"A Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils" or Back to Graduate School '22
2022 edition (the 2021 edition lives on Substack too and previous editions are on my blog.)
I love back to school lists. School supply lists. New notebooks. A fresh outfit. But what do Ph.D. students, graduate students, and therbadult students need specifically? Some of this list comes from my own experience, but much of it came from my lovely twitter followers.
TECHNOLOGY:
LAPTOP/Desktop
This is obviously highly personal. I have a newish 13 inch Macbook that I love. But I had two LEMONS before I got this one so definitely research the year if you want a Macbook. I also got one of the new, cute green Mac desktops which I love for writing and zooming. Many twitter respondents do the laptop/external monitor thing (and portable external monitors have become extra popular). It is pretty essential so invest what you can in your computer but whatever you are used to is probably best. Like I use Macs because I have been using them for 13 years and that’s a fine reason. They do back to school promotions in the summer and offer a student discount, so summer is the TIME. Right now the discount is 20 percent, plus a 150 dollar gift card which could get you airpods, an apple pencil, or a bougie AF case.
IPAD OR OTHER TABLET
This isn’t necessary, but it is so convenient for reading articles and papers and books that have been found extra legally. I love my iPad Pro. Partially because I use it to make art, which isn’t something everybody needs. I read blogs on it, download pdfs for class, sometimes take notes, read books, whatever. It is amazing. Definitely get a nice case for it. And I really recommend the Apple Pencil combined with Good Notes.
Remarkable Tablet
I really really want one. That’s all.
NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES
These are more important than ever—between hybrid and online courses as well as the weird childcare situations many find themselves in. Mine are cheapish JBL over the ear. I love them. Lots of people like using airpods for this, but I hate earbuds unless I am running.
If you have loud roommates or kids or like to work in coffee shops or the library full of undergrads (in the before times), these could be a lifesaver. If you have a lot of Zoom calls or digital classes, I would suggest one with a built in mic.
Highly recommend this little headphone hook for under your desk. It’s very convenient and doesn’t take up valuable desk drawer space.
DONGLES (WHY DO THEY HAVE SUCH A DREADFUL NAME?)
These can come in handy for teaching, conference presentations, and anytime you might need to connect technology in an academic building or conference hotel. Obviously, the specifics come down to your devices but make sure you are prepared for every presentation.
PHONE CHARGERS. ONE FOR BAG, HOME, SCHOOL, CAR ETC.
I don’t know why it took me so long to put a charger everywhere I go. I lose phone chargers constantly. But I have one by my bed, by the TV, by my desk, in my purse. I used to buy crappy ones from those bins at the gas station, but they never lasted very long. I much prefer to buy a few apple backups (or the Amazon essentials dupes) and stash them in strategic places. These are white I have been getting lately. Bonus points if you get the 10 foot long one which will insure your ability to scroll from your bed, the couch, in an awkwardly arranged classroom etc. Lots of people swear by the Anker chargers, which I might get the next time mine craps out.
KINDLE PAPERWHITE
Again, this is definitely not a need. But I love my Kindle. It’s probably a little extra to have both a Kindle and a tablet, but I really do use them for different purposes. I read exam and course books on it occasionally, but usually I leave that for the tablet and I read tons of fun books on my kindle. I download books straight from the library onto my kindle. And the new Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof, so bath time reading is a go. Plus the EYE STRAIN is real. This helps.
A CITATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
I love Zotero, but other’s are fine. People rag on them all the time, but even if you insist on citing by hand having everything stored together will save you so much time and struggle. Start using it immediately. Input all your course books for fall now. I will wait. I use Zotero, but really just pick one and stick to it. Even if you want to do your citations by hand, it is great for storing pdfs, notes, etc to go along with readings. And you do not enter the information by hand—you input the ISBN.
THE SCANNER PRO APP (IMAGE CORRECTION AND OCR)
Or any other scanner app. These are so good—for readings, archival research, and the 800 forms you need to sign and scan at the beginning of the year. Make sure it’s OCR friendly so you can search your notes later.
NOTE TAKING SOFTWARE
I have been using Evernote since 2009 (lord) though I have tried out SO many note taking platforms and am slowly transitioning to Notion. I have been intrigued by Craft. Obviously OneNote, Devonthink, Bear, Notability.
And even if you mostly take notes by hand, a note taking software will be a lifesaver come time for final papers and eventually oral exams. You can even scan in your hand written notes with the phone app you just downloaded.
SCRIVENER FOR WRITING ALL OF THOSE BRILLIANT PAPERS
YMMV and Yes, Word works just fine but I find it slow and clunky and the notecard/outline/folder features on Scrivener are especially helpful with big projects (like a thesis, dissertation, or YA novel about witches on spring break). One Twitter user said “Scrivener saves lives” and I think they are right.
