Grad. School Supplies?

[Maleficent999]

I'm looking at a few armless chairs at ikea. There isn't one near me now but there is in my new city so I'm going to go test them out in store once I move. If you're near one id check there. Decent prices too.

[rabbit2013]

Looking for recommendations for a good water bottle that is durable and doesn't leak, and a lunch bag/tote/whatever that fits enough food to last a whole day and is easy to carry around with all my other stuff

Hydroflask!!!! (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hydro%20flask&sprefix=hydroflas%2Caps%2C327&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ahydro%20flask or http://www.hydroflask.com/). 

 

Seriously, this is the best water bottle of all time. I have had mine (I own two of the Narrow Mouth bottles) for two years and have never had problems with leakage. The insulation was amazing. I can leave the bottle in the car in the blazing sun for an hour or two, and the water in the bottle will still be cool (assuming it was cool/cold to begin with). If I put ice in my water before bed, the ice is still there in the morning. Works for hot beverages too! I have recommended this bottle to at least five individuals, all of whom I have converted to the Hydroflask.

[Katia_chan]

Looking for recommendations for a good water bottle that is durable and doesn't leak, and a lunch bag/tote/whatever that fits enough food to last a whole day and is easy to carry around with all my other stuff

 

I have a Nison thermos, and it is the greatest thing ever.  Not great to drink out of, but it comes with an "extra" cover (just something that screws right on top and helps prevent leakage), and that acts as a cup.  Not so good for using during class because you feel kinda like a twat pouring your liquid into a cup, but excellent for a long day.

 

As an added bonus, and the main reason I own this, it will literally keep hot liquids hot for like 10 hours.  I am an intense tea-drinker, and if I put tea in this sucker in the morning, I still have to give it a minute after pouring before I can drink it... at the end of my day.  I've made tea the night before and had it piping hot in the mornings.  It's magical.  If it's mostly empty, you might only get 6-7 hours of heat.

 

Also, it seals...so well.  I forgot about it in a bag and left a tea bag in there for... like a month.  It didn't fall apart or mold.  It was insane.  I suspect voodoo is involved.

[WriteAndKnit]

I still like hard copies, so I'll likely stock up on file folders and a file folder organizer (plus keep electronic copies on flash drive or in a dropbox). And, since I'm rather picky about notebooks and pens and such, I'm getting what I like from the best source (top-spiral notebooks from the university's bookstore, pens, post-it notes, index cards in bulk from Amazon, etc). I'm picking up a few things at a time per paycheck, so I don't have such a huge school supply shopping trip in August. Living locally has its perks.

 

I'm hoping for my financial aid to finish processing soon (even though it'll be mostly loans) so I can replace my falling-apart laptop (and download evernote, breaker, and other apps). 

[reinhard]

I am not joking, but buy a lot of instant ramen.

[gingin6789]

What was valuable to me:

-1TB hard drive to back up to

-Bookcase (you accrue a crap ton of books)

-Scanner (why have a filing cabinet when you can have a digital one that takes up no space at all)

-Google Docs account (20GB for $5 a year ain't bad when you can access it anywhere)

-Laptop (unless you are really stationary or you need the extra power of a desktop)

-Alcohol (lots of it)

-Specific hardbound notebooks (I use Black 'n' Reds) individually for taking notes in seminars and notes from meeting with the boss. It helps for refering back to stuff.

-Digital recorder for class

-Dry erase/combo corkboard (I leave myself profanity-laced messages in the morning so at least I'll smile when I get back home)

-Sleeping Bag (one day shall come when you are working O/N at school so be prepared for it shall come and it shall come quickly)

*drools* those hardbound notebooks look great... I just... I'm left-handed. Having the crease in the way takes all the joy out of writing, so I use tablets instead (the paper ones!) so my hand can be free!!

I suppose I could just start the notebook from the back, though... Hmm...

[WriteAndKnit]

*drools* those hardbound notebooks look great... I just... I'm left-handed. Having the crease in the way takes all the joy out of writing, so I use tablets instead (the paper ones!) so my hand can be free!!

I suppose I could just start the notebook from the back, though... Hmm...

 

I discovered top-spiral notebooks a year ago, and I LOVE them. They're wonderful for lefties.

[seeingeyeduck]

Hydroflask!!!! (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hydro%20flask&sprefix=hydroflas%2Caps%2C327&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ahydro%20flask or http://www.hydroflask.com/).

Wow, this looks great! I don't usually do hot liquids but this would be great on a hot day...

