By: Laura Geraci
The beginning of fall semester is both my favorite and least favorite time of the school year. It’s tough to leave the relaxing monotony of summer, and it is daunting to take on a full school schedule after three blissful months of relaxation. On the other hand, it’s always exciting to be reunited with friends and get back into the swing of things. One great thing about the fall semester is that by the time it rolls around, you’ve almost forgotten about the endless nights you spent drinking energy drinks at the library late at night. Never again during the school year will you feel as refreshed and as ready to take on new challenges as you do at the very beginning of the fall.
My favorite way to get ready for the academic year is to go shopping, which will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me (sorry, mom). There’s something magical about starting the year with a new set of pens and a completely blank planner. Buying myself office supplies somehow makes me feel organized and put together, even if I roll out of bed at noon and forget to brush my teeth. But seriously, owning supplies that I love motivates me to stay productive and organized.
Get the Right Tools
If you’ve spent any time at all in the bullet journal community, you will certainly have come across some nifty little markers called Zebra Mildliners. For a solid month, I was convinced they were called mid-liners. I even made a post where I tested every single one I had just ordered by writing the word “mid-liner.” All was fine and dandy until someone corrected me in the comments - oops!
MILDLINERS are just about the most popular tool used for planning, and for good reason. They come in an array of lovely pastel colors and are dual-tipped, with a chisel tip on one side and a finer marker tip on the other. The colors are vibrant and the pens have little to no bleeding, making them perfect to use in your planner.
How to Use MILDLINERS
I use MILDLINERS for absolutely everything. I refuse to take lecture notes by hand unless I have a few of them on me. They work wonderfully for highlighting headings or for doodling in the margins when your professor goes on a tangent. MILDLINERS are also the perfect tools to use in bullet journaling. Whether you are creating fancy headers or making a simple weekly spread, MILDLINERS are the ideal tool. Zebra Pen, the creator of these wonderful markers, is hosting a Mildliner Challenge in August where fans will have the chance to win products, so make sure to stay tuned!
As always, remember that there is no right or wrong way to bullet journal. What’s important is discovering the tools that allow you to achieve success and meet your goals. There’s no sense in stressing over a smudged header or a misplaced date - it is important that the process is bringing you joy.
Enter the Zebra MILDLINER Challenge, and post your favorite mood trackers, monthly spreads, and other bullet journal images, tag Zebra Pen, and use the hashtag #MildlinerChallenge. Be sure to follow Zebra Pen on social media and look out for weekly prompts.