“Study Essentials” I Use on a Daily Basis
Some people have asked for a list, so here are some of my “study essentials” that I absolutely adore, and use daily. Note that “essentials” is in quotes, because they are of course not needed to study well or be a good student, but they do make my life a little easier (and prettier):
All of these items are on my Amazon Affiliate Storefront*, which you can find at this link.
My Favorite Stationery/Study Items
When Amazon Saves the Day
- This Apple Pencil sleeve: I didn’t have one for a really long time and experienced wrist/arm pain from gripping the slim, smooth Apple Pencil too hard when I was writing. After I got this sleeve, I didn’t have any issues with wrist pain and it has the added benefit of protecting the Pencil when I throw it into my bag.
- Book stand: After years of neck strain from looking down at my books, I realized I needed a change. I wanted a bookstand that was stable under the weight of my giant med school textbooks and would hold the pages open for me while I took notes, and this bookstand fulfills both.
- Zebra Mildliners: please don’t buy these on any of the Instagram stationery shops; it’s so so much cheaper on Amazon! I got this set of 3 boxes (!) for $12.95 a year ago, and they’re still going strong.
- Stabilo Boss highlighters: you can find these on Amazon or probably at your local stationery store!
- Paper holder (stand) by Rapesco (pack of 1): I got this in powder blue and it’s so lightweight and yet handy — it holds up a page so I can see it without using the space on my bookstand. Perfect for my topic list or to-do list while I’m doing work!
- Kindle Paperwhite: I used to LOVE to read before college, but then I got “too busy” and I would never have a book with me…until I bought the Kindle. It’s made it so so much easier to read on the go, and there are times when I read everywhere: on the tram, between classes, waiting for my professor to show up. As much as I love paper books (and the feel of the pages between my fingers), this Kindle has made it possible for me to read again.
- iPad Pro 12.9″ tempered glass screen protector: a lot of people don’t use screen protectors but knowing how expensive my iPad was, I feel a bit better knowing it’s protected. I don’t think the glass interferes with the Apple Pencil or touch-response time at all, so for me it’s an all-around good investment.
…and there’s more! You can find descriptions of the items in my Idea Lists, too. For the textbooks, I tend to buy only used textbooks from older students, except for two: Robbin’s Basic Pathology and Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine.
Bonus: My Desk Setup
Using Affordable Ikea Items to Set Up My Perfect Study Space
- TÄRENDÖ Desk ($39.00): Not actually in their desk category, but I wanted something sturdy with a large surface and this was perfect. I love it, couldn’t ask for a better desk.
- MILLBERGET White Swivel Chair ($69.99) – a gift from my parents; I wanted a comfortable, stable chair that has good back support, but they were all so expensive, so my mom got it for me as a housewarming present. I really like it, even though it’s $$.
- TERTIAL Work Lamp ($12.99) – I adore this light; it’s adjustable so that it doesn’t burn my retinas when I’m studying at night. And because it’s a clamp-style lamp (aka no base), it’s a lot cheaper than the rest of their lamps.
- BOLMEN Foot Stool ($5.99) – not really an essential, I know, but I love putting my feet up sometimes when I study and it’s great for that.
- KALLAX 2×2 Shelf ($38.99) – I got this only in my 3rd year, when I’d used up all my other shelves, and it fits snugly next to my desk.
*the Amazon links are through my new Amazon Affiliate Storefront page, which means if you do end up purchasing something, I get a small percentage at no cost to you. If you don’t mind, I would greatly appreciate your support and if you have any doubts or questions, please feel free to message me on Instagram or email me via my blog!
