When I was an information technology major, I had to commute to a satellite campus of my university for four of my major-specific classes. My dorm was located about 25-30 minutes away on the main campus, and I would take a campus shuttle to get to and from the satellite campus. The things I bring to my in-person classes on the satellite campus vary slightly from what I bring with me to in-person classes that are located ten minutes from my dorm, so I’ve put together this list of what’s in my backpack for commuting to the satellite campus as a student with low vision.
First, what’s not in my backpack
While these items are featured on a lot of commuter student packing lists and commuter student tips pages, they aren’t in my backpack and I don’t bring them with me to class for a variety of reasons. This isn’t to say that students should never bring these items, but I wanted to share the alternatives that work better for me.
Textbooks
I have low vision and can’t read standard sized print or printed materials like the textbooks purchased from the bookstore. I also physically can’t carry a backpack that would accommodate a bulky physical copy of a large print textbook. Instead, I have all of my textbooks digitally on one of my personal devices and can open them as needed for class.
Filled water bottle
Another item that can feel bulky or heavy, I prefer to bring an empty water bottle and fill it at a water station or fountain somewhere near my class if I need it. Since most of my classes are in computer labs, I don’t fill my water bottle up all of the way so that I can reduce the risk of spills.
Anything with nuts
Almonds, cashews, peanuts, and other nuts are delicious, but they were banned from many of my classes because a student or professor had a highly sensitive allergy to peanuts and/or tree nuts. I also didn’t eat these while on the bus because I didn’t want to worry about nut residue potentially causing an issue when I got to class.
Notebooks
I type all of my notes in class, so I don’t bring spiral notebooks or anything like that for class, since I wouldn’t be able to read my handwriting anyway due to dysgraphia. I do have some pens and paper on standby if I need them, but it takes me a long time to write things out legibly by hand so typing is easier.
Related links
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For POTS
- Writing Aids For Low Vision: My Personal Superlatives
Tablet
I love my iPad and bring it with me to all of my classes! I either use it by itself with applications like Microsoft OneNote to take notes, or I place it next to my laptop or computer to view slideshows or other supplemental materials in class. I also prefer to use it for my textbooks because I can position the device at an angle or hold it closer to my face compared to a computer or traditional book.
Related links
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Tablets
- How I Use Microsoft OneNote With Low Vision
- Five Apps I Use In The Science Classroom As A Low Vision Student
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
Laptop
If I’m in a class that takes place entirely in a computer lab, I might not bring my laptop with me to campus since I will be using the university computer. But I also use my laptop for taking notes, completing programming exercises, or other Windows-based activities. I have a desktop computer in my dorm as well, and files between both devices can sync automatically. However, I don’t generally bring peripheral accessories like an external keyboard when commuting to the satellite campus.
Related links
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Desktop Computer For College
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Computers
Phone
While my phone does make some appearances for class-related activities, I primarily use my phone for wayfinding/navigation, getting information about the bus schedule, or talking to friends and family during downtime. I pinned a shortcut for the bus schedule to my phone’s app drawer so I can quickly access that information if I end up missing the bus or having to change plans.
Related links
- How I Use My Phone As Assistive Technology In Class
- Smartphone Apps For Orientation and Mobility
- Helpful Ways To Bookmark Websites For Low Vision Users
Charger with USB cables
I have chargers for both my iPad and phone in my backpack that can connect to a USB wall charger or to the USB chargers on the bus in case I start running low on battery. I started placing them in a zipper pencil pouch after realizing that the color of the cables perfectly matched the interior of the backpack I was using at the time, which made them a lot harder to find.
Related links
- Choosing A Backpack With Low Vision
- How To Organize and Identify Cords For Low Vision
- What’s In My Backpack: Program Management Intern With Low Vision
Snack/food items
At my college, the “unlimited” meal plan on the main campus also worked at the smaller dining area on the satellite campus, though students were somewhat limited in what items were eligible for the meal plan. Plus, it had much more limited hours, closing before 5 PM on most days. If I had a class in the afternoon, I would stop by the grab-and-go section at the main campus and take some food with me from there, or grab some other snacks that I could eat before the bus ride back to the main campus.
Some favorite items that I remember bringing include:
- Baked goods from the main campus dining hall
- Prepackaged sandwiches (no peanuts/tree nuts)
- Sliced fruit or vegetables from the salad bar or grab-and-go area
- Popcorn
Related links
MP3 player
A lot of the major-specific classes are visually demanding, since they involve a lot of reading, sitting in bright classrooms, and editing/proofreading individual characters in a line of code. Before and after class, I try to rest my eyes and listen to music on the bus and take vision breaks instead of reading or doing homework that would require me to continue using my eyes. Sometimes it can be tempting to fall asleep during these times, but phone buzzing notifications seem to help prevent that.
Related links
Assistive technology dongles for lab
I have a “dongle” or portable USB copy of assistive technology software like the NVDA screen reader, which has the same settings that I use on my computers and can be connected to any Windows computer at the university, including computer labs. This way, I don’t have to manually install or configure AT software when using a computer that isn’t my own. Some of my friends have dongles for other popular tools like JAWS, ZoomText, reading programs, or similar items provided by our university’s assistive technology/disability services office.
I also carry a spare flash drive for saving labs or other files in case I can’t log into OneDrive or other cloud storage.
Related links
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- My Talk At A Future Date: What I Wish I Learned About AT Before Starting College
Spare cane and medication
If something happens to my blindness cane while I am on the main campus, I can ask for a friend or a campus security escort to help me back to my dorm where I can grab a spare cane. If something happens to my blindness cane on the satellite campus, my dorm is a 30+ minute bus ride away, and that doesn’t factor walking back to my dorm from the bus stop either. So I keep a spare cane collapsed in my backpack just in case.
Also, I try to time medication doses so that they don’t interfere with class times or the commute, but some short-term medications like antibiotics have to be taken more frequently. If there was a chance I could be stuck on campus, I would bring a single dose of the medication with me so I didn’t get off schedule.
Related links
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
- Assistive Technology For Medication Labels
Student ID
Some of my professors require students to show their campus-issued ID before quizzes or exams, but my ID is also used for a lot of other tasks like getting on the bus, paying at the dining area, and getting back into my dorm building. I can also use it to get into the assistive technology lab area at the library.
Other tips for commuting to satellite campuses in college
- With rare exceptions, I typically spent 2-4 hours on the satellite campus whenever I would travel there, which would include class and potentially a trip to the dining area, the library, or just spending some time outside in the quiet areas
- Want to read more tips for traveling around satellite campuses? Read Satellite Campuses: College O&M
- Sometimes I would take the bus to the satellite campus for events at the performing arts center, which were often different than the ones offered at the main campus. Read more about going to performing arts centers in Performing Arts Centers and Low Vision: College O&M
- All of my satellite classes were either the only class I had on a given day or were my last class of the day, since I didn’t want to worry about missing classes on the other campus due to a delayed or cancelled bus
Published September 7, 2020. Updated March 2024