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What do your daily items say about you?

Have you ever wanted to look inside somebody’s purse?

Not to steal or be creepy, but to take a peek inside their personal world. If you were to look inside your bag right now, what essentials would you find? What do the items you carry mean to you, or even what do they say about you? Regardless of your major, whether you’re messy or organized or if you’re relaxed or always on the go, everyone has their top essentials. Of course, there’s the typical phone,wallet and keys combo; everybody carries those. What I want to know, besides the obvious, is what people carry with them throughout their day-to-day lives that you wouldn’t know about unless you asked.

Clearly, I am someone who wishes I could look into everyone’s bag and find out what’s inside. Unfortunately, I can’t do that. What I can do, however, is ask people around the University of Missouri campus what items they’re carrying. I want to know what makes them essential, so I asked seven different participants a question:

“Besides your phone, wallet and keys, what are the top three essential items you’re carrying around in your backpacks or purses daily?”

Here’s what they had to say…

Abigail Graves (SOphomore)

A pencil or pen for writing down thoughts or notes in class
Lip products for chapped lips, especially coming into the colder months
Tissues if she or her friends need them; also good “to dry the tears from studying so hard or for a frat flu outbreak,” according to Graves.

Em Ho (Senior)

Tampons
A journal for sketching and writing down daily thoughts
A stuffed animal for emotional support

Claire Cordell (junior)

Snacks since Cordell does not have a dining plan
Tissues for allergies
A computer to stay studious on campus between classes

Winni Yang (junior)

Snacks, with current favorites being pumpkin cashew clusters or Pocky
A laptop for classes
Pencils

Kellen Flynn (sophomore)

AirPods
A battery bank
Whatever book Flynn is currently reading

Lauren Varner (master’s student)

Chapstick – Vaseline, specifically
G2 pens
Wired headphones

Effie Lillig (graduated)

Headphones – Koss Porta Pros brand, specifically
Drawing supplies she uses for her job, and also for general drawing and making lists
Sunglasses for her sensitive eyes

Of course, due to the nature of asking various people one question, no two answers are going to be the same.

This was a fun way to get an idea of just how different everybody is. Getting a glimpse into someone’s bag, even if it’s as small as the top three essentials they carry, is such an interesting look into how people are living their lives and what people find important. What becomes clear is that people prioritize comfort and creativity in the items they carry. Most of these items also make sense for college students, such as pens, pencils and laptops.

What most people have in common is that they carry essentials that aid in their comfort throughout the day.

Some are more creative, artsy types who carry their journals and art supplies. Others are prepared for anything with snacks or battery banks, possibly signaling longer time spent on campus and busier schedules. Items of comfort, such as stuffed animals, headphones, chapstick or tissues, are carried around to help keep a sense of security. I know for me, my top essentials would be my water bottle to always stay hydrated, my iPad for notes and studying and a charger since one of my items of technology is always dying.

The items you carry on your person say so much about you.

Are you the creative type, the prepared for anything type or maybe the just trying to make it through the day type? Everyone navigates college in their own unique ways, with their essentials to aid them. The most ordinary objects can say so much about who we are and what we care about. What are your top essentials? Are you a maximalist who carries everything you could need, or do you do the good old “girl grip” and only carry what you need in your hands? Ask your friends or classmates for their top three essentials… you may find out a little bit more about them!

Observing our Essentials