School’s (almost) out for summer, but I thought I’d upload this post to give some inspo for the next academic year! I loved buying a new bag, stationery, and little productivity gems to get me excited for the new year back during my school years. Although, nowadays I prefer to buy a good quality bag and wear it for many years, for personal and sustainability reasons. BUT, the novelty of organising my things for the year ahead and buying the odd few new items has certainly not worn off.
I filmed this YouTube video in my 3rd year of Cambridge University- go give it a watch to see what was in my bag and a few funny anecdotes!
BAGS BAGS BAGS
The saying goes that you’re either a bag person or a shoe person. I’d say I’m a bit of both. I l-o-v-e shoes and am always eyeing my next pair….With bags, I’m super fussy, so when I’ve found t.h.e.-o.n.e., I *know*, I’ve found the one.
At Uni, I loved my Michael Kors Jet Set Tote Bag. Tote bags are great as they reduce faff time – you can quickly put your stuff in your bag as you finish class/ your lecture, before going to your next class. The Michael Kors bags are stylish and high quality, meaning they will last for more than 1 academic year.
Most of my school years I’d wear a backpack- yes, okay, it may not be that fashionable, but your back will thank you for it! Nowadays, there are so many cuter backpacks, so you don’t have to worry about compromising fashion over wearability.
I love Matt+Nat’s backpacks as they’re made from premium quality vegan materials. Each bag’s linings are made from about 20 recycled plastic bottles! Below are some of my fave Matt+Nat bags – the same styles come in light pinks and other shades too, so make sure to check them out.
ELECTRONIC ESSENTIALS
Do not forget to charge your portable phone charger! I’d recommend a MacBook 13” model as it is smaller and lighter and so more portable than the larger versions. The weight of everything really does add up. Make sure to protect your gadgets from damage by using high quality cases. I’d rather buy one good quality case and use it for a couple of years, than repeatedly buy cheaper cases which won’t protect my phone, and break more easily.
Casetify has been my go to place to buy stylish cases which are super strong and I know will protect my phone! They have c. 6 ft drop protection (with some models offering almost 10ft protection) and a “Defensify” anti-microbial coating which eliminates 99% of bacteria. Different phone cases are made from different materials and they clearly state which cases are made from which materials, and which proportions:
- Re/CASETiFY cases upcycle old phone cases
- Plant based materials
PLANNER
Although in recent years more and more people are using digital planners and diaries, you cannot deny the satisfaction of writing down your to dos and ticking them off physically on a piece of paper. The brain-to-hand-writting connection means that you’re more likely to remember to do the tasks you have written down.
A few of my dream higher end planners are here:
Just as pretty, but more affordable diaries are below:
Be sure to give my YouTube What’s In My Uni Bag video a watch if you haven’t already as I go into more depth about some of my stationery and University anecdotes! Let me know what is in your Uni bag below and you can’t leave your house without. Lots of love, Jo xoxo
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