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When it comes time to head off to school, a backpack is a necessity for any student. Backpacks are an old classic, but they're available in enough styles to fit anyone's taste. You can buy a Bratz backpack for your youngest child while your soon-to-be college student picks out a camping-worthy backpack with padded shoulders and a water bottle. Even the cheapest backpack seems capable of standing up to at least a year of abuse from young students. A more expensive backpack can be an investment, usable even after your school days are over.

While most teens use some sort of bag to carry their books to and from school, in many middle schools and high schools, students aren't allowed to carry backpacks to class, so make sure you're aware of school rules before you buy a cool new bag for the year. In some cases, it's because of a climate of fear brought about by drugs, weapons and bomb threats. However, there are also more innocent reasons why schools have had to outlaw bags in class. Some students have graduated from a simple backpack to a full-fledged athletic duffel bag. In some cases, the students are actually athletes and need a way to carry all of their sportswear along with their schoolwork. In other cases, the students just don't feel like using their lockers or don't trust them, and so they want to keep their books and other possessions with them at all times. While these large duffel bags are handy for students, they're a nightmare in hallways and in the classroom. While passing between classes, one of these large bags could practically knock you down if you got in its way. And don't even think about trying to fit these huge bags under a desk. They usually have to stay in the aisle beside the student's desk, making for a general safety hazard.

A new twist on the traditional backpack is the messenger bag. As I understand it, they're called messenger bags because they were first used by bike messengers and other couriers. They're a more rectangular bag with a large flap that folds over to close the bag rather than a zippered top. They hang from a long, thick strap that people will usually wear slung diagonally across their bodies. Their design makes them ideal for documents, which means they're also the perfect shape for binders, books and even laptops. Messenger bags are designed for a more mature clientele, so you're not likely to find smaller versions for the elementary school set, although bags that feature cartoon and comic characters are popular with the young at heart. If you're a student, though, you need to be careful about how you carry a messenger bag. If you load them up with too many books you can hurt your back from carrying that much weight on one side of your body.

Whatever bag option you choose for yourself or your children, know that no matter how plain or glitzy, the most important thing is the knowledge you gain from what you hold inside the bag.