Save your shoulder, wear a backpack
Backpacks are undeniably the ultimate choice for university students when it comes to functionality and comfort—coming from a shameless backpack .
The debate between comically large purses and backpacks for the go-to bag isn’t about what’s trendier— we know who wins that—it’s about what’s practical.
Backpacks distribute weight evenly across my shoulders, unlike purses and tote bags. With a purse, the strap starts feeling so habitual on my right shoulder that wearing it on my left side feels like an act of disloyalty. To make matters worse, trying to complete basic tasks like washing my hands in the Stauffer bathroom, or adding sugar to my coffee at the Tea Room, become impossible with a child-sized weight on my shoulder swinging back and forth.
With a backpack, I’m able to complete these tasks with ease, hands-free, and without a suitcase-sized purse impeding my ability to function.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a cute purse for a night out, and tote bags are perfect for thrifting, but let’s be real—they’re not designed to lug your laptop, water bottle, lunch, and books around campus. Allow yourself to bring what you need to class rather than surviving off the bare minimum.
So, pack up your pride, and accept the back problems and sore, red strap marks you’ll get from hauling around a purse all day are less cool than backpacks will ever be.
– Zoë Mickelson, Contributor
the purse party
Let’s face it—backpacks just aren’t cool anymore.
Sure, they’re practical, but they make you look like you’re en route to your next camping trip. In my former life as a backpack , I spent more time digging through the endless abyss of my bag than I did using the things in it.
Enter the purse: smaller, sleeker, and chic-er. Not only do I feel more put-together, but I’ve been forced to downsize and carry only the essentials. Gone are the days of crumpled receipts and empty lip-balm tubes rattling around my bag.
It’s 2024, and we’re streamlining, people! No one needs to lug around a 32oz water bottle, extra hoodie, textbooks, 12 chargers, snacks, and the kitchen sink every time they walk to Douglas. It’s oddly liberating to curate your bag and toss out the nonsense.
A great purse is the cherry on top of an already-good outfit. Never once was I complimented on my bulky backpack, but with a purse? Endless praise. They’re stylish as well as functional.
Let’s leave the backpacks behind in high school. A purse has all the pros of a good bag—spacious, practical, and sophisticated—without making you look like you’re still trying to find your locker.
– Natalie Viebrock, Postscript Editor
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