By Ahana Gholkar, Staff Writer

Image created by Ahana Gholkar

Students’ backpacks can get really heavy. So heavy that the pain from our backpacks have become a normal part of our lives. We carry our backpacks everywhere, and that weight adds up exponentially. Your backpack should be, at most, ten percent of your body weight; if it weighs more than that, you could get seriously hurt. Most of us don’t give ourselves a break with work, so let’s start by giving our backs a break.

Here are five ways to get that weight off your back and hopefully make your backpack less painful to carry.

Number one: Leave books you don’t need for that period in your locker.

“I mainly don’t use the locker,” said freshman Evelyn Gomez. Many people share the same sentiment as Gomez and keep all their books in their locker. But many argue that it is a pain to go up and down the stairs to get supplies from their locker. However, if you know you won’t be able to reach your locker and your next class in time, you should carry your items for your current class and the next class. Otherwise spare your back and leave those books in the locker.

Number two: No, you really don’t need that many supplies.

“Everyday I bring three notebooks and it’s really heavy. I carry a lot of supplies,” said Campbell Meszaros junior. It is common for students to be guilty of this. Just as you’ll be leaving your books that you don’t need in your locker you should be leaving those extra supplies too. If you never use colored pencils or art supplies for your class, leave them in your locker. 

Number three: Swap notebooks and binders for papers and folders.

“Binders are heavy. It’s more efficient to use a folder. Plus, the weight of binders is probably not good for your back,” freshman Anika Alavilli said. If you know you rarely take notes in the class, take some paper for notes instead of an entire notebook. If you don’t have a lot of papers and handouts for that class that don’t need that much organization, switch the binder out for a folder. It might seem light outside the bookbag, but the weight really adds up.

Number four: Chromebooks are heavy.

“Leaving your chromebook at school if you’re able to is a good idea. I use my personal computer at home for most of my homework,” said freshman Saron Alem. If you don’t need your Chromebook for homework and it’s sufficiently charged you can leave it at school instead of having to bring it home. Another thing you can do is charge your Chromebook at school so you won’t need to charge it at home. I find that my Chromebook can last for two days before I need to charge it so I don’t take my Chromebook home if I don’t need it.

Number five: Clean your backpack out regularly.

“I clean my backpack at the beginning of the year and the end of the year,” freshman Andrea Gonzalez said. Many people don’t clean out their backpack regularly, but you should. Crumpled up papers and stationary at the bottom of your backpack will add unnecessary weight. Cleaning out your backpack regularly makes sure you’re not carrying random things in the bottom of your backpack and on the plus side your backpack is a little cleaner.

At the end of the day, hopefully these five tips to avoid the chiropractor are able to make their way into your daily life. After all, who wants to continue to lug around a heavy weight?