Kyle Wiebers | Blogger

Last semester, I was in the library helping a fellow student, who happened to be a freshman, study during finals week. To protect the identity of this student, let’s call them, Penelope. While studying, Penelope said to me, “I have something really embarrassing to admit to you.” We were both sleep deprived, so I wasn’t exactly sure what was going to come out of Penelope’s mouth. Penelope told me, “Before I came to college, I didn’t know if I should bring a backpack to college, because I didn’t know if they were cool, and I didn’t want to get made fun of.” We both laughed as we continued to study. At the time it seemed like a funny thing that only a freshman would say, but the weird thing is, I time and time again go back to that conversation and really think about it, and I honestly think Penelope had a point.

Many times, especially in college, students (myself included) find themselves looking for other’s approval. I mean after all, everyone tells us college is “the time to find yourself”. So this backpack statement really isn’t just a “freshman comment”. Too often in life we settle for aesthetics rather than practicality. If Penelope had heard that carrying college materials in rhinestoned fanny-packs was cool (it’s not cool Penelope, it’s just an example), she might have gotten 50 of those to carry all of her college supplies, rather than 1 backpack (which would be more practical), just because it was cool. But who’s to say that you or I wouldn’t do the same?

When I got back from Chile, I really thought about this backpack conundrum. When I was on the mountain, it didn’t really matter what you looked like, but instead your goal was the stay warm and essentially survive. It didn’t matter if you had socks on your hands, because even if you looked like a fool, at least your hands were warm. The more I reflect on my time in Chile, the more I realize how much it really has changed me. I’ve developed a better understanding that sometimes socks on your hands are necessary, and even if people don’t think so, a backpack will help you succeed in college.

As midweek hits us all, I encourage all of you to embrace the backpacks of your life, and try not let what others think affect you so much, and live the beautiful life you were meant to live.

Photo by Kyle Wiebers