Hey!
I have been to college for a couple of weeks and I have come to realise that there are essentials needed for day to day life and the majority of the time they are forgotten. We all remember them when we need them or when it's too late. I thought I would share with you my essentials for your school bag. This is a college edition sort of post if you are in secondary school or working you may not need all this but there are a few vital items for every part of life.

Umbrella

If you live in Ireland or any other country that rains pretty frequently then there have been a few times where you have been out and about and it starts to pour. It is annoying getting soaked and your hair going all frizzy. I have used my umbrella several times in college already and it hasn't even hit winter yet. A word of advice for getting an umbrella, don't go for the very cheap ones as they break really easily and you don't want to be left in the rain with a broken umbrella. I bought mine in Dunnes Stores for €12, I can't find the brand anywhere online but it's a small but sturdy handbag sized umbrella.

Rain Coat

Like keeping an umbrella on you at all times, another good option is a raincoat. The simple Parka in a Pack works the treat as they are lightweight, fold up very small into a pocket and are available in cute colours and designs. Almost every clothes shop sells these and they don't break the bank either around €10.

Snacks

I wish I had figured this out earlier as there were a few lectures that I become a little hangry in and I wish I had something at hand to keep the hunger monster at bay. This one is really personal to what you like the snack on, it can be sweet or savoury, anything your heart desires. A word of caution is whatever you put as your snack make sure it can last some time in a bag. Cereal bars are a good go to. My favourite snack bar for the past few months have been Dark Chocolate Flavour Coated Nut and Seed Bar from Aldi's Specially Selected range. It gives me a little bit of chocolate but it isn't the worst thing in the world to eat and keeps you topped up until your next meal.

Power Bank

I like to bring around a power bank with me, especially if it is going to be a long day and I'm leaving the house with my phone less than 70%. I normally don't need it but it is great to have just in case I'm watching a lot of videos when I'm out and about or one of my friends needs to charge their phone. You can get power banks everywhere now and for pretty cheap too. I bought mine from Primark/Penneys and it still works well. It gives my iPhone 7 around 50% charge.

Reusable Bottle and Coffee Cup

I always carry around a bottle of water with me as I get thirsty at random points in the day and I don't want to pay for a bottle of water each time this happens. It ends up being expensive and very damaging for the environment as there is more plastic thrown away. The same can be said with the disposable coffee cups, they can't be recycled and go to the landfill to rot for hundreds of years. Getting a reusable coffee cup means you waste less and now you can get a few cents off your beverage every time you use it. Keep a sealable bag to put it into when you are finished so it won't spill in your bag. I got mine in my Freshers pack but I would have purchased one anyway.

A Small Emergency Kit

Having an emergency kit in my school bag has saved me so many times over the years. It's the simple things that we all forget about like tissues or plasters that you have to use more often than we think. I have an array of stuff in mine but I nearly always end up using each thing at some stage. My emergency kit contains painkillers, a nail file, plasters, Vaseline, bobby pins, bobbins, pads and panty liners. I used to keep a little change in it too but now I bring my wallet with me nearly everywhere so I don't need it.

What are you bag essentials?

Thanks for being awesome,