Synapse for College?

[nealopp]

Having done (and currently doing!) the college thing, the S25 is a great bag, UNLESS he's going to be carrying more than 1 or 2 textbooks and a binder. The shape of it isn't all that great for more binders or books. I'd suggest the Brain Bag (though I don't have one) if he wants to be able to bring more than that with him, though it'll be HEAVY.

I've taken electronic notes of some sort for 15 years, so I don't tend to have many binders (unless the class requires a lab notebook or something), and I'll load up the *completely legal copy that I totally purchased legally* ebook of my textbooks, so that lightens the load quite a bit, too. The only time I had a problem with the size of the S25 is when I had 2 classes from 9a-6p, Friday and Saturday, both of which required a lab notebook and workbook... That was a tough couple days a week.

TL;DR: If he's going to have most of his stuff digitally, the S25 is great. If he's going to insist on bringing all his books and notebooks everyday, consider the BB.

[polarium]

As a college student myself, I recommend the Synapse 25. It's just so versatile.

You have textbooks/laptops to carry? It can do that.

You want to one bag a trip to a friend's place? It can do that.

I like how it could fit anything I have, such as a raincoat, notebooks, pens, water bottle, and easy access to keys for my dorm.

Also the Synapse is big, but not too big that it looks ridiculous. All in all I am very satisfied in using the Synapse for my college life.

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[davewg]

All this to say - what is your child's bag using style?

Generally, he jams is all in, but likes to have some pockets for organization.

[davewg]

I appreciate all the feedback there seems to be a general slant towards the Synapse or the Brain Bag. I'll have him focus on those, but at least keep the Smart Alec in mind.

[zackplanet42]

As a mechanical engineering student about to graduate I thought I'd share my 2 cents. In my experience a larger bag than the S25 is not really necessary. Generally my textbooks are carried in digital form on my laptop or iPad which greatly reduces the weight. Most students I know do this as it really is a huge weight reduction. I also would not put much weight in the need to carry project materials and such. Those things are typically confined to labs. The ingenious built in water bottle pocket is the single greatest feature ever. There's nothing like having a little refreshment to get you through a finite element analysis or automatic control system design class that's just running a little too long.

As a side note, I've found that with all the academic resources available such as Khan Academy (the resource that got me through differential equations), textbooks are more often then not relegated to glorified connections of homework problems.

Anyways, sorry about the rambling and awful formatting. Mobile makes it quite difficult to do much more than type a big paragraph. Congrats to your son for picking an excellent major although I may be slightly biased. It's a whole lot of work for sure but it's also an insane amount of fun from time to time.

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[Mickey Holmes]

I am currently in college and have a brain bag. I generally don't fully pack it. The bag is really nice for a short weekend trip. It is big enough for everything I need it to do, yet can be strapped done to a lot smaller size.

[davewg]

I wanted to come back and update this thread. My son finally looked at the three bags and skimmed through the comments from everyone.

He didn't like the look of the Smart Alec, and wound up choosing the Brain Bag. I think he liked the idea of extra room for textbooks, etc.

The burnt orange/steel is a perfect match as his school color is orange.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

[bltkmt]

I have owned a Brain Bag, S25, S19 and Smart Alec. The S25, for me, works best in a professional/casual environment where capacity is not most critical but organization is. I agree with many abovers that the Brain Bag would be my choice as a college student. A Brain Bag in Halcyon would be even better.

[bltkmt]

Also my sons attend Clemson, which is orange...which orange school did your son choose?

[davewg]

Also my sons attend Clemson, which is orange...which orange school did your son choose?

He's headed to RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).