Hopkins returned to normal operations today after the effects (or lack thereof) of Hurricane Sandy, which wreaked havoc in pretty much every other metropolitan area in the Atlantic Northeast except for Baltimore (warm wishes to those still dealing with the aftermath in New York and New Jersey!). This morning, like so many other students, I begrudgingly emerged from my four day hibernation to go to class, carrying with me the usual tote bag filled with an unnecessary amount of stuff that will probably contribute to a host of shoulder and back problems later in life:
1: Folders, notebooks, and my planner. I have different colored notebooks for each class because the Amish in me prefers to handwrite my notes during lecture, and folders for classes that give out a lot of handouts (I’m not saying that Intro to Social Statistics kills both trees and your GPA and that you should never take it, but that’s what I’m saying).
I bought and personalized my planner (aka my life/soul/Horcrux) over the summer on erincondren.com, which caters to design- and organization-obsessed Type A’s (such as myself) for stationary, notecards, planners, calendars, etc. My planner has a coral chevron print with my name and the year on the cover, and inside, each monthly calendar has a different color scheme and colored tab. By week, each day is divided into boxes for morning, day, and night – which helps me plan out my work and meeting schedules and keep track of all my assignments! The planner also comes with stickers for every birthday, appointment, event, test day, etc., and a pocket in the back to store pens/pencils.
Scoliosis, exhibit A
2: The Savage Detectives, by Robert Bolaño. I’m currently reading this work-in-translation for my class, The Contemporary Novel, which is taught by one of my favorite professors, Christopher Nealon. We read a book per week, and since this is a 600-pager, I carry it around with me in the hope that if I tote it around all day it’ll miraculously get read in time.
3: Melville’s Short Novels. This book is for the other English class that I’m taking this semester, Introduction to Literary Study. We just started reading Billy Budd, and have to read through Chapter 17 by tomorrow’s class.
4: Camelbak Eddy water bottle. I’m obsessed with this water bottle. I’m convinced that I’m a healthier and more well-hydrated person because I drink so much more water throughout the day…either that or Camelbak has a great marketing/advertising team. Carrying a water bottle around campus is convenient because there are water fountains in almost every building.
"You might think that you look good but...you could be wrong."
5: Reading glasses. My eyesight started getting worse during senior year of high school (true life: I read too much), so I keep reading glasses with me when I know I’ll be reading or staring at a computer screen for an extended period of time.
6: Graphing calculator. Unfortunately, I’m in a math class semester. And unfortunately, it involves more than basic addition (which just about covers the extent of my mathematical abilities).
7: Lotion, chapstick, oil blotting sheets. There’s nothing worse than going to class thinking that you look good and discovering that you actually look like someone dragged you face-down across a frat basement floor. As a necessary precaution, I normally keep basic toiletries with me just in case.
8: Earphones. On Wednesdays, I edit manuscripts at the Johns Hopkins University Press from 10:30am-2:30pm before my 3pm class. While I’ve learned so much about Chicago Press style and copyediting, the work tends to be a bit tedious, so my earphones and iPod help me pass the time.
9: Post-It Notes. My life runs off of Post-It note lists like American runs on Dunkin’ Donuts. (P.R.E.A.M. = Post-Its Rule Everything Around Me?)
10: Pens and pencils.
11: Fage greek yogurt/snacks in general. What? A sista’s gotta eat.
12: Gum. Damage control.
13: Betsey Johnson cosmetic case. In lieu of a normal pencil case, I use this cosmetic case to hold my glasses, pens/pencils/highlighters, gum, post-its, spare change, the occasional plastic utensil (…don’t judge me) and other miscellaneous objects that I probably don’t need.
14: Highlighters. When I’m reading, I like to highlight/mark passages that I think are relevant or important for easy reference when I’m studying for a test or writing a paper.
15: Keys/Marc Jacobs coin purse. In college, carrying around another purse/wallet on top of everything else isn’t really practical or popular. Most students have a small wristlet or lanyard to keep their keys and J-card in one place and scan into buildings more easily. I keep my Eddie’s Sandwich Club Card, Alkimia stamp card (buy 10, get 2 free!), receipts, and J-card in my coin purse, which also has a keychain for the key to my apartment.
16: White-out. This seemingly random purchase is actually one that I use on a daily basis. I initially bought it because (don’t laugh at me) my professors kept on changing due dates and exam dates after I had already written them (in pen!) in my planner and I hadn’t thought to buy it or bring it with me when I moved in.
Have a happy and safe Halloween!