A STYLUS (IF YOU GO THE TABLET ROUTE, JUST GO WHOLE HOG)
If you want to go full or even mostly paperless and take notes on your tablet (in that case I also recommend Good Notes 4) you will need a stylus. The Apple Pencil is the go to if you have a compatible device.
AN AMAZON PRIME SUBSCRIPTION
God, I really hate Jeff Bezos. And I try to buy as much at small businesses and places like bookshop.org as possible. But i also know that Grad Students are broke and for books (immediately, otherwise use bookshop or your local indie), coffee, pens, new shoes and TV they are a must have. I know they are evil, but still, especially if you are in a more isolated place or don’t have a car. And Make sure to get the student price.
SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC, IDAGIO, EVEN PANDORA (GET THAT STUDENT MEMBERSHIP)
you need to be able to access the new Taylor Swift whenever it drops, as well as drown out the chatty people next to you in the coffee shop, or more than likely your pets, kids, partners, and the TV while you work at home
SIGN UP FOR UNIDAYS AND ANY OTHER STUDENT DISCOUNT PROGRAMS
They might be designed for undergrads, but most of these kind of things aren’t limited to them. If you need clothes, home stuff, or any other stuff as a human person make sure you use the student discount.
EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE. ALSO, A THUMB DRIVE.
I know, it’s not 2011 anymore. This might seem less dire now that everything is in the cloud, but you definitely want to have multiple copies of your work. Don’t make me tell you about the time that I lost all of my grades.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES (NON TECH)
NOTEBOOKS
Some people swear by buying one nice notebook for meetings and research and other situations they deem professional or that need little fancy touch. Others love the Mead 5 Star Spirals you used in high school. I think that if I am going to spend this much time on my work, my notebooks should be nice and also cute. This semester, my go to notebooks are from Iron Curtain Press but I also have much love for Leuchturm, Archer and Olive, Wild House Paper, Rifle Paper Co, and Clairefontaine. Mochithings is great for a notebook rabbit hole. But mostly just get notebooks that you like and are comfortable for long writing sessions. I always get one for each class, the class I am TAing or teaching, and one that I use for advising, meetings, talks etc all semester. My orals process led to a whole lot more notebooks too. And now I have a dissertation notebook? Weird?
A PLANNER
This might be ICal. Or ICal combined with a paper planner. Whatever works. Just put ALL THOSE DEADLINES AND READINGS in it ahead of time. Right now I am using a the student planner from Talking out of Turn. SO GOOD and cute. But Lots of people on Twitter mentioned the Passion Planner, Day Designer, Blue Sky, and Moleskine. I used Emily Ley Simplified Planner’s for years (and have one for this year too, to be honest). If you want to support black owned businesses, consider Cloth and Paper. For other great small shops that carry planners, I love my local Paper and Craft Pantry, Calliope Paperie, and Jenni Bick. Bullet Journals can also be great choices. Just make sure you can stick to the habit and write your shit down.
A BIG CALENDAR FOR YOUR DESK OR FRIDGE OR WALL
Write the big deadlines on it-your oral exams, finals, student deadlines, your Mom’s birthday. I am partial to this ridiculous Spectrum Wall Calender from Poketo, but the cheapie one from Wal-mart works just as well.
A WHITE BOARD AND DRY ERASE MARKERS.
I have a small one from Emily Ley and it’s both cute and useful! But like everywhere sells white boards.
YOUR FAVORITE PENS!
This is so personal. My go to pens are Pilot Varsity Fountain Pens, Pilot Precise G2, Paper Mate Flairs, Sparkle Pops, Ooly fountain pens and the classic boring Paper-Mate in blue, only blue. Just make sure they do not hurt your hand or smear or whatever. Twitter people recommended the TUL pens for writing and notes and I adore the colored version. These Pilot Precise V5 Retractable pens were specifically mentioned for marginalia and look how pretty. And Le Pen is great. I really like their fun collab with Ban.do.
BOOKSTAND
For taking notes on your readings. I waited years to get a book stand and that was stupid. This will save your wrists, your back, and your sanity. So many options on Amazon ranging from a tiny plastic one for your bag to a ridiculously fancy wooden one that could double as a lectern. This is the one I have.
POST IT NOTES
In all sizes. I use them for quick notes, writing in books, making tabs in my notebooks. They also don’t need to be actual post it branded notes—there are SO many cute options like this little set from Rifle Paper Co. I have also fallen deeply in love with the Noted By Post It line with all their cute little tracker notepads.
