The Weekly Write-Up #39

Back-To-School Edition

Jul 22, 2023

It is that time of year again! School is starting back up again soon (depending on what school you go to)! Since it really varies when people start (I know people who start this coming week and people who don’t start for over another month), I decided to write this newsletter now. That way, hopefully, everyone can check out this newsletter and the content in it before they start the school year! That being said, there is a lot of great stuff in this newsletter to kick-start your (or your child’s) school year. Note: the content featured in this newsletter is best geared toward Middle School, High School, and College students. I hope this newsletter is helpful as we all near the start of the 2023-2024 school year!

In this newsletter…

Books I have to (or get to) read for school this year!
Ex-doctor, turned YouTuber, turned productivity expert!
Apps you MUST download if you are a student!
ESSENTIAL school supplies for this school year!

Literary Picks

BOOKS TO-READ (SCHOOL EDITION)

I’m starting the school year pretty soon, so I have books that I will have to (or maybe get to) read for school. Last year, I read a few books that I liked (such as To Kill a Mockingbird), but also many others that I didn’t like (such as The Great Gatsby). So, for this year, I’ve looked at the reading list to see what books I’m reading for my various classes (excluding textbooks). Let’s take a look…

The Odyssey: The first book I’m reading is The Odyssey. Honestly, when I saw this on the book list, my initial response was to groan. I’ve always been a little intimidated by The Odyssey since it was written about 3,000 years ago. Greek mythology is also a little weird, so we will see how this book is. I did read The Children’s Homer a while back, which, I think, has an adapted version of The Odyssey in it, but I didn’t really like that book. We will see if I end up liking The Odyssey. Who knows? It may end up being my new favorite book! You can purchase it here if you would like to read it.
The Aeneid: I will admit, I had to look up this book. I had heard of it before, but I knew absolutely nothing about it. Turns out it is a play written in Latin about Aeneas, a Trojan Prince. This book was also written a long time ago (about 2,500 years). Once again, I’m a little worried about this book, but maybe I will end up liking it. If you want to read it along with me, buy it here.
Lavinia: I definitely had to look up what this book was and what it was about. Turns out, it is another book about mythology. This book isn’t nearly as old, though, as it was written in 2008. Since this one is more modern, I’m a little more optimistic, though it is still about mythology… Check it out here.
The Greek Plays: This book is a collection of Greek Plays, and while I love plays, I don’t really enjoy reading them. I have read a few plays before (such as The Crucible and The Merchant of Venice), and I have found that I would much rather watch a play than read one. Plays are meant to be watched, not read. Nonetheless, I’m sure these plays will be interesting to read (and once again probably about mythology). You can purchase this book here.
History of Western Civilization: A Handbook: Now for a book that isn’t about Greek or Roman mythology and is a newer book. This book is for my Western Civilization class, and I think it will be pretty fascinating. I didn’t used to like History very much, but the topic has grown on me, and I may enjoy this book! You can buy it here.

I’m sorry if this section probably wasn’t very exciting. I know almost nothing about these books, so I’m clueless as to what they are about and whether I’m going to like them. After reading them, though, I will be sure to review them, so you guys can know whether I enjoyed these books and if you should consider reading them!

Watchlist Wonders

ALI ABDAAL

A YouTube channel may not seem like it applies to school, but trust me, it does. The content on this channel isn’t exclusively about school, but a lot of it focuses on studying and mainly productivity. Ali Abdaal is a YouTube channel with 4.5 million subscribers, run by a creator with the same name. Ali Abdaal went to medical school at the University of Cambridge and graduated in 2018. He worked as a doctor for two years but then quit his job as a doctor to become a YouTuber. Yes, you heard that right: he resigned from his job as a doctor to become a YouTuber! Now, Ali makes videos on his YouTube channel about productivity, finance, music, apps, studying, technology, books, journaling, entrepreneurship, and health. Yes, that is a lot! Most of his videos, though, focus on productivity.

