I always pack hundreds of things in my backpack (well, maybe it’s too exaggerated😂) But to be honest, I always think my backpack is overweight, I still think I should carry all of these things. Okay, let’s get started! Let’s take a look at all the things in the backpack of the first-year doctoral student!

✅Mask and hand sanitizer:
These two items are must-have things in my bag this year. I usually bring some masks with me, just in case!

✅Water bottle:
This always can motivate me to drink more water.

✅Laptop:
PhD students can’t live without a laptop, so let’s skip this one!

✅Sunglass:
Normally, I don’t wear sunglasses in Taiwan. But in Texas, this is a must-have item in my daily life.

✅Notebook:
Here comes a notebook girl! I am so obsessed with notebooks. Usually there are at least two notebooks in my bag. One is for writing daily to-do lists, and the other is for recording various lectures, meetings, or research-related matters. (I have a specific notebook for lab meetings and laboratory notes)

✅iPhone:
Now it’s 2021! Who doesn’t need a mobile phone?

✅Pencil case:
As I mentioned before, I love everything about stationery. I have various color highlighters in my pencil case. I like to color-code different lectures, different experiments, and different topics in the weekly notebook.

✅AirPods:
If you are a graduate student who major in biology, you must know that it usually takes a long time to conduct an experiment. Therefore, music is an indispensable thing in my PhD career.

✅Gum:
Sometimes reading literatures or reviewing courses are boring. In addition to coffee, chewing gum can help me focus on the thing that I am doing.

✅Facial spray and lip balm:
Working in the lab for a long time can always make the skin dry because of the air-conditioned. So moisturizer and lip balm are essential to me!

✅Card holder:
We use cash and coins most of the time, but now I have to change my habits in Texas!

✅Emergency pouch:
This is the first aid kit. It contains some hair bands (it’s more convenient to tie your hair when doing any experiment), some painkillers (ibuprofen, Acetaminophen), band aids, hand cream, lipstick, cleansing wipes ( for cleaning my iPhone) This may be understood by those who do experiments, the phone is really dirty…)

How about you? What’s your essentials in your bag? Share with me in the comments below! Leave an email to subscribe my blog, and you will be notified once new post is published!

💋 XOXO// Claire

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