HIGHLIGHTERS
Lots of them. Especially if you are in law school, according to twitter (I would definitely not know). My faves are the Zebra Mildliners. Lots of people love the erasable Frixion. And apparently the best ones are designed for bible study because of those thin pages. Who knew? People think you are way more organized if you pull out a highlighter.
MULTI-COLORED PENS
For color coding in your notebooks and planners if that is your thing, organizing, marginalia, or just not only seeing black ink day after day.I love Le Pen, Archer and Olive, and Sparkle Pop.
A RULER
Seems weird, but a ruler (even a small one) is so useful for annotating!!! And making a cute bullet journal.
FOLDERS
I have a ton of Rifle Paper Co. File Folders for stashing stuff from past semesters and I bought some bougie AF Poketo folders that I adore. But literally any 10 cent folder from Wal-mart will work.
SOME SORT OF PORTFOLIO TO CREATE A “SYLLIBIBLE.”
This is probably exceptionally nerdy, but I keep all my syllabi, since undergrad, in a portfolio. It is very helpful. I got mine at Kinokuniya, but there are tons of these (often designed for art).
SOME (ON TWITTER) SAY A ROLLING BACKPACK.
I would never, ever, but just in case you are compelled, some people find it helpful.
I have a big Lululemon backpack for huge library days, travel, sporty things (lol). It is super roomy with a dedicated laptop pocket and all. And right before the stay at home order, I finally got an Everlane backpack which seems so great and is SO CUTE. My Madewell tote and my Everlane Form Bag are usually my go to grown up bags. I also suggest an extra canvas tote or baggu for dragging around exams that students never pick up or extra huge library hauls. I am eyeing a Telfar bag (the brooklyn birkin) if I can get my life together for a drop.
LIFE THINGS
GROCERY STORE CARD/PERKS
lots of these are online now (HEB, Target, Whole Foods) but some still have the old school card. Regardless, pick a grocery store you like, check out their prepared foods section for finals week, and make sure you stock up on coffee, coke, chocolate and ACTUAL FOOD regularly. Also, see if there is a CSA or fruit share near you. It has really amped up the amount of green things/fruit we eat.
COFFEE REWARDS
Do something local or be like me, STARBUCKS GOLD CARD HOLDER, QUEEN OF THE WORLD. I also have rewards at the coffee cart near my lecture hall. I went so often last semester that the barista gave me 10 free breakfast tacos on the last day of school.
JOIN A GYM OR LEARN ABOUT THE CAMPUS ONE (OR BUY A QUARANTINE EXERCISE BIKE!)
Lots of grad students go elsewhere to avoid the undergrads, but it is a personal choice. I hate “regular” gyms, but have gotten a pass to take classes at Ballet Austin (online) this semester. Yes, most “boutique” fitness will be pricey. But there are also specials for students, deals for volunteering, and things like class pass. My most recent purchase is an exercise bike (I bought for less than 200 dollars on Amazon).
LOCAL LIBRARY CARD
An additional place to study and also a reminder that fun reading exists in the world, plus you can often check out music, movies, audiobooks, whatever.
GET A GIANT, AMAZING WATER BOTTLE (ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS)
I may marry my Takeya. It stays so cold. I also have a giant BKR and a big Klean Kanteen. But there are about a million solid kinds. I decorated mine with stickers. Whatever makes you drink more water is the best water bottle.
TRAVEL COFFEE MUG
These range from the giant 7 Eleven one my family has had since before I was born to the Rifle Paper Co Corkcicle I got last year. Will save you money when you are buying coffee everyday and will let you escape the departments paper cups.
A GOOD PAIN KILLER (OR 12, CHRONIC ILLNESS HOLLA)
Lots of people on twitter recommended bringing these to campus. You never know when you will get a headache, menstrual cramps, or sprain your ankle in the middle of campus (Just me?) But definitely stock up on these essentials before the semester starts.
A GOOD FUZZY BLANKET
Target, Homegoods, and Urban Outfitters have some winners. If you want to be really fancy, the furry ones from Anthropologie are a delight.
SLIPPERS
I have Ugg slippers and I have never regretted them.. My feet are very happy, even when my brain is not. And they protect my toes when my cats get cat litter all over in the middle of the night. They are two years old and looking a little grody, so I might upgrade.
WELLKEPT WIPES
These work for tech and for glasses. Come in cute little packages perfect for your desk, bag, whatever.
HAND LOTION
Not to go all skin care on you, but all this hand sanitizer and extra hand washing is hard on the hands. I like the lotion from the Laundress and am intrigued by Glossier’s little travel lotion. Obviously the drug store stand bys also apply!