I really like Ali’s videos because he presents the topic in an understandable and easy way. His tips are very helpful, and I have implemented many of them into my daily life. I haven’t watched all of his videos, but the ones I have watched are quality content. They are usually a good length (about 10-20min), although some can be much longer. No matter how long the videos are, Ali packs a ton of useful information into the video. As I mentioned before, topics range from starting a business, to boosting productivity, to time management, to health, to anything else you can think of! As I’m looking at his channel right now, there are so many cool videos I want to watch (I legit just added at least 10 to my watchlist). Here are 3 great playlists to get you started…

Start Here: Here is a great playlist of some of his best videos. So, if you are looking for some good videos to start with, take a look at these videos. These will give you a taste of what Ali talks about on his channel.
Study Club: Since this newsletter is about school, here is a playlist about study strategies and other tips to help you study.
Productivity Club: This playlist is good for students and for adults. Ali explores many tips that he uses to help boost his productivity.

I really think you should check out Ali’s channel because you might just find a video that changes your life! He also just published a new book about productivity, which you can find here. I hope this channel helps you (whether you are a student or an adult) to be more productive! Check out the channel here!

Tech Thoughts

THE BEST APPS FOR STUDENTS

I’ve already talked about what devices I use for school (9th Generation iPad, Apple Pencil 1st Generation, Logitech K380 Keyboard, AirPods 3rd Generation, etc.). What I haven’t done yet is talk about what apps I use for school! These apps supercharge my workflow and help me complete my schoolwork! My hope is by sharing some of the apps I use for school, you can find some apps that will help you (or your child) with their schoolwork:

TickTick: TickTick is easily one of my favorite apps of all time! I use it to track all the homework I have for school, as well as set a pomodoro timer to increase productivity. You can do so much with this app, and it is one of the best apps for students. It is free to use unless you want the premium plan, but the premium plan is not necessary to have a great experience with this app! Be sure to check out my full review of this outstanding app! You can download this app on the App Store or Google Play!
GoodNotes 5: Long-time newsletter readers know that I’ve talked about GoodNotes 5 many times! It is one of my favorite apps, and it even won first place in my 2022 Apps of the Year Awards! I use it to take notes in class, work on assignments at home, and so much more! You definitely have to take advantage of this app (especially if you have an iPad and Apple Pencil). The app is free to download, but you have to pay $5 to unlock all features and unlimited notebooks, which is SO worth it! Read my full review on it here. Check it out on the App Store or Google Play.
Quizlet: I’m sure most of you have heard of Quizlet, but it really is an outstanding app for studying! You can use it to make flashcards and do all kinds of different exercises to study them and learn the material. You can also view study sets created by other people, find expert solutions, and share your sets with your friends. Quizlet does have ads which are very annoying and distracting. You can pay to remove them, but Quizlet Plus is $7.99 per month, which is super expensive for students! Other than that, this is a great app! Download it from the App Store or Google Play.
Memorize By Heart: I have shared Memorize By Heart in a previous newsletter, and shortly after, I saw multiple different people in my class (who I know are subscribed to my newsletter) using the app to study for a recitation. A coincidence? I think not! I know many of my classmates love this app and use it to study for recitations. If you don’t already have this app, you should definitely check it out because it is very useful! You can download it for free on the App Store or Google Play.
Duolingo: I’m sure most of you have heard of Duolingo, as it is a pretty popular app. Duolingo is a language learning platform that allows you to learn almost any language! If you aren’t taking a language class at your school, Duolingo would be a great way to learn a language. If you are taking a language class, Duolingo could be used as a supplement to help you learn the language along with the class you are taking! Duolingo is an outstanding app and the most-used language-learning app out there! You can download Duolingo on the App Store or Google Play.
Seterra: If you want to learn geography, whether for a class or on your own, Seterra is the perfect geography app! It allows you to take hundreds of different quizzes to test your geography skills and knowledge. This app has definitely helped me grow in my knowledge of geography. You can download it for free today on the App Store or Google Play.
Command: Command is a browser that has some unique features. It allows you to highlight on any webpage and save your highlights to a “Web Journal.” In this journal, you can store highlights, notes, images, and whatever else you find on the web. I don’t regularly use the Command browser, but I find it very useful when working on research projects. Check it out on the App Store (but it isn’t on Google Play).
Desmos: Desmos makes a great scientific calculator and graphing calculator app. These tools are super useful for completing math and science assignments (of course, check with your teacher to see if you are allowed to use these). You can download the Desmos Graphing Calculator on the App Store and Google Play, as well as the Desmos Scientific Calculator App on the App Store and Google Play.

