The Perfect Backpack for College

There are two things that should stop you from carrying a regular backpack to college. One, the books you'll have in college weigh about 5 times more than your books in high school did. Two, the parking at your typical college campus is horrible, meaning you'll have to walk a long distance to your classes. Let's take a closer look at these two dilemmas. The average student has four classes each semester and depending on the class, your books could easily weigh around 9 pounds each. So the worst case scenario is you'll be lugging around 36 pounds of books. That's a lot of strain on your back. Not to mention, the wrong backpack is going to rip if it's carrying too much weight. The size of your books is also going to require that you have a roomier backpack than you had in high school. Then when you add all the extra stuff you'll be carrying, such as notebooks, binders, maybe a laptop, etc. you'll find that you really need a lot of room and compartments.

How great is the parking at your campus of choice? You will find that the average college and most big universities have more students than they have parking places. Yeah I know it doesn't make sense. Most schools think that students will have different schedules and some with be living on campus, so the parking will work out fine, but it usually doesn't. So here you are walking across campus with those 36 pounds of books strapped to your back thinking you're going to die at any moment. After about a month you'll realize this isn't going to work.

So what do you do? Well the perfect solution is to buy a backpack that has three important characteristics. First off you'll want a backpack that has wheels on it. Right now you're thinking of the little backpacks you've seen kids carrying that look like small kids luggage, but that isn't what I'm talking about. They make backpacks that look like the backpack you carried in high school, but have wheels on them. This will save your back a lot of strain. Second, you're going to want to look for a backpack that is roomy and has lots of compartments. Having a lot of different compartments for everything will make it easier to find the stuff you need, when you need it. When I'm on campus, I use my backpack as a purse also and with all the compartments my backpack has I can easily find everything. The compartment where you carry your books should be big enough to hold at least six large books; this will insure you have enough room for your notebooks, binders, etc. If you are going to be carrying a laptop with you, find a backpack that also has a separate padded compartment to insure your laptop doesn't get damaged. Now, last but not least, you'll want a backpack that can stand up to all that weight. There won't be as much strain on the fabric of the backpack since it will be closer to the ground, but you still want one that's sturdy. You don't want to pick it up, to set it on the table, and the bottom rip out. Look for a backpack that has a reinforced bottom and fabric that feels sturdy.

Let's review. You'll want a backpack that has wheels, has lots of room and compartments, and is sturdy. eBay has tons of great backpacks, at great prices, but you won't be able to check and see if they are sturdy. I would suggest going to your local Wal-Mart, which is loaded with backpacks this time of the year or check your local mall. I'm going to step out on a limb here and advice against buying the JanSport brand. I have had nothing but bad luck with these backpacks. The straps tear easily, the zippers get stuck, and they are usually around $30. You should be able to find a great backpack with all the qualities that I listed for around $15-20.