What’s in Your Backpack?

Caryn Qian

A fourth-year dentistry student who expects to graduate in June, Caryn Qian carries items that reflect both her training and interests, including the creative tools – sketchbooks, pens and a camera – she uses to unwind.

Laptop and iPad

I bring both everywhere. I use my iPad mainly for taking notes, and my laptop for assignments and for accessing patient electronic health records. As I’ve gone through dental school, I use my iPad less just because we’re in fewer classes.

Canon R10 camera

I picked up photography fairly recently, and I bring my camera if there’s a class event, a party or if I’m going out with friends. I also travel with it – I brought it with me to Ethiopia on a teaching trip. I feel like there’s still a big difference in quality compared to an iPhone.

Hand cream

I wash my hands around 20 times a day because of sanitation. So, my hands get really dry and cracked, and I always have hand cream on me – in my backpack, in my locker and at home.

Artwork and sketchbooks

I’ve been into art my entire life – watercolour, acrylic, oil pastel, digital art. I primarily draw nature. I think art is a big reason I went into dentistry. A lot of dentistry feels like arts and crafts in someone’s mouth but with a foundation of health.

Tooth pen

This pen with the tooth is my favourite – and it gets stolen a lot by my classmates. Everyone’s always hunting for pens in dental school, and people always comment on that one.

Dental casts

I take an impression of a patient’s mouth and send it to the lab to make a model. I usually have at least one cast in my backpack because I’m always running back and forth to the lab to pick up cases that are in process or completed. Everything’s disinfected, so it’s not just germs hanging out in my bag.

Dental loupes

These are basically surgical glasses with magnification. They’re custom-made, measured exactly to my eyes. You wear them so you can see more clearly in the mouth. Mine are ergonomic, so they’re supposed to help with neck and back pain, though I still have back pain.

Exam prep books

These books are for the Canadian licensing exam. It’s a big multiple-choice exam and it’s supposed to be very difficult. We write it in March. I haven’t really started studying yet – as you can see, they’re barely used.

Tote bags

I went to Ethiopia on a teaching trip through a collaboration between U of T and Addis Ababa University. At the end, the students were so kind and gave us the tote bag with the Amharic alphabet on it (left). The other tote I designed in second year for our class merch sale. Other students use theirs, but I don’t really use mine – I want to preserve it. 

Yashvit Danani

Yashvit Danani is a fourth-year student majoring in mathematics, with minors in statistics and French. An international student from India, he keeps his backpack deliberately practical – stocked for long days and the unpredictable Canadian weather. A few items carry deeper meaning, but most are there for a simple reason: preparedness.

Discover Pharmacy first-aid kits

These are medical kits I got while creating content for Discovery Pharmacy as a digital storyteller with Student Life. They’re handy – with bandages and sanitizer. Hopefully I never need them, but they’re there just in case. I like being prepared.

Headphones (wired and wireless)

I usually study with background or meditative music. But if the battery in my wireless headphones dies, they’re useless, so I always carry wired headphones as a backup. I like that the wires are a little old-school.

Leather backpack

I purchased this in London last summer. My old backpack lasted three years, but the zippers were all torn off. I was attached to it – it had been with me since first year. But sometimes you have to move on from the things you love.

Water bottle

I brought this water bottle in India in 2022 before I started university. I’ve used it ever since. It’s 500 millilitres, and I refill it four to six times a day. I once left it at an exam, and no one took it. That’s one of the good things about Toronto and U of T – if you leave something behind, it usually stays there.

Polaroid photos

I carry two family photographs with me – one with my parents and sister taken back in India and one with my sister, who’s a U of T alum, at her place in Toronto. My sister is really into Polaroids. I’m more of a digital-photo person, but I keep these with me.

Wallet

This was a gift from my cousin Sahiba before university – and I still don’t need a new one. Fun fact: it’s travelled with me to eight countries.

Planner

My supervisor at Amazon gave me this planner. It’s undated, which I love – you don’t have to follow a strict calendar. I plan out my classes, photo shoots and meals so I don’t skip them. I write reminders to go to the gym and get to sleep early, with no screens after 10:30 p.m. – though that doesn’t always happen. Crossing things off on paper feels more satisfying than tapping a screen.

Amazon intern ID badge

This is my ID badge from when I worked as an intern at Amazon last summer in Ottawa. Getting that internship was one of the biggest achievements of my life. I carry it as a reminder to stay proud of what I’ve already accomplished, even while I’m focused on what’s next.

Journal

I wasn’t into journaling before, but a friend suggested it as a way to clear your mind. I already have pretty clear thoughts, but I write down my goals and tell myself, ‘It’s OK to slow down sometimes. It’s OK not to be serious 24/7: you’re 21, you’ve got to enjoy life, too.’

