In this video I’m properly back in the swing of making videos, and I wanted to do something genuinely useful for anyone heading to university (or going back) in September. I walk through what I actually carry with me day-to-day in my backpack, and—more importantly—why each item earns its place. The theme is simple: reduce friction. If the things I need to do good work are always on me, I’m far more likely to sit down, focus, and get on with it. I split everything into two buckets: tech and stationery. On the tech side, it’s the core setup that lets me write, research, manage files, and work anywhere—laptop, dongle, storage, headphones, and a mouse for comfort. For stationery, I keep it minimal but intentional: notebooks I enjoy using, a reliable calculator, a pen that doesn’t annoy me, and a water bottle so I’m not constantly breaking concentration. If you’re building your own “uni daily carry”, my takeaway is to prioritise tools that support deep work and keep your workflow consistent across locations.