Supply Madness.

I think the thing I'm most excited about because of my acceptance into nursing school(s) is the school supplies I will get to use. If you knew anything about me since about high school and well into college is that I have a very well documented love of office supplies. In fact I can rarely walk into an OfficeMax or a Staples and even department stores without coming out with something office related. I'm a total addict, and I'm fine with that.

First up we have these:










Graph paper notebooks in two styles: spiral and wireless. I thought the unique aspect of using graph paper grids as opposed to lined paper was the easy ability to make charts, lists, etc... I know that every time I tried to do this in a normal notebook the result was disastrous even discounting my stellar lack of art skills. I suspect when I undertake my Pharmacology class this fall that this format will hopefully prove to be successful.


Also keeping in line with the graph theme I bought graph filler paper and gridded index cards, I bought 2 sizes, 3"x5" and 4"x6" (No link available). I also bought a big pack of these unruled 4"x6" index cards so as to be able to make quick note-style flashcards, I also thought this would be handy for Pharmacology.


I also bought these book rings so as to punch holes in the index cards to create my own handy dandy flashcards. I really like how this semester is turning out to be school supply wise.


Of course I'm buying supplies in preparation of the school year and logistically I'm buying items that could be used also in a non-school capacity. I am also reusing some supplies from previous years. I cannot believe the stock piled of college ruled filler paper that I am drowning in still to this day. One of the items I'm most excited in reusing is the Mead Flex NoteBinder. I love the idea of the rings being open so as to completely be able to flip the binder open and be able to continue writing like a notebook but everything is still binder-style organized with tabs and pockets. I own 2 of these already from my last semester of college and I've since filed away the papers they used to hold and will hopefully be re-purposing them this fall.


I am also a big proponent of page flags and markers as a way to make important areas of textbooks as places of future interest, current place, etc... I really like the Post-It Durable Tabs. I also have several just paper ones that say "Where I Left Off", "On The Test" with areas of space to write, and "Study" with areas of space to write. I also have a few with the symbols ", ??, and !!!! (No links available).


Now over the last year I've gotten way too far into pens. While I'm a firm believer in Uni-Ball pens in all their various forms I have found that they are not all that great when writing on lined paper whether filler paper or notebooks and often they show through and therefore don't provide maximization of paper, which in a notebook especially makes it hard to gauge your usage and whether a notebook will last as long as you intend it to.


I have found that cheaper pens such as Bic Round Stic Grip Ballpoint Pens in various colors are a lot better at helping solve the bleed through problems I was encountering. I think any cheapish pen will do and I have also picked up several on sale kinds from WalGreens on occasion.


This fall I will also be using pencils and I prefer these Dixon Ticonderoga pencils. They've been my standby all throughout high school and college. I also picked up some new erasers to replace the art eraser I got in like 9th grade art class. I bought this lovely 4 set of Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers. Staedtler is a brand I've fallen in love with since I got into Moleskine planners. They're German and anyone who knows me knows I also love German things BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, sauerkraut, etc... For regular writing on things like post its I also invested in some Staedtler Liquid Point 7's. So far I really seem to like these, but I suspect they are like Uni-Ball pens when it comes to thinner papers. Overall I like that they came with 4 colors and a little pouch in which to carry them.


Next up we have highlighters, hoo boy. So far I've been using these highlighters I bought from OfficeMax during high school at least 3 years ago. They're nothing special, but they get the job done.


Earlier this year I found some erasable highlighters that I just thought were totally awesome! They work pretty decently and I cannot wait to try using them on a more regular basis this fall.


The last of the supplies I have bought so far was a pack of 5 top bound memo books for writing in during clinical time. I figure I could keep this inside my pockets and it will help remember important items said during those times and information I will need to write down in a chart, etc... I figure I will make sure to buy some more of the Uni-Ball 207 retractable pens to keep in my pocket as well.


Next up is my organization for keeping track of everything this fall. I optimize a weekly planner layout. Right now I'm using a Moleskine Weekly Notebook Extra Large from July 2010 - December 2011. I also have a Moleskine Weekly Notebook Large for July 2009 - December 2010. Both have similar layouts, but are just different sizes. I plan to use the smaller one to keep track of personal business until it's done and the larger one to keep track of school mostly, but with personal stuff thrown in.


I use several sets of different pens when writing in my planner pages. These pages are fairly thin so you cannot just use any regular pen as there is risk for tearing and bleed through. First is Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens. While these are good for writing in Moleskines they are not really everyday writing pens, especially because of their size. These pens are 0.3 mm which is a very superfine tip. The pens come in both 10 packs and 20 packs featuring different colors. I also love the packaging that these pens come in. It's designed to be able to stand up, but I've never used it like that, but the case does keep it the pens very neatly organized.


Next up is Staedtler Triplus Color Markers, which are still a fine tip, but they are thicker than the Triplus Fineliner pens. These are nice when you want a thicker definition than the regular Triplus fineliner pens. These are supposedly about 1.0 mm thick. Another fun feature of the Staedtler pens is they employ Dry Safe technology which means you can leave them uncapped for days. I haven't tested this, but I like the idea.


The next set of pens I like to use are Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner Pens. These are very similar to the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners, but slightly larger at 0.4 mm. There are a few color differences between the two brands, which is why I like having both of them.



This is pretty much the overall gist of how I plan to keep on top of everything in the coming months and years. I think in coming posts I will try to post scans of my planner and point out some of the supplies I use within it specifically and not just for school.