so here we are, another school year!
while this tends to be fun for all of us, it can be quite stressful to have to purchase all these supplies. not to mention the obsession with making everything look picture perfect. in order to help out people like me, who have a small budget, i have compiled a relatively exhaustive list of things you can buy pretty cheap to help you make studying more effective and helpful! if anyone has any questions where to purchase materials, lemme know! i have a general idea now where to buy most supplies on the dl.
pens/writing utensils
inkjoy pens are some of my absolute favorite ballpoint pens. they come in so many colors and are very comfortable to hold. their ink flows smoothly and i rarely have any problems with them. since papermate is a bigger company, they usually have some good back to school coupons. make sure to check newspapers! these are the more expensive end of your standard ballpoint, but you can find them on sale at this time of year.
i will be honest here, gel pens are not my favorite thing. i find them messy as a lefty and they tend to goop up on me because im bad at replacing caps. this particular set though had high reviews. theres a wide range of colors and these wont bleed through cheap notebook paper. although carrying around 60 pens is seriously unreasonable, you can always pick a few colors to carry with you in your pencil case to make your notes look ~fancy~
now these pens come in a variety of colors, but they are relatively similar to mildliners. almost all the reviews are positive. i would recommend buying these off jetpens because theyre cheaper than amazon and having a lower minimum shipping price.
my number one website for pens is jetpens.com! they have a gigantic selection and a $25 purchase free shipping minimum. they have unique products at a reasonable price. art shops are also a good place to search because many of the ‘studyblr pens’ are meant for art. if you want a staedtler/stabilo look, go for porous point pens. they have a marker type tip. stabilo pens on jetpens are $.80 for individual pens. not to sound sponsored, but seriously theyre the best and i love them so much.
bullet journals
you hear about leuchtturm1917 or moleskine most often, but i find piccadilly to be a comparable option. i normally find them at barnes and noble around school supply shopping time for $5-$7. compared to a $20 moleskine, thats 4x the value! tbh the paper quality isnt mindblowing but its beyond functional. they also have very cool decorative covers that can either be famous works or abstract. mine from last year survived being stuck in my backpack and stuffed with every bit of paper i could find.
in order to go out in the world, i would recommend bookstores. they often have journals for pretty cheap that have decent quality and can withstand at least one year of use. i prefer those bc of shipping costs and also it can be nice to find a unique product!
washi tape
now i know ikea can be hard to find in your area, but honestly their tapes are so cute. not only that, theyre exceedingly cheap. i bought 3 separate 4 packs last january for $1 each. not only that, theyre the PERFECT tape. they stick really well and have a slightly more papery texture than others ive worked with. it makes them easier to write on and decorate with other tapes/materials.
now if you cant find a local ikea, i would suggest etsy. the sellers on there have the cutest tapes for all prices ranges. and the patterns on there are super unique. if you have a certain idea in mind, an artist on there may be available to make your dream come true! be prepared for the price though, as you are commissioning an artist. but i find it nice to buy multi-packs on there as they can be relatively cheap and super cute. another place to look would be thrift stores. i got a handful of patterns for free from a local shop because the lady was too busy to give me an actual price on them. i would highly recommend going through local shops to also boost local revenue!
studying papers
many people find flashcards to be a helpful tool to help them memorize definitions or equations, but the cost can add up as well as environmental impact. thats why flashcard machine can be your new secret weapon. you can register for an account and access a ton of premade flashcards. you could also potentially share these with a study group and have a giant study sesh! they also have mobile apps for apple and android, although neither of these are free.
everyones fave, quizlet! it has not only flashcards, but quizzes and games about everything you could imagine! tons of teachers upload whole segments of curriculum on here so you get sections of tests or old ap questions! overall, very useful. i would recommend it especially for those who find flashcards repetitive and difficult to learn from.
ap study books are seriously expensive. especially when you take 2+ courses. thankfully, some angels have saved them online. with a simple google, you can find a variety of books. i found this on reddit that looks like it has a ton of subjects and could be very beneficial. be sure to change sources often because ap tests change so frequently.
microsoft one note is a seriously underutilized tool imo. you can make to do lists, write notes, and use a variety of different tools to make your notes perfect. its the perfect cross between digital and analog. not to mention its free(ish) on most devices. in the beginning it was a little rough, but now its simple to use and effective!
well just as a final note, make sure to always pricecheck online! there are deals spread throughout digital and brick and mortar stores, so to get the best price, you must check everywhere! its not a big deal if you drop $20 on that staedtler set, but i hope my pointers help you save some money along the way! love yall!
