On Academic Minimalism
Students often complain that their backpacks are too heavy. Is there a better way?
Clutter can infiltrate the lives of students just as much as it does adults. The solution begins by asking what in our backpacks is truly essential.
December 11, 2019
I walked into school on the first day of freshman year with about five multi-subject notebooks, three huge binders, a laptop, and a plethora of other supplies. Now in my senior year, my backpack consists of a singular one subject notebook, a one-inch binder, and a laptop.
What changed?
In a study of NASH student backpack weights conducted by The Uproar, the average weight of a student’s backpack was over 16 pounds, and the heaviest weighed 24.6 pounds. Additionally, 82% of the backpacks weighed exceeded the recommended max weight of 10% of a student’s body weight. When my bag was weighed, the scale read 12.4 pounds, well below the recommended threshold.
It isn’t that I care less about my studies or that I gave into senioritis before the school year even began. Rather, it is an insufferable frustration towards the redundancies of school.
At the end of every school year, I would have notebooks with scores of blank pages because I thought the subject just needed to have its own notebook. Similarly, teachers would caution students to get extra-large binders to contain the sheer amount of papers that would be given out. That two-inch binder would be barely half-full at the end of the year. This year, I am determined to not let that happen.
Throughout high school, my method of note-taking has changed repeatedly. Freshman year was the year of notebooks and binders, while my sophomore year was contained in a series of Google Docs. During junior year, I took nearly all of my notes in Microsoft’s OneNote app. This year is my year of minimalism.
The positive effects of minimalism have been well-documented: a decrease in one’s environmental impact, an increase in happiness and freedom, and a more stable financial situation. As someone who often obsesses over efficiency, I told myself that this year would finally be the year I would be organized with my studies. The plan would not be complicated; instead, it would be one of flexibility and simplicity.
The first thing I did was cave to the scientific evidence that digital note-taking was worse than paper ones.
My singular one subject notebook contains all the subjects I take notes in and is separated by tabs. I plan on nearly filling it by the end of the first semester, at which point I will start a new notebook and keep the first one at home until the arrival of final exams. Similarly, my one-inch binder contains content for every subject, with content only from the current unit I am in, and then one or two previous units per subject. Any older content is in a large binder that I keep at home to reduce clutter and weight.
My notes have also increased in quality this year. Knowing that all of my notes are going into a single notebook means that I have become better at choosing what I take notes on. My notes have thus become neater, more concise, and more enjoyable to study from. Not wasting time writing down paragraphs of material has allowed me to incorporate an artistic element to my notes, which I’ve found helps to relax me while note-taking.
Another thing that has changed this year is my backpack. Gone is the plus size L.L.Bean backpack I had been using since 6th grade. Keeping with the minimalist theme, I purchased the OnePlus Travel Backpack. The capacity is less than half of my previous bag, but I have yet to struggle to fit all my supplies in it, including gym clothes and few textbooks, when needed. Still, the smaller capacity means that I am forced to keep clutter out of my bag and use the available space wisely.
To me, being organized is one of the most satisfying things. Knowing where everything is and being able to locate items quickly has been one of the biggest advantages of my experience with what I call “academic minimalism.” If I want to go to Starbucks or my family decides to go away for a weekend, I can usually take my notebook and nothing else. I don’t have to worry if I have the right binder or folder. I don’t waste money on supplies I’m not going to use and I don’t have to carry them all around.
Of course, while minimalism works for me, it may not be for everyone. Some students may prefer to keep copious amounts of notes and papers on hand , if only the be assured that they are prepared and haven’t forgotten anything important.
However, if your spine and your patience are suffering under a load of disorganized notes and homework, I suggest giving the minimalistic approach a trial run. You might just find that there’s no going back.
Mr. Mooney • Dec 13, 2019 at 12:38 pm
I gotta say, I liked this article; I like the sensibility, I like the idea of minimalism, I like the personal anecdotes. I downsized my own backpack a year ago, and I have to admit that I’m glad I did. Gifted to me, my Fjallraven-Kanken makes a simple pack that I’ve really come to enjoy. Thanks for the article.