I hope at least one of these apps will help you this coming school year by boosting your productivity, helping you study, or teaching you something new!

Wild Card

10 ESSENTIAL SCHOOL SUPPLY ITEMS

School supply shopping is usually pretty difficult because you have to decide what to buy, how much you need, which option to choose, how much to spend, etc. Well, I want to make that a bit easier for you by providing you with 10 of the most essential school supply items! I’m sure I missed a few things, so I wouldn’t shop based on only this list, but I do think you should have most of these 10 items (if not all of them)…

Digital Device: This is easily the most essential item for school. Middle School, High School, and College students require a device to use for school. Personally, I have a 9th Generation iPad, but as I discussed in the last newsletter, the M2 MacBook Air is a great computer for the average user. Of course, I understand that not all people want to use Apple, so there are plenty of other great computers and tablets out there that you can check out!
Planner: This may surprise you, but I think having a planner is the second most important thing to have for school! Whether this be digital or physical, ALL students should have a planner! I use TickTick (which I discussed above) to plan my assignments. A planner is one of the most essential tools for always turning my assignments in on time.
Great Desk Setup: When working at home, a great desk setup will increase your productivity. I elaborated on my desk setup in a previous newsletter, so be sure to read that to learn more about what I have on my desk. Basically, the best desk setups are those that are budget-friendly, personalized, and help you get more work done.
Backpack: Obviously, you need something to carry all your stuff around. There are millions of great backpacks out there. I would recommend a sturdy backpack with plenty of pockets! When it comes to backpacks, I recommend spending a little more since a good one can be used for multiple years. The one I use is from Lands’ End; it has lasted me about 8 years and it still looks brand new!
Organization: It is essential to have places to organize your books, binders, writing utensils, and everything else. When I’m at home, I have all of my schoolbooks, papers, and a few other things organized into these drawers. I have been using these for years and they are super useful! I also have a few different shelves from IKEA to store some of my binders and other large books.
Binders, Folders, and Notebooks: Speaking of binders, you are going to need some. I use several binders and folders to organize all of my papers. I also use tabs within some of my binders to divide up subjects. You will also need some notebooks. I use a different one for each subject and color-coordinate them. It is really up to you to decide what you want to do; just find something that is organized and works for you!
Calculator: For most math and science classes, you are going to need a calculator. I use the Texas Instruments 30XIIS, which is a pretty decent calculator. It was pretty cheap, and it has worked just fine for me for the past two years. I would also check out the Texas Instruments-30XS because this is a great calculator that many people (including my brother) use and love. Casio also has some outstanding calculators!
Writing Utensils: I don’t have anything specific when it comes to writing utensils. I have a wide variety of pens (because they are the best), pencils, markers, colored pencils, highlighters, and much more! I use this pencil bag to transport all of these to and from school.
Headphones: Headphones are an essential part of my workflow. I almost always play study music while I’m working. Furthermore, they are useful when I have a study hall and need to watch videos for class or want to listen to music while studying. I use the 3rd Generation AirPods, but there are obviously tons of other options out there!
Lunch Box: I used to use the Flatbox, which is a super cool lunch box that would unzip and turn into a placemat. Everyone in my school used to tell me all the time about how cool it was! Now I use a lunch box from Fulton Bag Co. Their lunchboxes are very nice and budget-friendly.

I hope this list helped you get an idea of some of the most essential school supplies! Be sure to look into getting some of these school supplies if you don’t have them already!

Thank you for reading! I won’t be posting next week, but I should be back the week after! See you then!