Seriously, this is the best water bottle of all time. I have had mine (I own two of the Narrow Mouth bottles) for two years and have never had problems with leakage. The insulation was amazing. I can leave the bottle in the car in the blazing sun for an hour or two, and the water in the bottle will still be cool (assuming it was cool/cold to begin with). If I put ice in my water before bed, the ice is still there in the morning. Works for hot beverages too! I have recommended this bottle to at least five individuals, all of whom I have converted to the Hydroflask.

This looks great! I don't really do hot drinks on the go but this looks killer for hot days where I'm always wishing my water stayed cold. On the other hand, no more using the bottle against my forehead to cool down...

Edited July 10, 2014 by seeingeyeduck

[RBWilliams]

I need recommendations for a good planner with a weekly planning section with room to write notes.  I am considering using and electronic one two, but I NEED to see my stuff in writing too....lol.  I've been looking at standard store brands, Franklin Covey (used years ago...), and some others.  Just getting overwhelmed......anybody got something you love for hard day planner for grad school needs.  Thanks!

[WriteAndKnit]

I need recommendations for a good planner with a weekly planning section with room to write notes.  I am considering using and electronic one two, but I NEED to see my stuff in writing too....lol.  I've been looking at standard store brands, Franklin Covey (used years ago...), and some others.  Just getting overwhelmed......anybody got something you love for hard day planner for grad school needs.  Thanks!

 

I have this one (plus google calendar): http://www.ataglance.com/ataglancestore/mwv/product/Hollyhock-Academic-Weekly-Monthly-Planner/883-905A?pageSize=49&rootCatId=Planners_11&goToPage=1&catId=cat310010&prodId=883-905A. I like the format -- plenty of space for daily tasks or homework, but I keep a weekly "permanent" schedule as well. 

[ProfMoriarty]

I need recommendations for a good planner with a weekly planning section with room to write notes.  I am considering using and electronic one two, but I NEED to see my stuff in writing too....lol.  I've been looking at standard store brands, Franklin Covey (used years ago...), and some others.  Just getting overwhelmed......anybody got something you love for hard day planner for grad school needs.  Thanks!

Moleskine is the way to go

[RunnerGrad]

Moleskine is the way to go

 

Agreed!  I use a Moleskin planner and it works great for my needs.

[ProfMoriarty]

I'm definitely going to get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Coffee-34-Ounce/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406133144&sr=8-1&keywords=french+press

 

I think french press coffee is delicious. I drink A LOT of coffee, and my pocket will benefit from having a way to make it myself (at odd hours, too...). 

[WriteAndKnit]

I made my first supply run yesterday. Office Max had 300 index cards for $2 and five-packs of Post-it notes for $5 each, plus pens, highlighters, mini and regular staplers, and a hole punch for about $35 at Target. I have a few things coming this weekend (my birthday present is a comfy chair and a cart from Ikea), and then all I have are a few more binders, top-spiral notebooks, a file organizer, and the new laptop, printer, laptop sleeve, and flash drives. 

[Maleficent999]

Just a note: Check with your alumni associations for discounts, if you're members. Mine has a partnership with Office Depot so I get a discount on office supplies.

[ecm07e]

Purchased my Macbook Air yesterday through the website. Excitement!!

[Maleficent999]

Purchased my Macbook Air yesterday through the website. Excitement!!

I did the same almost a month ago. You're going to love it. I'm obsessed.

[Threeboysmom]

I made my first supply run yesterday. Office Max had 300 index cards for $2 and five-packs of Post-it notes for $5 each, plus pens, highlighters, mini and regular staplers, and a hole punch for about $35 at Target. I have a few things coming this weekend (my birthday present is a comfy chair and a cart from Ikea), and then all I have are a few more binders, top-spiral notebooks, a file organizer, and the new laptop, printer, laptop sleeve, and flash drives.

Which comfy chair did you get from IKEA and what type of file organizer?

[Student88]

What's the best way to reduce the use of paper? I really want to not use as much paper as possible, other than my planner. I am thinking tablet is the way to go and doing research on the best on to get. Anyone go completely paperless? 

[Maleficent999]

Which comfy chair did you get from IKEA and what type of file organizer?

 

 

You weren't asking me but I bought a desk chair from Ikea last week. I got the Vilgot chair in black. It was super easy to assemble, a great price, and it is extremely comfortable.

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40193191/

[WriteAndKnit]

Which comfy chair did you get from IKEA and what type of file organizer?

 

I don't have either yet, but the chair is http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79825193/. I'm leaning towards a file organizer like this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JPKYJQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2T5ANMMG4ZQBI&coliid=INMZJDOH5UX09&psc=1. 

[ChasingMavericks]

Does anybody have any insight on external hard drives? I have been looking, but I'm afraid I don't really have much of an idea of what I'm looking at.

