For Students

Products Things I've Found Useful as an Undergrad

Note: I do not get paid for the Amazon links.

Products

  • Blue G2 5mm Pens (Amazon Affiliate, Amazon): I’ve always used cheap pens they give away on campus, but there’s nothing like precision and reliability. I carry blue so that my notes on black-and-white prints stand out.
  • Staples Filler Graph Paper (Staples): I’m pretty picky with my notetaking, and this is the only paper I’ll use.
  • Oxford Eight-Pocket Organizer (Amazon Affiliate, Amazon): I buy a new one of these every semester. I label each pocket with a class that I’m taking and keep homework and miscellaneous papers collected and organized until I’m ready to turn them in or store in my binder.
  • Pentel GraphGear 500 Automatic Drafting Pencil (0.5mm) (Amazon): It took me a long time to make the jump from 7mm to 5mm lead, but I’ve never looked back. These pencils are a bit pricey, but they’ve totally taken away the discomfort from scribbling hours of notes.
  • Red Rock Outdoor Gear Engagement Pack (Amazon): I tried to deviate from this backpack this semester, and I hated the new one. This one has loops (think MOLLE) all around it. I use D-rings (Amazon) on the side for my water bottle and my lunch box.
  • Erasable Pilot Frixion Pens (Amazon): I absolutely love these pens! They write well (although nothing like a gel pen), and they legitimately erase all the way! The only problem is that if you take notes in a binder or a notebook and throw it in your backpack, the sheets rub together and start to erase the ink. I love the ability to write in colors and something a little more permanent than pencil while having the option to erase available.
  • Daily Notebook: While I haven’t actually gotten to use one yet, my sights are set on getting a Moleskine grid notebook (Amazon) to maintain a daily checklist. I’ve used a cheap, pocket-sized notebook, which works alright, but I find a bigger size works better for me. I’d like to take some time and read more into bullet journaling, but I haven’t made it a priority. Maybe once summer hits.
  • Book Stand (Amazon): I’ve had this on my Amazon Wishlist for a while now, and a family member snagged it for me as a Christmas gift. How did I study without one?! First of all, it’s fantastic for taking notes. I’m usually at my kitchen table, and the overhead light throws a terrible glare on the glossy pages. It’s also great for tighter spaces since your textbook takes up less space when it’s standing up!
  • 40oz Hydroflask (Amazon): I cannot recommend this enough. I received this as a Christmas gift (ironically a year prior from the same family member that got me the book stand), and I’ll never turn back. I’ve bought one for my wife, and I’ll forever buy another when the time comes. I try to drink a gallon of water each day, which is 3 full bottles and an 8oz glass at the end of the day. It makes it really easy to track water consumption, not to mention the thermos properties of the vacuum-sealed bottle! And the color options are limitless…
  • MacBook Sleeve (Amazon): I was looking for a simple protector for my laptop. For the longest time, I had an 11″ MacBook Air that I kept in a plastic clipboard, which was super handy. I have since upgraded and needed a case to match the machine. It’s simple, elegant, and comes with a case for my charger (I just realized that—I had always thought it was a pencil case…) and sleeves to hold documents, etc.
  • 1/2″ Binder: I pick up a 1/2″ binder for each class. I always get mine at Walmart, but I’ve also seen a 6-pack at Costco for $7.99.
  • LEUCHTTURM1917 – Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook (Amazon): I use this as a daily bullet journal for anything from to-do lists to notes at a conference.
  • The Freedom Journal (Amazon): Get a goal done in 100 days by working towards it every day. This is the accountability you need.

Media

Articles

Books

Digital Resources

  • Evernote: This one is super handy for taking notes. I can share notebooks with non-users, and it opens just like a PDF. I definitely don’t use it to it’s fullest capacity, but I still really enjoy it.
  • Grammarly: I don’t know what I did before I had Grammarly. It scans whatever you’re typing and offers grammar and spelling checks that even Gmail doesn’t catch. It’s saved me several times!
  • GSuite: I couldn’t live without Google Calendar and Google Drive, so it only makes sense that I’ve got Gmail to go right along with it all.
  • Brain.fm: This web- and mobile-application is extremely effective at getting me to focus. I’ve always just used a Spotify playlist, but it’s so distracting to hit a song with lyrics in a playlist built by someone else or to subconsciously be looking out for songs to add to your own playlist. This guy always does the trick. I paid for a year upfront.
  • Todoist: I’ve been using this app to replace an agenda planner for logging homework. It also really helps me break down assignments into tasks with frequent due dates to keep me on track instead of last-minute cramming.

Engineering Resources

  • NATIONAL Brand Engineering Paper (Amazon): I’ve never looked back.
  • Five Star Flex NoteBinder (Amazon): A lot of my peers use this for their classes, but I only use this for my engineering paper pad. It keeps it nice, and it decreases in size as I take pages out.
  • Engineering Ruler (Amazon): Technically it’s an architect’s scale with X-amount of ticks per inch, but I’ve never used that since all my paper is graphed. I just use it as a hard straight edge.
  • TI-89 Titanium (Amazon): I’ve always used the classic TI-84, but as I’ve moved onto insane engineering equations, the display has been incredibly useful for double-checking that I’ve entered my information correctly. Here’s a used option: Amazon.

ROTC Resources

  • Foldable Clipboard (Amazon): This guy’s intended for nurses and doctors to be able to fold up their clipboard and put in the pocket of their scrubs, but it’s incredibly handy as a leader in a tactical situation or for running around on a land nav course.
  • Balaclava (Amazon): A must-have for cold weather and wind.
  • Insane LED Red-lense Flashlight (Amazon): You can see for forever with this thing. You’d be hard-pressed to fail land nav with this bad boy. Plus, it shines in a square pattern as opposed to a circle.
  • Rite in the Rain Notepad (Amazon): Invaluable. You never have to worry about destroying your notebook in bad weather or from sweating through your uniform.
  • D-rings (Amazon): Make your standard-issue gear yours.
Hydroflask, book stand, pen, pencil, graph paper, and architect's scale.
Hydroflask, book stand, pen, pencil, graph paper, and architect’s scale.