In my mind, the second best part of going back to school as a kid was buying new school supplies (second, only to buying new clothes). While you might have swapped your Lisa Frank bright-colored-animal-covered notebooks for a laptop, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still have fun with your school stuff. If you have any distance to walk to class, chances are you have to haul your books. This year, why not buy yourself a new schoo lbag to make this trek more enjoyable?

There’s the perfect bag for everyone (or bags for your every mood). For the sporty gal there’s the ever useful backpack that will be easy to carry even if you’re ten minutes late and need to haul ass. For the fashionista there’s the less practical, but ever fashionable satchel. If you take your laptop to class, there tons of solutions with laptop compartments. No matter what your style, your price range, or your needs for a school bag, there’s something out there for you.

Allow me to refine this status: Americanization is not to be confused with Westernization, nor is it a put-down.

International Students take up a demographic in most US colleges and universities. They are usually easily spotted on campus. No, not because that of clothing choices or accents, but because they maintain a certain wide eyed fascination and solemn intelligence. International students seem refined and sophisticated. Hard working and goal oriented. They worked hard to get to this prestigious American university and they keep that in mind as they work even harder to graduate.

Most International Students stick together, seeking the comfort of the familiar. They tend to sit back in class and take notes as the more abrasive and comfortable students take over answering the questions, debating the topics and joking with classmates. As soon as class ends, they head to the library or the comforts of their dorm room to get started on the reading assigned. They never join the rest of campus at the weekend parties.

But then something starts to change. As the semester rolls on and these students find themselves more at ease in their new environment, they begin to engage in common American customs. They become The Americanized International.

The Americanized International has parted ways with his/her frequent dialect for slang, exchanging pleasant “hellos” for degraded “what ups.” Their freshly acquired iPods are now filled with the rhymes of Lil Wayne and the Billboard Top 100. Whereas studying used to take up most of their time, it has now been reduced due to their newfound love of Thirsty Thursdays and football pre-games.

Their love of food from “back home” (Moussaka, Wat, Masala) has been trumped by a new addiction to late night Mickey D’s or the Midnight Special at the campus pizza place.

The Americanized International has become fascinated by the media and pop culture and may know more than you about current events in Celebrityland. TMZ and Perez Hilton have become a fixture in their life.

Before you know it, the refreshing style of the International Student is been overcome by Uggs (no offense, Aussies), Crocs, North Face jackets and other over-rated trends. Their hair gets a little shorter/gel-ier/lighter, their jeans more expensive.

They begin drifting from their International friends who don’t embrace the new culture and immersing themselves more and more into their new world. They don’t deny their culture completely, but don’t embrace it readily. They are Americans now and do everything in their power to fit in.  Pretty soon you can’t tell where the Americanized International came from.

That overly priced piece of fleece has been cramping styles of college chicks nationwide for way too long. Not only is it boring and blah (and yes getting it in bumble-bee yellow still makes it blah) – but its making you that girl. You know who I’m talking about: The one who walks around campus in her big sunglasses, tight stretch pants, boots and… NORTH FACE FLEECE.

I’m not saying it’s horrible to be one of those girls – in fact I think these girls get a bad rap for being bitchy and spoiled when that isn’t the case (note: I was one of them). What I am saying is that if you’re going to spend the money on a piece of outerwear there are so many, MANY cuter, warmer, more original, not fleecy things to buy!

Trust me, I understand the “I’m hungover and want to wear sweats to class” line of thinking, I really do. But at least fool the outside world that you care…even a little… and switch up your NFF for an actual jacket or coat. This fall there are just so many cute styles that it’s simply a waste to not wear one of them!

Here are some options to consider when trading in your beloved North Face Fleece:

The Hooded Bomber Jacket

You can wear this to class or to the bars. Pair it with jeans, leggings, even sweats and it instantly screams “I’m super hot,” and, “Don’t mess with me, yo.”

The Vintage Swing Coat

This Yellow is a must-have color, and it adds color to even the palest, most hungover faces, convincing any professor that you are 100% mentally there.

The Best Bar Jacket

For $29.80 it’s A-OKAY if you lose it, spill on it, get sick on it, forget about it, etc.

When it comes to bar jackets you have to plan ahead; while you won’t want to freeze and NOT wear a coat (a mistake made by freshies nationwide), you also don’t want to wear your favorite Theory jacket only to have it be traded up by some other gal who wore her Forever 21 jacket, saw yours shoved in a corner and grabbed it at the end of the night “by mistake.”

The “I’m going to be presentable” Jacket

This jacket- which comes in a bunch of colors – is great for class OR for meeting your boyfriends great Aunt Jane in. It’s tailored but still youthful and just. so. cute.

The Comfortable Alternative

If you must be comfortable at least be original.

The Military Coat

I love it. I love it. I love it. Enough said.

In high school, I went through the, “I’m too cool for a backpack” phase and I carried my books everywhere, stopping at my locker in between every class. But that wasn’t really feasible in college. Walking across campus to class, it was impossible to juggle my books, laptop, cell phone, snacks, Venti Latte and various other staples.

Unable to carry it all – and completely unwilling to pick up another LL Bean monstrsity – I needed something cute and functional.

I searched high and low. The good news is: there are tons of cute bags out there. The bad news is: I bought them all.

5 Hot Bags For College:

1) Kate Spade Belle Meade Cana Tote- Kate Spade will have you actually feeling excited to gather your books and head to class. The Belle Meade Cana Tote is made from tumbled cowhide, which pretty much just sounds awesomely luxurious. Of course, the tote packs a pretty price tag at $425, so you may not be able to afford your books after purchasing it. But hey, you can always throw in a few sheets of loose-leaf paper and borrow a pen from the kid who sits next to you. This tote is worth it.

Image from katespade.com

2) LeSportsac Travel Tote- The travel tote by LeSportsac is sure to fit all your books. And look at all the fun patterns you can choose from! My friend’s classmate told her that her LeSportsac tote kept him from getting bored in class because it was so fun to look at. So, the tote is multifunctional- carry your books,prevent boredom…and flirt with boys! And for $88, I would say that’s worth it. Plus, the bags are made with nylon, so they are completely durable and washable, which will be necessary after carrying it around to all those classes you’ll be attending.

Image from lesportsac.com

3) Lacoste New Classic Horizontal Shopping Bag- This is another extremely cute and durable bag that is just perfect for your textbooks. If you’re feeling super preppy, you can even match your polo shirt to the bag. Trendy, classic, and always stylish, I love Lacoste. At only $140, I’d say it’s a steal…especially for this brand.

Image from top-selling-brands.com

4) Guess Sorority Tote- It’s called the sorority tote, so you obviously need to get this one if you’re in, or are planning on joining, a sorority. It’s not exactly discrete with its shiny leather finish, but since when have you ever wanted to be discrete? Guess is always pretty affordable and stylish and this tote is only $85; not even close to the fees you’ll be paying for your sorority membership.

Image from Guess.com

5) North Face Jester Backpack- Sometimes backpacks are the most convenient for carrying books to class. They can comfortably hold all your books and have multiple purposes, like bringing on weekend camping trips, or toting beer to a frat house party (What? Not like I’ve ever done that!). But if you’re going to carry a backpack, it needs to be a fashionable one. And, please be extra careful if you take public transportation. There’s nothing worse than a clueless backpack carrier on the train, swinging that thing loaded with biology books back and forth. My favorite backpack is the Jester from North Face. It’s only $49 and is much cooler than that old LL Bean business.