Reading,  Studying

Happy Boxing Day 2022

December 27, 2022 /
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-ebook/dp/B003N19DSI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1672082741&sr=8-5

Another day late, but I still got an email for a Boxing Day promotion. So I feel justified to keep the title of this blog: Happy Boxing Day! I hope all of you who celebrate Christmas or any other Holiday had a wonderful time.

While I’m not a total Scrooge, I wasn’t in the mood for Christmas this year. I started watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas songs only a couple of days before Christmas Eve and didn’t send out any Christmas cards either. Speaking of Scrooge, I read “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens for the very first time. I wasn’t unfamiliar with the story, and the story isn’t that long either. Still, it took me a couple of days to finish it. Probably since it was written in 1843 and the old English was sometimes difficult to concentrate on.  However, I like how detailed his descriptions are. The book “A Christmas Carol and other Christmas Books” by Charles Dickens (https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-ebook/dp/B003N19DSI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1672082741&sr=8-5) is actually on the course material list for “Discovering the arts and humanities (A111)” from the Open University (A111 | Discovering the arts and humanities | Open University Course). I’m still debating if I will enroll in this module or not. You can, most likely, read all about it in next week’s post.

I’m already studying some of their free courses on Open Learning – OpenLearn – Open University. While I also downloaded the app and the pdf course materials to work on with “goodnotes” on my IPad, I do take analog notes. The summary of these notes is again done digitally in OneNote. I did sign up for Notion. However, as this is completely online I don’t trust the security enough to use it for anything more than general notes, and Obsidian, for me personally, had too steep of a learning curve.

As a self-proclaimed stationery addict I purchased some extra pens and paper for this self-study:

Zebra Pen Journalling Set, comprising Zebra Sarasa Clip pens and Mildliners: https://www.amazon.co.uk/sspa/click?ie=UTF8&spc=MTo3NDA2NzA3MzI3ODA3OTUxOjE2NzIxNDc4ODg6c3BfYXRmOjIwMDg0NjI2Nzk0ODk4OjowOjo&url=%2FZebra-Pen-Journaling-Highlighters-Restractable%2Fdp%2FB07NDZ3T8F%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2_sspa%3Fcrid%3D23BBG21S4UQCD%26keywords%3Dzebra%2Bpens%26qid%3D1672147888%26sprefix%3Dzebra%252Caps%252C187%26sr%3D8-2-spons%26sp_csd%3Dd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY%26psc%3D1%26smid%3DA3QAGNMJBO5UG3

Zebra Sarasa clip, set of 5 black gel pens: https://www.amazon.co.uk/pieces-P-JJ15-BK5-Zebra-Sarasa-ballpoint/dp/B0060S2V8K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2Q10GHO2GP5UV&keywords=zebra+sarasa+clip&qid=1672148102&sprefix=zebra+sa%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-3

Zebra Sarasa clip, 10 assorted gel pens: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zebra-ballpoint-Sarasa-colors-JJ15-10CA/dp/B00TEXLC88/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2Q10GHO2GP5UV&keywords=zebra+sarasa+clip&qid=1672148102&sprefix=zebra+sa%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-6

Zebra Sarasa vintage pens: I purchased 1 set when in The Hague at the local “Pipoos” craft store (https://pipoos.com/) and the other on amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zebra-Sarasa-Retractable-Vintage-JJ15-5C-VI2/dp/B07NYN19BK/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2Q10GHO2GP5UV&keywords=zebra+sarasa+clip&qid=1672148102&sprefix=zebra+sa%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-10

Sharpie Pens: The intention was to buy a set with 3 different colors but I ordered 3 blue ones by mistake https://www.amazon.co.uk/sspa/click?ie=UTF8&spc=MTo2NDQ0MDAxODE1NTM2Mjk2OjE2NzIxNDg3NDY6c3BfYXRmOjIwMDU5Njc4NjI2MzA0OjowOjo&url=%2FSharpie-S-Gel-Medium-Point-0-7mm%2Fdp%2FB08RF35KCR%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fcrid%3DBJ5J88505EXH%26keywords%3Dsharpie%2Bs%2Bgel%2Bpens%26qid%3D1672148746%26sprefix%3Dsharpie%2Bs%252Caps%252C121%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26sp_csd%3Dd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY%26psc%3D1

Same for the Kokuyo loose-leaf paper: here I also ordered the A5 instead of B5. However, I corrected this in a second order:

As you can see, there is quite some choice in this Kokuyo loose-leaf paper. The one with the light green packaging has dot grid paper. The others are pre-dotted but have lines as well. For the light blue packaging the dots are spaced at 6mm on each line, with the orange packaging this is every 7 mm and the red packaging only has dots every 7mm on the top and bottom line. I don’t own the dark blue packaging, but that seems also only the top and bottom line, with a 6 mm interval.

