I have been seeing a lot of posts and questions about how it’s hard to keep up with the “studyblr aesthetics” and I’m *slightly* disappointed that being a studyblr has become synonymous to owning expensive stationery and having impeccable organization skill. As a broke college student, I understand the concerns of many studyblrs who cannot keep up with the mainstream contents that showcase such things. Let’s be honest, studyblring can hurt your bank account. So I have come up with some alternatives + tips & tricks that can give you the same aesthetic feelings and function without breaking the bank:
Disclaimer: This post, by no means, is meant to depreciate the use of common “studyblr aesthetic” items. I will admit that even I use the “mainstream” items sometimes. Once in a while, it’s okay to give into the craving of buying all these nice stationery for the sake of self-happiness. Please also note, some of this may be biased and is solely reflected on my opinions; you are free to discuss your standpoint.
Muji Notebooks: Need cute notebooks that look really nice and aesthetics like those Muji notebooks? Buy a composition notebook and cover up the marble print with scrapbook paper or washi tape (just leave the black binding alone for a complete look). Trust me, it will not only look cute and unique, but your going to love using it. Spiral notebooks are just as great to decorate!
Five Star (*updated): The Five Star 5-subject notebook is pretty durable, but unless your book bag happens to be a battlefield, you probably don’t need to spend the extra money on the Five Star when you can get a generic 5-subject notebook. In the meantime, there are also several notebooks out there that also have the same poly-covers and pockets inside the notebook, for those who need that extra protection and space.
Mildliners: I admit, those Mildliner highlighters are gorgeous to look at on those notes. But…Crayola markers (especially the tropical/pastel ones) can do the same thing and give the same clean look on your notes. Tap into your inner child (don’t worry, they’re washable)!
Staedtler/Stabilo/Copic Markers: You don’t really need 20 different colors to color-code your notes. Three different shades of greens and blues is not needed. Instead, Papermate flair pens are a good alternative, same colors, more ink, less money. Sharpie Pens are also a good alternative if you want nice thin strokes.
Muji pens: I admit; writing with the 0.38mm Muji pen is like euphoria because it makes your notes look so pretty. Pilot Juice: same 0.38mm/0.5mm gel pen, and it comes in colors (and much cheaper)! It even has a clip thingie!
Kipling 100 case: Let’s be honest, what are you going to do lugging around enough pens to supply the entire lecture hall? You do not need that many pens (unless you chronically loose all your pens). A simple minimalist pencil case or a medium size makeup bag can serve the same capabilities of holding all your utensils.
Get a small succulent plant for your desk. It brightens up your desk space and makes it look more pleasing to the eye.
Tea light candles + succulent plant + coffee mug (throw in your notes for extra effects) make the absolute trio of deskspo.
Pin-boards are great for putting up syllabi, class schedules, and calendars. Don’t like poking holes on your paper? Hang binder clips on push pins.
Woah! There are so many nice people on Tumblr that post free printables. Maybe you can use one of those calendars to stay on track with everything?
Use post-it notes for reminders, deadlines, and inspirational quotes. Black sharpie usually makes things stand out nicely on the post-it note.
Redecorate boxes (e.g. shoe boxes) with wrapping paper for some cute organization space/bins.
Clipboards. These magical boards with a spring clip can keep all your loose-leaf papers in one place and still look nice, instead of a chaotic mess. Plus, that back support when you want to write notes on your bed/lap.
You can customize your binders/file folders with washi tape.
Use Mason jars as stationary holders! The washi tape-covered metal can pencil jars are cute as well!
Binder clips. Mini staplers. File holders.
Yes white desks are perfect for getting the perfect picture of your notes. But, wooden desks are just as classy. Black desks makes things stand out nicely too.
Don’t clutter your desk. You just need your bare essentials to study.
Paperback is cheaper than hardcover. This goes for textbooks, novels and books in general.
Ebooks are cheaper than paperback. Sometimes they’re even free online. You just have to know how to google for it.
Buy used books. Can’t buy? Rent it!
Here’s a guide to buying textbooks
If you gotta buy tech stuff, see if you can buy them with a student discount.
Wait for back-to-school sales or tax-free holidays or Black Friday to buy stuff, especially tech-y stuff.
Always consider university program specifications before buying an OS versus Windows.
VSCOcam app. Yes, we do filter our pictures to make it look 100X better. Natural light also makes the picture look really nice, so sit next to the window or something.
Note taking on your laptop? Google Docs, Microsoft OneNote and Evernote are free note taking websites that allow you to sync your notes across several platforms.
Pomodoro with Flat Tomato (free on iOS)
FocusNow is an alternative to Forest on iOS.
Lanes is a to-do app, week planner and pomodoro timer extension
Momentum is a Google Chrome extension that is a personal dashboard for to-do list, motivation, etc.
Minimal New Tab Clock is a minimal clock extension (light and dark theme) for new tabs on Google Chrome
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