Collegiettes™ are busy girls. Between classes, extracurriculars like sports and sororities, and spending time with friends, we’ve got a lot going on! Even the most organized of us forget something now and then, so here’s a great checklist of things every collegiette™ should carry in her bag at all times to make sure she’s prepared for every situation.
1. ID card/room key. This is an obvious one – how else are you going to get into your building/room, eat, buy supplies at the bookstore, get into the gym, or bond with new friends over deciding who has the most horrendous ID picture?
2. Hair ties and bobby pins. You never know when your hair will decide it’s having a bad day, and there are so many other uses for these hair tools! Ties and pins can fix fashion emergencies, instantly turn you into the “reliable” friend, and in a pinch, replace rubber bands and paper clips.
3. Cash. Cards are convenient and easy, but when you need to support your favorite campus organizations by buying their cupcakes and t-shirts, you’ll want some small change! Carry a few singles and several quarters, and you’ll never have to be “that guy” that doesn’t have cash. Plus, for those of us in organizations, it’s impossible to pay for club t-shirts and expenses with twenties. Your treasurer will love you if you have singles! And don’t forget the taco trucks that only take cash.
4. A little pack of tissues. Watery eyes from impromptu sneezes, bleeding cuticles from nervous picking, and makeup running in the hot LA heat are only a few of the things tissues can fix if you just carry them with you!
5. A planner, or a cell phone with one. Just walking through campus, you’ll run into a ton of people – all who want to get scheduled into your life! Have a planner on hand so you never miss an appointment with an advisor, a professor, a boss, or a friend. Write down reminders to yourself so you never forget anything ever again.
6. A cardigan. Los Angeles during the fall tends to be pretty hot, but the A/C is cranking in classrooms (tip: Weingart 117 is FREEZING! Or at least it was during the 3 hours a week I had class there last year…). Plus, Eagle Rock can get windy out of nowhere, and it gets cold at night.
7. Borrowed a friend’s shirt? A pen from a classmate? Always carry these with you (unless they’re too large to feasibly drag around) so you can give them back without having to schedule a time to meet up. Oxy’s a small school and you’ll see everybody everywhere!
8. Sunscreen. The Los Angeles sun is strong (as a Seattle native, I can attest to this) and you never know when you’ll be sitting outside, getting exposed to sunlight. Every minute without sunscreen ups your chances of developing a dangerous melanoma, so don’t risk it!
9. A reusable water bottle. Bottled water on campus costs anywhere from $1-$3, and though water is free at the Marketplace, if you don’t have a water bottle you have to buy a cup. If you have a reusable water bottle, fewer than 10 refills will cover the cost of most water bottles. That’s about how many refills I get in a week!
10. Chapstick. Having chapped lips is one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever, and Los Angeles is a pretty dry place to live. Chapstick is crucial for the comfortable collegiette!
There you have it! The most important things to always carry on your person around campus. What do you think? Did I miss something? What else would you recommend carrying around? Leave your comments below!
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