REALLY JUST TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND DO FUN.
This will be both harder and easier this year. But grad school shouldn’t be the center of your universe. CARVE OUT TIME FOR LEISURE READING, MOVIES, VIDEO GAMES, FRIENDS,
I joined Paramount and AFS, for movies, as well as the Hyperreal Film Club I also joined a few Art Galleries that are doing cool virtual events all the time. In the before times, I would frequent some local bookstores. I got a switch for Christmas and Tony Hawk Pro Skater is just as good 20 yers later.
A CUTE ASS LUNCH BOX
Get some supplies too: reusable sandwich bags, a bento box. Buy lunch on campus sometimes, but definitely not everyday.
A NECK PILLOW OR ONE OF THOSE COLLEGE DORMY SEAT PILLOWS
You will look dorky. Your neck will thank you. These are really great for reading and working when not at your desk.
IF YOU WANT A PET, AND CAN AFFORD TO TAKE CARE OF IT, DO IT. GRAD SCHOOL CAN BE LONELY AND PETS ARE THE BEST.
Pentunia says hi.
HEALTH
Get a Therapist (highly recommend Open Collective if you are struggling with insurance)
Get a PCP in your new area. (I love One Medical, though they were just bought by Amazon)
Find Specialists for anything you regularly need. Gyno, Cardiologist, Derm, Sports Med were all essential for me. Reddit is really great for finding doctors.
Get a crockpot, so as to have easy warm meals at home, especially if you live somewhere cold. Some people like the Instant Pot, but I honestly hated it. I got a rice cooker instead.
Get a meal subscription kit. An easy one. Mine involves dumping things in a pan and baking it. It takes so many of the steps out of cooking.
A Hot Water Bottle or Heating Pad. Both?
Ice packs! So many uses!
Drinkable yogurts and meal replacements.
A Bidet.
Antacids. Your stomach will go to shit. Sorry
Get your eyes checked!!! All that time reading and on computers can wreak havoc on your vision. If you do get glasses, I love Zenni for fun options.
Bedtime tea if that is your thing. Maybe Melatonin?
A meditation app (I like headspace)
A Weighted Blanket
A White Noise Machine (I have a Hatch like a baby).
An Eye Mask for sleeping (a weighted one for bonus points).
Get a first aid kit. Target has the cutest I think (the Welly brand, thank Paris Gellar)
Get a pouch for your bag. Put in a clean mask, hand sanitizer, lip balm, sunscreen, tampons, pads, and the first aid kit.
CLOTHING (I COULD, AND PROBABLY WILL, DO A WHOLE POST ON THIS)
Fuzzy sucks, for cozying up while reading. I LOVE these ugg socks.
A big cardigan, for chilly days and overzealous library air conditioning (if it is open). Farm Rio is the GOAT, but also check out Target, Anthro (on sale duh), Ban.do, etc).
A sweater-blazer (very comfy, good for events and conferences and things). J.Crew is the undisputed queen of the Sweater Blazer.
LEGGINGS, for under dresses and sweatshirts, as PJS and study clothes, etc.
Funky tops. Since we are zooming a lotof the time these days, I have bought some fun tops to liven up my wardrobe.
Do you have longish hair? A scrunchie or 17. Claw clips are also now a thing. I like the Free People super scrunchie, Slip silk scrunchies, etc.
An actual set of PJS. I really like some they carry at Target, but also J.Crew is wonderful if you want a little fancy. Printworks seems to to be THE THING.
A robe. My robe is fuzzy and from UGG and I love it. M
Comfy shorts. I have reverted to age 15 and am living in Soffees.
So many Tee Shirts. Like, plain black V-Necks are my go to. Everlane Mens and Universal Standard have never done my dirty. For patterns, Madewell and J. Crew. For fun stuff (novelty, licensed, bands) Hot Topic is still a go to, but also just buy your favorite bands merch.
PANDEMIC ISH
stock up on KN95 Masks. I really like Via.
I am going to double up with a cloth mask over it.. A lot of teachers have recommended the 5 packs from Old Navy and I just ordered a very on sale pack from Everlane. Again, these are only to protect my masks LOL.
HAND SANITIZER. I know it’s less of a worry than it was way back at the beginning of the pandemic, but still keep it with you. I really like the Megababe stuff.
A couple rapid Covid Tests. If you are sick, you probably won’t want to drag yourself to student health and testing is so important. The government is still sending them!
"A Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils" or Back to Graduate School '22
Oh man I hate to admit it, but I do miss the hustle and bustle of school. I know I want to go to grad school, but I need to make more money or get a scholarship because the idea of plunging into massive debt for education does not appeal to me ;-;