere, so by bringing a reusable bottle, you’ll be able to reap the benefits all day.

 

An extra exam book. Just do yourself a favor and buy two rather than only one. You would hate to be caught about to take a midterm and not have the supplies you need. Even if you don’t use it this midterm season know this: you’re in college and more likely than not you will need it at some point.

 

A healthy, yet tasty snack. After studying in the library for seven hours or before a two hour exam you’ll need something to give yourself a little boost. Something with a little protein like nuts, or even some fruit will give your mind and body the extra boost it needs to keep going. Also you don’t want to be caught, without food, and without anytime to make it to a dining hall. So help yourself by just throwing in a string cheese or apple in your bag, you will thank yourself later.

 

Trust me we have all been there, its hour six of studying and just as you go to check a text you received your phone’s goes black, completely dead. It’s a truly horrifying sentiment and there is only one way to stop it, bring a phone charger. Yes, depending on what kind you have it can be a struggle to find an outlet, or it’s just bulking to carry around, but it will all be worth it when you are able to not be stuck with a dead phone and hours of studying left to go.

 

Melody A. Chang

UC Berkeley '19

As a senior undergraduate, I seek out all opportunities that expand my horizons, with the aim of developing professionally and deepening my vision of how I can positively impact the world around me. While most of my career aims revolve around healthcare and medicine, I enjoy producing content that is informative, engaging, and motivating.  In the past few years, I have immersed myself in the health field through working at a private surgical clinic, refining my skills as a research assistant in both wet-lab and clinical settings, shadowing surgeons in a hospital abroad, serving different communities with health-oriented nonprofits, and currently, exploring the pharmaceutical industry through an internship in clinical operations.  Career goals aside, I place my whole mind and soul in everything that I pursue whether that be interacting with patients in hospice, consistently improving in fitness PR’s, tutoring children in piano, or engaging my creativity through the arts. Given all the individuals that I have yet to learn from and all the opportunities that I have yet to encounter in this journey, I recognize that I have much room and capacity for growth. Her Campus is a platform that challenges me to consistently engage with my community and to simultaneously cultivate self-expression.