Reddit mentions of BIC Atlantis Pen 0.7mm, Pack of 3 - VCGNP31-AST

I'm linking my favorite products!

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Warning: if you hand write, you're going to be writing A LOT. I feel like I learn better when I do my class notes by hand, but I do have a hard time keeping up with the pace of the class. Each professor's teaching style has an impact on the way you take your notes. Be prepared to be flexible. (I hate that my note system is not uniform across my classes, but I know it is better that way)

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If you like pen-and-paper:

These spiral notebooks have durable brightly colored covers that will survive your backpack, and it is a good idea to keep your notes organized by subject. The paper is thick enough that good highlighter (which I will also link) won't bleed through.

These erasable pens are great. They write very smoothly and erase cleanly--NOT at all like the crappy blue erasable pens of our youth. If you take notes in your textbook, these pens are the way to do it. I love them so much that I was having them shipped from Japan before they even hit the US market.

These standard pens are my go-to for anything that I don't want to be erasable. They write smoothly, and dry quickly enough that they don't smudge or transfer (I'm not sure for left-handed people though).

This mechanical pencil is what I use when I can't use pens. I like that it uses .5mm lead so that your writing can be small and precise. The barrel is large so it is comfortable to write with for extended periods of time (think blue-book exams).

These highlighters are the best. The colors are intentional mild/pastel so that they do not distract from other information on the page, but are easy to spot when you're looking for your highlights. They don't bleed through paper unless it is toilet-paper thin. When they do bleed through very very thin paper, the mild colors make it so that it is not a distraction.

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If you like pen-and-paper, but are afraid of your notes being lost or stolen:

Rocketbook Everlast Notebook coordinates with an app that lets you create a digital copy of your notes. Scan a picture of the page, and the QR code on each page tells the app where to send a SEARCHABLE .pdf copy of your handwritten notes. It works with Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, OneNote, OneDrive, Trello, Slack, box, Google Photos, and email. Best of all, the notebook is completely reusable! (As long as you use writing tools from Pilot's Frixion line) Once you've filled the book, you wipe down the plastic pages with a hot damp towel and you can use the book again. I've filled and reused my Rocketbook 4 time so far, and the pages are still in great condition. I send my notes to Google Drive and OneNote, and I've never had any problems.

These highlighters can be used inside the Rocketbook, or on regular paper.

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If you're thinking about going digital:

Your school might provide access to note taking programs. My school provides the full Office 365 Online suite, so I used OneNote. I was a pen-and-paper person in undergrad, and it pains me to switch to digital, but I just need that copy/paste functionality.

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Textbook Supplies:

These sticky flags just came in the mail the other day, and I am loving them for use in my textbooks. I HATE writing in my textbooks, so instead I use these sticky flags to point at lines my professors emphasize in class.

These lined sticky notes are what I used when I just can't avoid adding notes to my casebooks. I avoid the "super-sticky" post-its because casebook pages are thin, and the super-sticky adhesive tears the pages when you reposition notes.

This book stand lives in my backpack now. When I started 1L year my back and neck hurt all the time from hunching over my casebooks for hours every day. This book stand makes it so the book comes to my face, instead of my face to the book. My posture is much better.

Reading glasses are something worth looking into and talking to your eye doctor about. After just one semester of staring at books and screens all day, I went from needing a mild prescription to see long-distance to needing full-on bifocals. I linked some glasses that will magnify your textbooks up close and and also filter out the blue light from screens. Talk to your doctor.

If you are assigned soft-cover reference materials, like The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, or Rule of Contract Law, you can take those books to FedEx or UPS, and they can spiral-bind them for you so that they lay flat and are easier to flip through. This can save you so much time on an exam.

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Most importantly, have a planner.

You can get one from the store, you can print pages on line, you can leave yourself sticky-notes, or you can write your to-do list on your hands, whatever. No matter how you record it, it is crucial to have plan and stick to it. You're about to be hit with an overwhelming amount of conflicting obligations and opportunities, and there will always be something you ought to be working on. Plan and schedule your study time. Take time away to take care of yourself, and make a note to keep up with friends and/or family. You're never going to have "free time" in law school, but you can definitely have some flex time if you make a conscious effort to make room in your schedule.

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Last: you don't need any of this stuff to be successful. Don't worry about what other people are doing, or even what the school tells you to do. If you feel like you do your personal best with a #2 pencil and loose leaf paper, then do that. Paying attention and managing your time wisely are far more important than having the perfect highlighters and the most organized planner.

