5 School Supplies I Nerd Out For

In TWO days I will be a student again!

YAY! And whew…

And the best thing about going back to school is buying school supplies!!!

The act of buying new school supplies signifies a fresh beginning to me. An opportunity to organize and  plan out the last months of the year; and to refocus on goals. There is no better writing experience than signing your name on the front page of a new planner. I kid, but I found myself saying to myself that 2020 is not a complete wash and there is so much good to still do. So I decided to keep today’s post light and sweet. I’m going to nerd out to y’all about my Top 5 School Supplies! One thing I know for certain in a PhD program I will be doing a lot of reading and writing therefore this Top 5 contains great tools for those actions. 

Ready?

Let’s Go!

#1 Sharpie Gel Highlighter

The Sharpie Gel Highlighter is weird, but in a good way. It doesn’t contain ink like your typical highlighter. It's a gel that feels and looks like a crayon yet still has a very smooth finish. It prides itself on being anti-smear and will not bleed through paper. I’m excited to highlight important words that I don’t know and need to look up in the dictionary. Ha!

#2 Post-it Flags + Highlighter

This two-in-one threat caught my eye while school supply shopping. It’s a traditional highlighter but with Post-it flags attached to the base. Highlighting esoteric words in books and then flagging the page to come back to later?! My goodness! Who thought of this timesaving creative device? I want to send them a Thank You card. 

#3 Paper Mate Flair Pen (Ultra Fine) 

I am a huge Sharpie fan, everything from their markers to their pens. The finest markers I have ever used to tag lockers in high school. Oops! Yet, the Sharpie pens would still bleed through the pages of my notebooks. This led me on a quest to find the best pens that don’t bleed. My intensive research led me to Paper Mate’s Flair Pens. The felt tip still gives me the feeling of writing with a marker without messing up the next page in my planner or notebook. So far I am in love.

#4 Day Designer 2020 -2021 Planner

I got stuck in the hype of super expensive and intricate planners. I spent close to $100 (shameful) on a planner last year that was thicker than my family’s Bible and only used it consistently for two weeks (even more shame). This year I decided to go back to an old faithful brand found at Target, Day Designer. I found a cute monthly/weekly planner. For each weekday there’s a space to write freely and a blank 7-bullet to do list. There are also three pages of stickers for a little razzle dazzle. It was under $20 and it doesn’t feel like I’m carrying the history of man in my book bag. 

#5 Artist’s Loft Sketch Pad/Book

It took me a while to realize that I don’t really like writing on lines. I don’t know why. Maybe there’s some deeper meaning about me being a free spirit and not wanting to be constrained to society’s norms. Hmm.Well, last year I brought two sketchbooks. One for work and one for personal reflections, and I love them. The blank pages give me the freedom to write, draw, outline, or make tables. On another nerd tip, I also like the feel of the paper. When you are thinking about your next journal or notebook, I encourage you to look at the power of a sketchbook. Be wild, no lines!

Yes, buying school supplies provided me with some joy. Anything to hype myself up about starting a PhD program during a pandemic. For anyone else out there starting something new in the midst of chaos find something good & true and use it to your desire!