Universal travel adapter

This stays in my backpack 24/7. It works anywhere – Europe, the U.K., India, Japan, Australia. Every time I travel, I need it.

Natalie Tay

Natalie Tay is an international student at U of T Mississauga whose studies in forensic chemistry have included doing outreach in high schools and community spaces. Her capstone research focuses on forensic toxicology and public awareness around drug-laced vape pens – work that means her backpack carries both everyday essentials and a hands-on educational testing kit. Many of her belongings, from her laptop to her pencil case, are covered in stickers. “I like cute things,” she says.

Voices of Forensic Science journals

These are copies of the journal from previous years. This year I’m going to be one of the editors. The theme is communication – how we explain forensic science to other scientists and to the public.

Wallet

I keep my parents’ wedding photo in here. It’s really cute – they look so young. They’re living in Hong Kong, so it’s nice to carry that with me.

Proxy drug testing kit with 3D-printed vape pens

As part of my final-year educational workshops about vape lacing – when vapes are mixed with illicit substances like opioids or fentanyl – I use this kit with the latex gloves during demonstrations to show how people test for the presence of drugs. I carry 3D-printed vapes in case people don’t know what a vape looks like. This bottle is a fake drug test – if you see a colour change, it indicates a positive result, like for cocaine.

Hello Kitty drawstring pouch

I keep all my personal stuff in here – tissues, wet wipes, hand cream, lip balm, a small comb. Whenever I don’t have these things, I end up needing them. And yes, it’s Hello Kitty. I like to stay consistent.

iPad and laptop

I like to customize everything I own. On my iPad, I keep a photo strip of me and my friends and a lot of stickers. On my laptop, I have two stickers from a book series I really like, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Pink planner

The planner is part of my New Year’s resolution to stay organized – and of course, it has stickers.

Fuzzy dog keychain

I have a matching one with a friend. It’s detachable – the two dogs can clip together and hug.

Water bottle

I have an Owala. It’s pretty basic, but I like the sipping function. I’ve added a lot of random stickers – mostly cats.

Photo frame keychain

This is a photo card holder with my favourite K-pop idol. It’s Soobin from TXT. I just think he’s very handsome.

Chloe Lai

Fourth-year environmental science student Chloe Lai served as president of the Archery Club at U of T Scarborough, is a coach at a public club in York Region and a self-described hobbyist who tries to pick up something new every month – last month, violin, now “cloud-spotting.”

Awaken the Giant Within, by Tony Robbins

I just started reading this book I found at Value Village. I’m interested in self-help. We’re all imperfect, and I’m not afraid of confronting myself and finding areas where I can learn and improve.

Archery backpack

My archery backpack has a high back to fit my bow and arrows, with foam padding to protect the equipment. It’s large enough for my laptop, so it doubles as my school bag. Some team members carry theirs without a bag and have been stopped by campus security. Legally, a bow is sport equipment – as long as it’s not “charged,” meaning the string isn’t on.

Air pods and Chopin folder

We don’t wear headphones during archery practice for safety – it’s important to hear range commands from the instructor. But I do love listening to classical music. My favourite composer is Chopin – I use my Chopin folder to store archery scorecards.

Cloud-spotting notebook

I record different types of clouds I see – the type, location and time. It’s an environmental science nerd thing. My favourite is cumulus because it’s so fluffy. I try to pick up a new hobby every month. Last month I started violin. It helps me unwind, but I’m also just curious about learning new things.

Calligraphy pens

I carry different colour pens for calligraphy and doodling – it’s another hobby. I always liked art growing up and did a lot of sketching.

Bow

This is a recurve bow with a 24-pound draw weight – the force needed to pull the string. A beginner’s bow ranges from 14 to 18 pounds. It comes apart in three pieces: the riser (middle handgrip), the limbs (curved top and bottom), and the Dacron string. The string doesn’t bend – the limbs do. I need to apply wax to keep the string from cracking.

Arrows, arrow tube and tube cap

The arrows are carbon fibre, each with a different spine rating – a measure of how much it bends under weight. The lower the number, the stiffer the spine. Each has a metal tip and feathers that keep it flying straight. The tube holds up to 30 arrows for transport. On the cap, I drew Artemis, the Greek goddess of archery.

Quiver with raccoon tail and archery pins

This goes around my waist and holds arrows while shooting. The raccoon tail is from a Huron-Wendat reserve in Quebec I visited. The pins are from university archery clubs we’ve competed against. I also have an arrow counter to track how many arrows I’ve shot.