As they begin their fourth year at BT, seniors have become experts on what they need to bring to school to stay on top of their classes. Two students, Jordan Tisdale and Emma Alderman offered insight on how the most important items that they carry in their backpacks help them survive their final year here at BT. 

Chromebook: Between classwork, essays, online textbooks, and college application deadlines, a Chromebook is the most important item that a BT senior can have. It is nearly impossible to go a full day at BT without needing a Chromebook. Alderman also noted that she uses her Chromebook “to stay organized” since she uses it to keep track of all of her activities and homework. No matter how you use it, a Chromebook is a necessity to survive senior year. 

Pens and pencils: Arguably another one of the most important items to bring to school, seniors need to bring pens and pencils for taking notes, quizzes, and tests. Though a lot of work is done on their Chromebooks, seniors still need to handwrite in many of their classes. “I feel like especially for science and math classes, we still use pen and paper a lot more than our Chromebooks,” Alderman said. 

Binders and folders: Tisdale, Alderman, and all other seniors have all discovered during their time in high school what works when it comes to organizing their papers. Some prefer to keep different folders for each class, but a more popular system of organization is to keep two binders: one for green days and one for gold days. No matter how seniors prefer to keep their papers, they always keep binders or folders in their backpacks so that they can be prepared with any notes, homework, or other important papers needed for their classes.

Mask: A mask is a somewhat new addition to a senior’s backpack. When the Class of 2022 started at Blessed Trinity, COVID, masks, and social distancing were unheard of. Needing a mask is one of many things that have changed since the seniors started high school, and although students aren’t required to wear them all the time, they are still needed for assemblies and all-school Masses and are a good item to keep in your backpack.

Snacks: “If I have Cheez-Its in my backpack, it’s over,” says Tisdale. She explained that she considered snacks to be one of the most important items in her backpack. Though some students opt to purchase snacks from SAGE or from the Spirit Zone, Tisdale has found throughout her time at BT that she prefers to bring her own snacks. No matter where you get them, snacks help make the school day a bit more enjoyable.

Charger: When asked if they had any advice to underclassmen about what items they should bring in their backpacks, both Tisdale and Alderman agreed that a Chromebook charger is something that everyone should have in their backpack. Although students should be charging their Chromebooks the night before, mistakes happen, and there is nothing worse than showing up to the first block with a dead Chromebook. Alderman explained that “You’ll never know if you need [a charger], and it can also be a huge help to your classmates if they need it.”

Seniors also enjoy participating in a fun tradition with their backpacks: to celebrate their final year of high school, they opt to bring a children’s backpack to school. Tisdale, for example, sports a bubblegum-pink Disney Princess-themed backpack. “It’s just more fun this way! Why carry a plain backpack when you can have one with princesses on it?” she joked.

Throughout their time in high school, the class of 2022 has learned that a well-packed backpack is one of the keys to being a successful student at BT. It allows them to stay organized and prepared for their classes so that they can not only be successful here but also in the future.