College School Supplies

As a technical writer, I've become more and more obsessive compulsive about what I types of school (or office) supplies that I use. I will only use certain types of paper (college over wide ruled), pens that are .7 or .5, mechanical pencils with .5 lead, and now I'm buying binders.

Not only am I buying binders, I'm buying a pencil pouch, different colored pens, and different colored highlighters, so that I don't use the same color pen or highlighter for my classes. I also bought a "mommy/family" planner because I want to have more organization. Not only that, I have created my own weekly planner.

This post, though not so much for the general reader but for the uptight-organizer, is going to be a list of items that I plan to buy.

Binder Organization:

Inspired by ailyxxxfashion at YouTube.com

• Binder
• Sheet protectors
• Pencil pouch
• Dividers or Removable Index Tabs
• Loose-Leaf College Ruled Filler Paper
• Scrap booking paper (or even construction paper)
• Pens (2-5 different colors) or Colored Pencils
• I do not buy cheap colored pencils because they don't write well. Crayola colored pencils are my favorite.
• I don't like to buy cheap pens for note taking, but these pens will be for
• Permanent marker (black or your favorite color)
• Fine tip permanent marker (black or your favorite color)
• Highlighters (2-5 different colors)
• Manila file folder
• 1-2 binder clips
• Paper Clips
• Sticky notes (Post-it® or otherwise)

Agenda Organization:

Inspired by organizedlikejen at YouTube.com

• Removable tabs
• Pens (2-5 different colors) or Colored Pencils
• I do not buy cheap colored pencils because they don't write well. Crayola colored pencils are my favorite.
• I don't like to buy cheap pens for note taking, but these pens will be for writing down your assignments and test dates. Most people recommend white out, but I don't mind crossing things out as a better reminder.
• Permanent marker (black or your favorite color)
• Fine tip permanent marker (black or your favorite color)
• Highlighters (2-5 different colors)
• Sticky notes
• A binder clip
• Schedules-
• Class- tests, quizzes, no class days
• Work- days working/days off
• Industrial hole punch (I have no idea where I'm going to find one, but I am currently on a mission to find one)
• A Binder hole punch
• Generally flimsy, but actually nice
• Planner or Agenda
• The mommy planner I bought is a monthly view so I made a weekly view in Word.

Schedule Organization:

• There is a GREAT video that I found from a fellow professional organizer. There are two parts:
• Part One
• Part Two
• Your schedule will be organized in your agenda, but the tips of organizing are greatly outlined in the two videos above.
• Note Cards
• These will help with saving time because you can study on the go which helps you with your scheduling. Like for me, I have time spent on the bus. That's 10 - 15 minutes that I can spend studying.

The links that I have are mostly from the Dollar Tree because I never knew that you could buy most of this stuff for an affordable price. Even though I'm picky, I still have a budget and I have to be realistic.

If you have any questions, let me know, and I will try to give you more ideas.

Sincerely,

Stephani

Avoiding Social Media

As a Technical Writer, I am acquainted with the misconceptions that text-based conversations cause. It is often frowned upon to write a sarcastic piece because sarcasm, often recognized in verbal conversation by tone of voice, is not accurately read.

Because of the misconceptions following text-based conversations, I have found it to be much easier to avoid social media websites such as Facebook and MySpace. Though I currently do not subscribe to either of the aforementioned social media sites, I do admit that I once was a ritualistic participator. I checked my Facebook every five minutes and updated my status about twice as often. I admit that I was addicted to Facebook. When I realized how often I was on Facebook, checking and posting, I made the decision to eliminate my personal connection. It was a difficult decision because Facebook is the most common form of communication for many people today.

On the same hand, I do still check my husband's Facebook. While this may seem to be a contradiction, I am still not on Facebook nearly as often. I rarely post status updates; I only post pre-approved by my husband pictures; and, I comment on few status updates. I still read and glance at pictures; however, Facebook no longer holds the appeal it once had.

As a Technical Writer, I have considered creating a LinkedIn profile. I draw my hands from the keyboard at the idea because I would admittedly obsess over perfecting my profile. I would have to update my picture every time I change physically; I would obsessively edit any and all profile wording; and finally, I would want to check for new messages everyday. Such stress is a type that I do not currently need to wrap myself in. I am a perfectionist. I edit, edit, edit. After all, perfection is the game of a Technical Writer. Not to mention the fact that, as a Student Online Developer, I am constantly working on projects that require my obsessive attention. No job goes unfinished without at least two or three re-checks.

Therefore, my long answer for not re-entering the world of social media: obsession. My decision to avoid social media is the same as my decision to avoid the game The Sims, the site Pinterest, or the ever famous Facebook games. I do not want to waste time obsessing. I also avoid social media because text-based conversations are far too convoluted them to be 100% stress-free environments. I simply want to look at pictures and read about the lives of those I call family and friends.

Sincerely,
Stephani