By Lana Hy

Staff Writer

 After eighth grade promotion, I was thrilled to begin freshman year. In fact, I was so excited that I even packed my backpack two months before school started.

Ninth grade meant a new beginning, where I could become a more organized student. Therefore, the first item I placed inside my backpack was a one-inch, three-ring floral binder with seven different colored tab dividers that included pockets. Behind my binder tabs were several sheets of lined paper, which I used on the first day of school to write down my homework, since school agendas were not handed out yet.

  As for my light green pencil pouch, I made use of the three rings of the binder and inserted it above the dividers. However, I soon started to dislike putting my pencil pouch inside the rings, because my binder would only close halfway when my pouch was full, so I placed it upright against my binder in my backpack instead.

 Inside my pencil pouch were two lead pencils, 0.9 lead, a Hi-Polymer eraser, a glue stick, a pair of scissors, a black ballpoint pen, a yellow highlighter, color pencils, and fluorescent pens.

  For my color pencils and fluorescent pens, I ensured they stayed arranged like when I first got them in order to practice organization. Unfortunately, I began to place my pens out of order after the first few weeks.

 During the second week of school, I positioned my current event journal for Journalism, biology notebook, English notebook, and math notebook, in that order, in the bigger compartment of my backpack. However, like my color pencils and pens, my notebooks were also disarranged within a few weeks.

 Beside my binder and notebooks, I packed my 26-ounce water bottle; since drinking from the water fountains always left a displeasing taste in my mouth. Towards the middle of the school year, I brought a glass of Starbucks mocha flavored frappuccino with my water since I needed more energy in the morning.

 In addition, snacks like Rice Krispies and Hot Cheetos, which I consider to be the most important items, were put in my bag inside my backpack’s smaller compartment. Without food, I would not have survived the days when I missed breakfast.    

 Now as a sophomore, I learned that carrying snacks in my backpack was essential, but the most important lesson I learned was to never make unrealistic organization arrangements.