Merry Wanderer of the Night + weekend

Office Supplies For English Majors

Oh, how I miss going to Target with my mom, list in hand, and purchasing exactly seven folders and several brightly colored pens. School supplies shopping was like Christmas when I was a kid, nothing made me happier than buying the supplies and going home to figure out exactly how I would utilize all of them. Now, of course, things are different. Instead of school supplies shopping I have to go book shopping, and as much as I love books it's a really a pain to shell out the money for them all at once. I still find some solace in office supplies though, and these are my favorites.

1. Pens. I don't use pencils anymore because they basically erase themselves once the pages have been rubbing together. I write in my books (as do most people I know) and it is important that my notes stay. I know this is kind of an obvious one, but I use pens more than anything else. I also have several red pens for editing my papers. I used to use brightly colored pens to write in my books so that I would be able to find my notes easier, but this became a hassle because colored pens seem to run out of ink faster than black ones. I also get most of my pens for free (by which I mean I take them from tables at fairs or a I pilfer them from front desks) and most free pens are black.

2. Post-it Notes. I use Post-it notes differently from most people I know, so here are the two ways I see people using them. The first is like me, I just use them like bookmarks. I use one large Post-it to mark my place in the book, and I use smaller ones to divide my reading into sections. I can't sit and read one book for four hours (usually) so I divide it up into thirty page sections. I read faster if I can see that I'm getting close to the end of the section, so it saves me time and gives my brain a rest. Other people I know use Post-its in lieu of or in addition to writing in their books. Sometimes you have a great idea, but there is only so much room in the margin of books which is where the Post-its come in. This probably makes passages easier to locate and helps when making points in class. I don't do it because I summarize my thoughts at the end of chapters where there is usually lots of room.

3. File Folders. I get a lot of papers as an English major and most of the time I only need them once. I like to keep everything until the end of the semester but I don't like carrying it all around, so I use file folders for all of my classes. When I have to print out an essay and read it for class I put it in my backpack for the day, and then when I come home I put it in the file folder. I also use file folders to document any submissions I've made to literary magazines, progress towards my degree, and information for programs I'm interested in.

4. Stapler. I'm kind of being hypocritical here because I do not have a stapler, but I vow to purchase one this weekend since I'm telling all of you that you need one. It is embarrassing to turn in papers that are not stapled. I've always been a paper clip kind of girl, but so far that has not worked for me. I NEED a stapler. It's not working to use the one at my job because I always forget or run out of time. Once a teacher actually made fun of me for not having a stapler. Even one of those mini-staplers. A girl in one of my classes has one in her backpack that she lets me use and I am grateful to her every day. So, I will be buying a stapler.

5. Planner. When I say planner I mean planner, not tiny little thing that only has room to write down Lunch with Mackenzie, because that is literally all you will do that day. You might have to buy an ugly planner, I'm not so fond of mine, but it gets the job done. Unless you have an amazing memory you really need a planner. I divide large tasks up into small ones and do a little every day. Chances are, if you write it down in your planner and you look at it, you will do it. I also write in parentheses after the task how long I think it will take to get done. This can either be incredibly daunting or comforting. Usually it is comforting. Write down fun things in your planner too! You'll look at it more.

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Office Supplies For English Majors + weekend