Reddit reviews Five Star Flex Hybrid NoteBinder, 1 Inch Binder with Tabs, Notebook and 3 Ring Binder All-in-One, Blue (72011), 11 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1 1/4"

The most important thing you can do is to set yourself up an environment conducive to working, where the chance of becoming distracted is as low as possible. Make it comfortable and enjoyable so that entering that environment doesn't feel punishing. Bring yourself some drinks and snacks so that you don't end up with excuses to get up and wander around, and good headphones for listening to motivating music (and drowning out environmental distractions). Wear comfortable clothes. Make sure to have plenty of pens or pencils (with plenty of lead and erasers) and a good notebook for scratchwork (even we professionals tend to work a lot of stuff out on paper). Finally, and probably most importantly, go in with some kind of plan so you don't just end up dicking around on reddit.

Sidenote: As a software engineer, I highly recommend:

• the Five Star Flex binder
  
  • the covers are durable, somewhat flexible plastic
    
  • the edge is bound with some tough synthetic cloth like nylon
    
  • the rings are durable, flexible rubber that won't eat your hand
    
  • it's the best goddamn binder I've ever had
    
  • I recommend adding a stiff cardboard insert to allow you to write when you don't have a suitable writing surface, since this thing is not especially rigid.
    
• decent-quality reinforced notebook paper
  
  • holes are reinforced for tear-resistance
    
• and (optionally, but very useful) an engineer's computation pad
  
  • front writing/drawing area is blank
    
  • back side is graph-ruled and is faintly visible on the front when writing
    
  • this lets you draw or write on the front of the page, using the faint ruled lines as visual guides, while keeping your notes and drawings nice and legible. Very very handy for drawing legible algorithm and data structure visualizations
    
  • also great for math classes
    
  • if you get the computation pad, I'd also recommend a thin, durable straight edge and a shape-drawing tool (has drawing guides for various-sized circles, rectangles, squares, and triangles) to keep your lines and shapes nice and neat. Not especially necessary, but shitty hand-drawn shapes are one of my personal pet peeves in my notes.

I got one of the Five Star Flex Binders and it is wonderful for organization:

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Star-NoteBinder-Capacity-72011/dp/B003O3H2G0

I use that for papers/handouts and syllabi and then I use a five subject notebook for notes/lectures,etc. I also bring my tablet with me for anything else I may need.

Hmm. These flexible Five-Star brand ones have been kinda popular. I've used them once I think; thought they were pretty nice. They don't stand up on a shelf for archival like other binders though.

The flexibility may actually help with durability. They won't crack on impact or anything like that, and that Poly cover will do a good job of protecting your notes. We use a similar material on the covers of our pocket notebooks and we don't get complaints.

These things claim to be heavy-duty and have some good reviews:

If you need the paper itself to be durable, I'd definitely recommend our loose leaf. Our paper is water-resistant, so if you spill or something you'll be in the clear.

The hoodie https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9JNQHM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YwBRAbS5HFMGK

The bottle in Dunder mifflin Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ACAXJ50/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OxBRAbKQZTJEE

The Dunder Mifflin Decal on the bottle (tough as hell won't peel)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/270699638/dunder-mifflin-the-office-vinyl-decal

To hold your Dunder Mifflin brand paper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003O3H2G0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cABRAb38NHKRN

Cheaper Decal (last guy had it at $3 now its $5) just tell this guy what you want and he'll make it for like $3.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/553725612/dunder-mifflin-sticker-the-office-tv

https://www.amazon.com/Hybrid-NoteBinder-Binder-Notebook-72011/dp/B003O3H2G0 - this is what im talking about.

I personally have a Hybrid NoteBinder I got on sale as my choice DM Notebook. I enjoy the removeable pages for old notes, it has only ever torn the first page I used in it, it holds enough for 3 active campaigns, and I can bring it anywhere with my laptop.

I bought one of these when I was in high school. Its been three years since I graduated and I still use it , It's highly durable, and I can vouch for it. Plus, Its only $15 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Star-Hybrid-NoteBinder-72011/dp/B003O3H2G0/ref=cm_rdp_product

You might be interested in this for taking notes because this binder is like a notebook where you can flip it to the back.

Buy a Five Star Flex. I am horrible on my notebooks and I hate binders. This thing is amazing!

Get these. More expensive but last forever and you can fold them back like a notebook.

For my class I have to buy a specific piano book, but yes, I agree on a separate binder for music. I’m going to get this for my other classes (music fundamentals, rock styles, English & math. I’ll also keep the syllabi in here as well and extra stuff I may need). I actually play three instruments, piano, guitar, and bass clarinet. However, I only need to focus on piano now, since I’m taking that class this semester. Next semester I’m taking guitar (I’d rather get real teacher instruction instead of teaching myself at this point), and outside of school, I’m getting clarinet lessons. My ex boyfriend was helping me learn the clarinet but things are kinda weird with us now, and I don’t know where to go from here. There’s things he couldn’t help with since he played the bassoon but he has clarinet experience. Im required to join concert band next year. I would’ve this year but I stopped playing band in high school, and the instructor advised me to take at least a year of lessons before joining the band, which I’m fine with. Thank you for the suggestions though. I’m also going to buy some staff paper, just in case.

I use this binder/notebook. It's small and light, like a notebook, but I can move pages around and reuse it, like a binder.