Essentials for anyone trying to survive high school (inspired by my backpack, experiences, and what I’ve seen):
High school. A treacherous terrain teeming with tests, tardies, teachers, and the turmoil of teen drama. Only the strong-willed and well-prepared will survive. Luckily for you, I, a veteran of Bryan High (having weathered more than three full years of everything these walls can throw at a student), have briefly emerged from the academic trenches to give you the definitive survival guide, containing the ultimate list of everything you’ll need to make it through.

Folders
These are essential. I have one per class (color-coded), plus an extra for all the random papers and mysterious handouts that are too important to throw away, but I also never look at again.

Planner
In theory, planners are magical books that make students’ lives and schedules just fall into place. In reality? They start out normal enough, full of assignments, appointments, and daily snail-watching sessions. But by the end of the year, half the pages are filled with tic-tac-toe, and the other half have become paper airplanes. But, hey, at least carrying a planner makes you look responsible, which is almost as good as actually being responsible.

Pencils
You should always have at least twenty-five on hand, in case their leads break. Or in case your friend, Bob, doesn’t have one. Actually, better make it fifty; it’s easy to lose pencils.

Water Bottle
Science says athletes should consume 4 – 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes. So, logically, the average high-schooler should consume about 240 ounces during the school day alone (since we’re basically mental athletes). That’s at least two gallons of water a day, but if you don’t want to dehydrate yourself before or after school, you should bring an extra gallon or two. If it’s easy to carry your water bottle around, are you really even hydrated?

Food
Nine million people worldwide die of hunger every year. Don’t be one of them. Pack snacks like your life depends on it, because according to biology, it absolutely does.

Books
School books
Any current books for English class, as well as every other one you’ve read during high school – what if you need to remember what that one character said at the bottom of page 168?
Leisure books
Every book in the 34-book series you’re reading for fun – what if you have time to read, but forgot what happened in book 8?
Reference books
Including but not limited to: dictionary, thesaurus, complete encyclopedia, atlas, and foreign language-English dictionary – you can’t always look it up online, after all.

Games
Card games, board games, video games – you never know when you’ll need to fill some time with a good game of Twister.

Umbrellas
Sometimes it rains. And sometimes you need to stay dry. Insert solution: umbrellas! But let’s say you have a friend, Bob. And because Bob doesn’t have an umbrella, Bob is wet. And soggy. And sad. Be a good friend. Bring another umbrella for Bob. Make Bob happy. Make Bob dry. And Joe. And Sue. And your childhood best friend Brayden Maximus Thunderstorm the 47th. Basically, have at least five umbrellas with you at all times.

Your pet lamb
Mary had a little lamb that followed her to school. You should, too. A lamb is perfect for calming nerves before a test, impressing friends, and mowing the football field on occasion.

Honorable Mention:

• A ceiling tile (You never know…)
• An extra chair (Lunch tables fill up fast)
• Colored pencils – 150 pack (For when you need that one color)
• A plastic toy phone (Because we can’t use real phones)
• A Christmas tree (What if one of your classrooms doesn’t already have a 7-foot Christmas tree? Tragic!)
• A trash can (Never have to stand up to throw something away again … unless it’s to play trash-ketball)
• Full-size, color printer (Never worry about getting to the library to print something again – great for posters)