1. Music and Headphones

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An iPod is a really useful item to carry with you on campus. I’m always plugged into mine – except, obviously, during actual classes. If you’re sitting in the library, for example, and the students around you are being a little less than quiet, simply slip on your earphones and some background music. Then, voila -- your problem is solved.

2. A Box of Healthy Snacks

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Bringing your own snacks to campus is a good idea for lots of reasons. Firstly, it will save you money in the long run; even though campus food is not exactly expensive, buying lunch isn’t as cheap as making yourself a sandwich. Secondly, your own healthy, home-made nibbles will inevitably be better for you than the standard selection of burgers and pizzas on offer in the food court. And thirdly, having something to graze on when you’re feeling bored and peckish between classes will really help to keep your morale up throughout a long day.

3. A Portable Coffee Cup

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I’m a bit of a coffee fiend and I need to keep myself well fueled with the fantastic stuff throughout the day. A portable coffee cup, complete with a sealable lid and thermal insulation to keep your beverage hot, is one of my favourite inventions ever. It means I can take my favourite drink with me everywhere I go: into the library, lecture theatres and through bustling difficult-to-navigate crowds of students.

4. Something Interesting to Read

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Obviously, you should be treating every free moment as an opportunity to catch up on your calculus or a chance to really get to grips with that economics text book, but for most of us, a window period in the daily schedule means time to let our brains relax. I like to keep a novel in my bag especially for moments like these. Any book is a great item to carry with you on campus.

5. Your Laptop

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I’ve recently upgraded from a big, paving-slab of a laptop to a nifty little one. It fits into my handbag, never mind my enormous campus satchel, it’s super-light to carry, and it’s a real lifesaver in those empty periods between lectures. Whether you’re completing assignments, reading papers online or watching reruns of your favourite sitcom in an empty classroom, keeping your computer with you is a good idea.

6. A Hat (Especially in Winter)

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This item won’t really help with your between-class boredom, but it will definitely keep you able to face the world if you have temperamental hair and you find it is unexpectedly drizzling. I always have a cute little hat wedged in the bottom of my bag; there’s nothing worse than being stuck on campus all day with dreadful, out of control hair. Any kind of hat is a good item to carry with you on campus.

7. Money (a Little Bit)

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Not being the world's most organised girl, I have, once or twice, made the mistake of leaving my wallet at home. On these days, I invariably found myself cold, coffee-less and unable to buy photocopying credits or talk time for my phone. To guard against repeats of these situations, I’ve taken to keeping a little bit of cash in my satchel for emergencies. A long day at university is, as you well know, often a rather nomadic experience. Unless you happen to live right on campus or you have an office, you need to keep pretty much everything you might need with you in your bag. Hopefully, this list of 7 items to carry with you on campus will help you to stay prepared for anything. Do you have any suggestions to add to it?

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