A thinner pen on the cheaper side, hmm. Any of the Paper Mates line in fine point work very well for the pricepoint. There's the 100RT, 300RT, and 500RT/550RT, and the 700RT. I've had a hard time finding the 700RT in fine point (.7), but I believe they do make it. The RT stands for retractable by the way, if that makes a huge difference. I tend to lose caps easily so I prefer all my pens in retractable. The Pilot B2P in fine point (.7) and the Pilot "Better Ballpoint" fine point both use the same refill, but I prefer the B2P, which writes incredibly. All of the ones I just named have a pretty thin body to them as well. If you wanna spend a couple extra dollars I always feel the Zebra F-701 is an absolute must for every day carry. It's got a super heavy feel to it and you can snip down most thin refills to fit into it. The refill that comes in the 701 is okay, but not the greatest, although I would still recommend it. It's all metal, even the grip which is metal. I'm a tense person too and grip my pens tight and I love the feel of the 701. That's just a few to look around on the internet for. I'm super particular about my pens so if you get to try any of those and are looking to go in a different direction youre always welcome to message me. I'm not into fountain pens at all, basically just the cheap stuff, and with a little ingenuity you can combine some cheap parts to make some pretty nice stuff. As far as how it looks, if you check any of those out and like/dislike certain looks I could probably help there too. A super cheap pen you can get by the dozen is the Bic "Soft feel" which I personally love the look of but dont be fooled, the "soft grip" isn't all that soft but it writes okay for a "by the box" pen. The last one I could say off the top of my head is the Pentel RSVP in a fine point. It has a cap unfortunately, but it really does write well, looks super basic, and I'm sure they make a retractable version I haven't seen. Gimme a sec and I can link you to some that I mentioned.

Edit - Links: Ill keep updating.

Retractable Pentel RSVP in black (.7) - Pentel RSVP Super RT Ballpoint Pen, (0.7mm) Fine Line, Black Ink, Box of 12 (BX477-A) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079Q9VZ4F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PUPIDbP272DEN

Zebra F-701 (.8) - Zebra 29411 F-701 Ballpoint Stainless Steel Retractable Pen, Fine Point, 0.8mm, Black Ink, 1-Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002L6RB80/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TWPIDb0QM0M7H

Bic Atlantis Exact (.7 but writes way thinner) - BIC Atlantis Pen 0.7mm, Pack of 3 - VCGNP31-AST https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F6B60UG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VXPIDbKTK07BB

Pilot B2P ballpoint (.7 but again seems thinner. Careful though, they make a B2P gel so make sure you read descriptions and check packaging if possible) - Pilot Bottle-2-Pen (B2P) - Retractable Ball Point Pens Made from Recycled Bottles (5 Count) Fine Point, 2 Black Ink/2 Blue Ink/1 Red Ink, Refillable, Comfortable Grip (32614) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZYF26G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JZPIDbFKEPGTP

Pilot "Better" ballpoint (.7, uses the same refill as the B2P) - Pilot Retractable Ballpoint roller pens, Black & Blue colors Fine point, 10 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CJCY6P5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_20PIDbH8JHY61

Paper Mates RT 300 (can find in .7 pretty easily) - Paper Mate InkJoy 300RT Retractable Ballpoint Pens, Fine Point, Black, Box of 12 (1951360) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EB4IZN4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_M2PIDbSHMC6V6

Paper Mates RT 700 (have only been able to find in 1.0 but pretty sure there's .7's out there. To me it's kinda girly looking but you can swap it into a Paper Mates Flexgrip Ultra which has a nice, classic look

RT700 - Paper Mate InkJoy 700RT Retractable Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point, White Barrel, Black Ink, Box of 12 (1951347) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EB4KBVI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_C5PIDb4JEMV5Q

Flexgrip Ultra (not Flexgrip Elite, unless you like that one better) Paper Mate Flexgrip Ultra Stick Medium Point Ballpoint Pen, 12-Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IE6H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_T6PIDb5KPA4T3

Bic "Soft Feel" (only been able to find in 1.0/Medium but I'm sure they make a fine as well, though I heard it's not great) - BIC 8373971 Soft Feel Retractable Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point, Black, 12-Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IE82/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_E7PIDbBCG8T5R

Give me your thoughts when you have time or if I missed any you wanna see.