Kokuyo campus smart ring binders: 2 sets of 3 e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kokuyo-Campus-Easy-Carry-Smart-Ring-26-Ring/dp/B077JTYL8R/ref=sr_1_3?crid=KZHC2G7OPBUX&keywords=kokuyo+campus+notebook&qid=1672148349&sprefix=Kukuyo%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-3

The Kokuyo binder for 100 sheets: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kokuyo-Binder-Notebook-Opening-Capacity/dp/B098JGKP4X/ref=sr_1_22?crid=KZHC2G7OPBUX&keywords=kokuyo+campus+notebook&qid=1672148349&sprefix=Kukuyo%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-22

If you are shopping out of the USA you also find most, if not all, on https://www.jetpens.com/ It was via their Youtube channel that I got to know the Kokuyo campus line.

Since Corona, I haven’t used regular A4 paper (for Belgium and other countries on the European continent) much. I purchased a bunch during lockdown also intending to study. However, as I’m so used to the Happy Planner Classic size for my work planner and work notes, I find the A4 size just huge. This Kokuyo paper is B5 size if I hadn’t mentioned it already, or when not clear from the links. And I like the size, it is perfect for a small desk or a larger but more crowded/cluttered desk. From the Happy planner and my Bullet Journals before that, I got used to dot-grid paper. While there are dots on the Kokuyo paper as well they are sometimes harder to spot, they are already on the existing line. Also when you are using the back of the sheet and you already wrote on the front, the dots are very faint. So either you still need to use a ruler or have enough lighting in your space, if you don’t want your margin to appear like it was made by a child. 

The A5 paper doesn’t fit the B5 smart or regular ring binder without cutting the corners. This is something that you don’t have between A4 and A5 binders. However, as the A5 mostly consisted of examples it is not a deal breaker and it allows me to still use the A5 paper.

The smart binder can hold up to 25 sheets, so 50 pages. This is, according to me ideal to take to class. As they exist in multiple colors you can dedicate a different color to a different color. And at home or in your dorm you can then transfer them per subject to the larger binder.

I read promising reviews for the Sharpie S-gel pen, but when I tested one of them on a piece of A5 Kokuyo paper I found that it easily smeared. The Sarasa clip gel pens, on the other hand, dry much more quickly. When I started using the black pen I was afraid that it would be empty on the quick side. However, I was able to write approximately 63 pages with one pen. I only highlight once I have taken notes of the entire chapter, or if I would be a regular student after class when reviewing the lecture. Hence the pen in combination with the Zebra Pen Mildliner is perfect. If you highlight immediately after writing the sentence or the word I would opt for the Zebra Sarasa Mark On (as seen on Youtube) https://www.amazon.com/Zebra-sarasa-Mark-0-5mm-ballpoint/dp/B07T552PTC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1O21K00VDUPDT&keywords=sarasa+mark+on&qid=1672152533&sprefix=sarasa+mar%2Caps%2C272&sr=8-1

However, these were too expensive with shipping and possible taxes. The same for the vintage Mildliners https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zebra-Pen-Mildliner-Highlighter-Assorted/dp/B09QJKJG8Q/ref=sr_1_5?crid=29NJTAQKIXD65&keywords=zebra+mildliner+highlighters+vintage&qid=1672152669&sprefix=zebra+mildliner+vin%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-5

The last stationary purchase, if you can call it that, was the “PenTips 2” by https://pen.tips/en-be. While the first generation is less expensive, you place them over the existing tip of your Apple Pencil, I was afraid I would lose them too quickly. Hence, I got the second version that replaced the original pen tip. If I say so myself, my handwriting is neater when using the tip. And it is much quieter than the original tip.

Wishing all of the Belgian University and college students, or all students with exams after the Holidays, a lot of courage studying during these days and a lot of success on the actual exams.

Stay tuned, to know if I will become a University student again or not in one of the following blog posts.

For those still taking analog notes as well, what are your favorite writing tools or paper you use?

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