 

I've been looking into the Apple Time Capsule and the WD products for Mac (passport studio, passport air, passport pro). Could anybody offer some insights on these products in terms of personal experience or experience with any other products that work well with Mac!

 

Also just to chime in to the "supplies for grad school" list, I am in love with the livescribe pens (there's 3 kinds) that record your lecture and your notes. They even sync together so that you can tap on the note and it will start playing your lecture that aligns with that section of your notes. It's pretty nifty! I have friends who have used it for a few years through school. I can't wait to get one of those! Definitely a fun helpful "luxury" item for grad school

 

Thanks a bunch!

[Crucial BBQ]

Does anybody have any insight on external hard drives? I have been looking, but I'm afraid I don't really have much of an idea of what I'm looking at.

 

I've been looking into the Apple Time Capsule and the WD products for Mac (passport studio, passport air, passport pro). Could anybody offer some insights on these products in terms of personal experience or experience with any other products that work well with Mac!

 

Also just to chime in to the "supplies for grad school" list, I am in love with the livescribe pens (there's 3 kinds) that record your lecture and your notes. They even sync together so that you can tap on the note and it will start playing your lecture that aligns with that section of your notes. It's pretty nifty! I have friends who have used it for a few years through school. I can't wait to get one of those! Definitely a fun helpful "luxury" item for grad school

 

Thanks a bunch!

While I am not currently in grad school I have had a Mac in my house since the late 1990s.  Even back in the PowerPC days, when nearly everything was labeled as being "distinctly" Mac or PC (and the Mac version costing sometimes twice as much), if it had a USB connection it worked well with Mac no matter who it was for.  I have yet to come across an external drive that does not work with Macs.  There are two types of external drives:  "off site storage" and "pocket portable".  The Time Capsule falls into the external storage category and as such is rather large although one can easily fit into a backpack.  Great for at-home use, bad for at-school use.  Keep in mind that the Time Capsule is a piece of dual hardware:  it's an external storage device and a wireless router.  The best bet would be to get a portable external drive, also sometimes referred to as pocket drives or simply portable drives because most are small enough to fit into pants pocket.   Personally, I would get a basic (uh, non- SSD) 1 TB WD with USB 3.0.  You really do not need anything faster than USB 2.0 unless you plan on transferring large digital media files.  A Thunderbolt connection would be nice, but expensive.  Unless you are doing the "creative" arts Thunderbolt is probably not necessary.   

 

For what it is worth there is really no difference between a Mac and a PC external drive.  Any external drive can work with a Mac but you might have to spend (literally only) a few minutes to reformat it to work with Mac's filing system with some drives, which can be done with OSXs built-in Disk Utility very easily.  These days a Mac-desginated external drive means that the drive is either faster (for the creative types), has a faster connection (for the creative types), or has a built-in capability to connect with Time Machine (wirelessly).  

 

So, I would suggest a basic WD Passport.  

[Maleficent999]

Does anybody have any insight on external hard drives? I have been looking, but I'm afraid I don't really have much of an idea of what I'm looking at.

 

I've been looking into the Apple Time Capsule and the WD products for Mac (passport studio, passport air, passport pro). Could anybody offer some insights on these products in terms of personal experience or experience with any other products that work well with Mac!

 

Also just to chime in to the "supplies for grad school" list, I am in love with the livescribe pens (there's 3 kinds) that record your lecture and your notes. They even sync together so that you can tap on the note and it will start playing your lecture that aligns with that section of your notes. It's pretty nifty! I have friends who have used it for a few years through school. I can't wait to get one of those! Definitely a fun helpful "luxury" item for grad school

 

Thanks a bunch!

I have a 1TB external hard drive for my Mac. It's like the one below but I bought it elsewhere. Personally, I love the g-drives. They're really easy to use with Time Machine if you're just doing basic back-ups and its easy to move files in and out. I recently got a new Macbook Air and was really worried about what it'd be like to move over things like my music/pictures but it was really simple to do so from my external HD. I think they also have a 500GB model if you don't want to go for the 1TB option.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=893224&gclid=CJKmorz26r8CFQgKaQodSpsAGQ&Q=&is=REG&A=details

[ChasingMavericks]

Thanks all for the replies! I think I will probably end up going with your suggestions of the WD Passport, Crucial BBQ. I like what I've understood about it and have seen a few previous classmates with that model. My needs really are pretty basic just wanting to keep a complete backup of my files and keep all my photos on there so they aren't taking up so much space on my computer. Is it possible to backup for entire hard drive?

 

Any suggestions on how much space I would need on the external hard drive? 1, 2, 3 TB?

 

Thanks again!