book totin' question

[philosophia]

OK, so maybe this is WAY ridiculous to even be thinking about, but I am concerned about lugging around these heavy books...

So, my question is: Assuming I brief each case for class, is it still necessary to bring the casebook? Will I wish I had it for some terrible Socratic Method showdown?!?!   

[almostlegal]

You will want your books most likely, but you can get your books unbound (they take the pages out of the binding, then they punch holes into the pages, you keep the book in a large three ring binder at home, and you transport the necessary pages to class in a smaller three hole binder). 

There is always the wheelie bag option, but I wouldn't recommend it.  Get a good bookbag with two straps and a fair amount of cushioning (I love Jansport's airlift straps, others get North Face, LL Bean, etc.).  A friend who used the wheelie bag option actually had worse back damage, apparently the twisting of the spine and the positioning of the bag really messes with your spinal alignment and puts a lot of stress on your neck.  (She actually is in physical therapy post 1L year.)

I didn't have my books unbound, I used a two-strap bookbag, and my back was fine following the initial adjustment period (the first 2 weeks when your shoulders will hurt).

[philosophia]

   I WAS TOTALLY GOING TO GET ONE OF THOSE!!!  PT? That's insanity!  Ok, well thanks for the thoughts.  Having them unbound sounds good, but what about trying to sell them back?  Not worth it anyway, like UG?

[Dxion]

Don't buy a cheap bookbag. Get one designed for hiking.

If I had to do it again, I would get one with only one big pocket. The one I have now is nice, but it's divided into several pockets. That would be great if I were on the trail with a lot of small things and needed be able to get to them quickly, but they are useless when I'm lugging these giant books around. They're too small for a casebook, so they sit empty, taking up space.

I can't stress to you enough how important it is to get a sturdy bag, especially if you're going to be doing some walking. I think I spent around $120 for mine, and it has been worth every penny.

The last thing you want is to have the zipper on your bag pop open on a windy, rainy day, or have the strap break when you're running late to class.

[Jhuen_the_bird]

You want your books - sometimes when profs call on you they want you to read from the text or look up something on a specific page - they refer to things you may not have read, etc.

Briefing alone is not sufficient ... besides - you'll suck at briefing and write down the wrong things at first.

[jacy85]

I'd recommend a sturdy laptop backpack.  Mine is a Jansport bag.  There's one small front pocket that holds a ton of pens, highlighters, a snack, etc.  A small velcro pocket on the side, where I usually tossed my keys.  A drink holder.  And a small pocket on the top front for your power adapter.  And the main bag is separated into 2 parts.  One part has a built in laptop sleeve, and the other two parts were enough space for me to carry around 3 case books.  The straps were well padded for weight, and there was a strap clip to spread some of the weight across my chest.

It's held up EXTREMELY well for the last 3 years of school and occasional traveling.  I highly recommend the brand and the type of bag.

Mine is similar to these two:
http://jansport.com/js_product_detail.php?cid=41&pid=TFJ6

http://jansport.com/js_product_detail.php?cid=41&pid=TND4

[resipsaloquitur]

You can also try unbinding your books yourself.  You can cut the cover off with a razor blade, but leave the glue binding intact.  Split the book into three smaller pieces. Voila!  You can go a step further and cut the binding off and whole punch if you want to.

[TimMitchell]

Timbuk2 makes the coolest bags. I have this one: http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/limited-edition/wool-limited-edition-laptop-messenger

[NoUsername]

The new trend seems to be to get a book bag with rollers and an extendable handle on it.  This was originally designed for bags that were actually too heavy for some to carry, such as luggage for a long vacation, but has been downsized to smaller bags that people are just too lazy to carry.

[kolya]

I just left my books at a locker (and later a journal office) every day.  It helped me get work done more efficiently to be forced to do it at school; if I ever had to take books home, it was never more than one at a time, which isn't bad at all.  I'd recommend that to anyone who has the chance.  Another plus is you never have to worry about leaving one at home, because they're always on campus.

Plus, it is a physical impossibility to look professional with a rolling backpack.