My iPad-Only Everyday Carry (Student Edition)
Last week, I was sent to the dean’s office and my cricket bat was confiscated (to be fair, this occurred at an American high school).
Thankfully, I got it back.
That incident made me think about what I bring to high school — here are the (somewhat) powerful tools I take to school every single day:
The Bag
I’m currently using this backpack from Amazon.
I’ve used it for a couple years, and it’s been reliable in every instance.
The bag has more pockets/compartments than any person will ever need, and the bag offers many practical features (like a USB charging port, a band to place the bag on suitcases, sizable water bottle pockets, etc.)
It’s a solid bag, and at <$35, it’s a solid deal.
The iPad
At the moment, I’m using a 2020 12.9” iPad Pro (no Stage Manager for me 🙁).
Since the iPad is my primary device, the larger screen size on the 12.9” version has been enjoyable.
While I do miss the portability of the 11” iPad at times, my works feel far more limited on the smaller version.
As a student, the weight difference is almost negligible: a 12.9” iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard weighs just 0.62 pounds (279 grams) more than an 11” iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard.
To put this difference in perspective, a paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban weighs 0.64 pounds (290 grams).
For some, though, an 11” iPad Pro makes sense — students with a functioning laptop don’t need to spend the extra money for the larger screen.
If you’re on any sort of budget, the iPad Air, base-level iPad, and even the iPad Mini are viable alternatives (you can also check out Apple’s Certified Refurbished store to find discounts on older-gen iPads).
The Accessories
An iPad without accessories is a slab of glass you can use to play games and read the news.
An iPad with accessories is a computer.
Magic Keyboard
My favorite (and most expensive) accessory is the Magic Keyboard.
At $350 for the 12.9” version and $300 for the 11” version ($329 and $279 with the education discount), it may seem like an unnecessary expense for broke college students. To those with a laptop, it probably is.
If, however, you’re using an iPad as your primary computer, the Magic Keyboard is worth it.
The functionality provided by the keyboard is unparalleled — no keyboard (as of now) comes close to the Magic Keyboard. The design, features, and trackpad are far better than any alternative.
There are only a couple issues with the Magic Keyboard:
- The lack of a “stylus mode” on the Magic Keyboard (though some have found a semi-solution)
- The weight (the Magic Keyboard is actually heavier than the iPad Pro)
There are durability issues though — I’ve both heard about and experienced them.
If you have the money and use an iPad as your only computer, though, I’d recommend the Magic Keyboard.
Apple Pencil
My second favorite accessory is the Apple Pencil.
At $129 ($119 for students), the pencil is cheaper but still expensive.
Despite the cost, I’d recommend the Apple Pencil for students (assuming you have the money). The Apple Pencil is useful for note-taking, working on homework assignments, editing screenshots, and more.
While my personal favorite is the Magic Keyboard, my favorite accessory for students is the Apple Pencil.
USB-C Accessories
While I have quite a few USB-C accessories, I only take a couple to school.
My first accessory is a small USB-C to USB-A adapter. I can’t find the exact version I use, but here’s one on Amazon with good reviews.
My second accessory is the USB-C/USB-A dual drive from SanDisk. I mainly use it to share files between my iPad and computers with USB-A.
I haven’t used these accessories too much, but they provide a safety net for most situations where I need to share/transfer files.
The School Supplies
Most of you probably don’t care about this, so I’ll make a brief list of the supplies I carry:
- a binder
- a folder
- a lined spiral notebook
- a lined composition notebook
- a graph paper composition notebook
- two G2 pens
- four mechanical pencils
- a Ti-84 calculator
Other than the pens and the calculator, most of these are from whatever company pops up first on Amazon.
I also carry other items, like my school ID, a water bottle, and a couple masks.
Final Thoughts
“We shape our tools and afterwards our tools shape us” — Marshall McLuhan
Thanks for reading!
Adi
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