What Do WOSS Students Keep in Their Bag?

If you take a look across WOSS, it’s safe to say that you’ll find the majority of Woss students carrying backpacks with them. But. have you ever wondered what another WOSS student carries in their backpack? With over 2,300 students,  it’s safe to say we have many identities and backgrounds that can be distinguished just by taking a peek at what's inside! If you want to explore some of the many diverse students at our school, or need a helping hand with building your own backpack, read ahead!

Emma Zhang

Grade: 12

        Emma’s backpack consists of her note-taking essentials, such as her laptop, iPad, and her headphones to listen to music while studying. She also carries her pencil case containing her pencils, pens, and a calculator, which is often replaced with her iPad especially for up-coming evaluations.

           Since Emma is in IB, a program which requires vigorous note-taking and heavy comprehension, she highly recommends digital note-taking as it saves a lot of paper, space,  and keeps everything organized and convenient.  She uses an Apple iPad, and the platform goodnotes.

Sharanya Ghosh

Grade: 9

Sharanya’s backpack is the epitome of girly, with it consisting of pink and white stripes, and having a cute monkey on the logo. “My parents bought this for me from Amazon” she stated. Her bag has 4 main pockets, the biggest one carrying the chunkier items (a binder, a butterfly themed planner to stay organized, a pink fluffy pencil case, and lastly, a pink and purple ombre water bottle. The smaller pocket contains an assortment of curious items, with her describing it with the words “I have a lot of trash in my bag [laughs]”. From deodorant, and sunscreen, to more curious items like stolen hand lotion from a hotel, or an old JUSTICE lip gloss from 2019, it’s safe to say that Sharanya’s backpack is full of peculiar items. 

When asked what she thinks of her backpack, she responded with “I don’t really care too much about it. I just use it to carry my things and that’s it.” 

Well said Sharanya!

Syria

Grade: 12

         Syria’s backpack is used to accompany her needs as a dedicated art student. She uses a black Jansport bag, with three main pockets to carry all of her items. She puts all of her devices (iPad, laptop headphones, etc) and her art supplies (paint, coloured pencils, a sketchbook etc) in the biggest pocket, to be able to effectively access them when the need arises. “I’m kind of like a mom”, expressed Syria as she described the items in her smallest pocket. This pocket consists of pencils, tissues, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and perfume making her backpack full of toiletries. 

Syria describes the way her backpack is organized by saying “I just kind of throw things in there. I have a lot of random papers in my backpack,” which is a phrase we’re sure a lot of students can relate to.

Cindy Zou 

Grade: 10

          Cindy’s backpack is made for her comfortability as she has ADHD  and needs help controlling her concentration to meet her day-to-day activities. She has an ipad for note taking, a water bottle, a couple fidget toys, and some pens and pencils.  When asked if she finds her iPad more accessible compared to her computer, she responds, “Yes, in many ways it's easier to bring around than a laptop because it’s not as heavy and smaller, but there are some drawbacks, for example, using google docs as it doesn’t work the best.

    Cindy’s word of advice is,  “Just remember at WOSS, you don’t really need a big backpack. In grade 9 I brought SO many things in my backpack and it felt so tiring on my shoulders!.”

Fayaz Haque

Grade: 10

       Fayaz keeps his bag light and simple, yet juggles challenging classes. He carries a binder, pencils, and a water bottle. When asked about his classes, he casually answers, “ I have History, Math, Business, and Civics & Careers, yeah”. Fayaz’s attitude marks the expression, "Take a chill pill!”

Fayaz discloses, “ I got an eraser”

Sara Al-Asadi

Grade: 10     

    Sarah’s bag consists of her necessities such as a pencil case, a binder, three notebooks, her water bottle, a wallet, and her lunchbox. When asked about her most used supply, Sara says, “Probably my math notebook because we have a lot of practice questions to do.”

Sara expresses, “I think backpacks are very practical!

Anonymous 

Grade: 10

      This person considers their backpack as a helping hand.  They carry anything they may need for the day, such as their lunch bag, water bottle, a band aid and emergency bag in case an incident occurs in which they’re hurt, their laptop, and workbooks.

       Anonymous also believes in dedicating each section of your backpack to a different cause to maintain efficiency. For example, they section they’re backpack into three parts: one for their computer, another for workbooks, and they’re current readings and other similar items go at the front. 

Aryan Sharma

Grade: Undetermined

       Aryan’s backpack is mainly used to guide him through his calculus and tech design classes. His backpack contains his laptop, notebooks, chargers for all his electronics, headphones for music listening, gum, and his water bottle and lunch. 

       Aryan’s  laptop is used for tech design, creating and implementing digital products to build models. His notebooks are mainly used for calculus, yet he shares space for his Sports Leadership Program where he learns teamwork, communication, strategy and organization skills.

Zarshah Wasi

Grade: 10

        Zarshah likes to keep her backpack simple as she doesn’t enjoy a heavy load. She carries the school computer, her notebooks, her lunch bag, pencil case, and a binder. When asked which supplies she often uses, she answers, “ My pencil case and my notebooks - and my lunchbag mostly because I like to eat, [laughs] and I  take notes during class.” The majority of Zarshah’s notebooks are consumed by science, and the rest by law. 

Zarshah tips, “ Just keep it light!”

Anonymous

Grade: 10 

     In Anonymous's front pocket, they hold miscellaneous emergency items such as chargers, lip balm, and their papers and tissues. On the side, they carry their pencil case and calculator. Finally, their big pocket contains the heavy duty: a binder, a laptop, and their water bottle and lunchbox. 

Anonymous strongly suggests to keep working hard. “ If you get a bad grade, just keep going guys!”

Now that we’ve looked into various WOSS students’ backpacks, and further developed how a backpack is not only a form of luggage, but an outlook into a student’s life, what can we take away from this? Well, it’s safe to say that what you carry in your backpack, is a reflection on who you are as a person, and your life. From being a dedicated art student with a backpack full of art supplies, to being an individual with ADHD, who carries certain items to support their lifestyle, the contents of your bag directly reflect the type of person you are. 

It’s interesting at the very least to observe how different people organize their backpacks, especially since it's something that we all as WOSS students use to stay proactive. Now, what can you do with this knowledge? 

Well, after reading this article, perhaps you’ll be motivated to organize your backpack, and in the process realize how your academic, and personal life is presented in this bag. Or, maybe you’ll reach out to a friend and do a “what’s in my bag” style hang out together. What’s important though, is realizing and respecting how one's bag contributes to their life in all aspects, and capitalizing on this to ensure your backpack is as beneficial to you as it physically can be.