Highlighters

How OC are you about highlighters?

I never thought that there would be a day when I would become so particular about the highlighters I used. A few years ago, I thought that pink was pink and it didn't matter what brand I used. Now I'm trying out different highlighter brands. I've realized that some of the things I like in a highlighter are:

1. Shape - how I hold my highlighter differs if it's fat or skinny, cylindrical or box-like, long or short. It also helps to identify the different brands. Some might find it better to have highlighters all of the same shape, so they'll all be held the same way. Plus they look nicer since they're more uniform. Some might prefer to have different brands because of the different properties of the fluid.

2. Color - including consistency (especially if the paper you use is thinner), it is important to use a color/colors that you feel comfortable with. You have to think about how the shade you choose will show up on the paper you use. Different brands have different shades, with color changes that will sometimes happen depending on if it's on the early or late part of it's life.

Below are 3 different brands of pink highlighters at different parts of their lifespan. You can see that aside from the shade, in general, the evenness and thickness can differ. Note also that the brush might fray easily :(

Highlighters. Left, Artline. Middle, Faber Castell. Right, MG.

Also note that if you use more than one shade, remember to find colors that you feel are most suited to your learning style.

3. Longevity - it sucks to buy a highlighter that dries out early if left for a few moments, or one that has little ink in the first place. You might want to try brands that last longer, or those that can be left out for longer periods of time.

4. Price - some highlighters are really nice, but are super expensive. You might end up spending a lot of money in the long run.

I do have my preferred brands, but I'm always on the lookout for new ones. I also like to experiment on different colors with my own preferences for different texts :)

Coke

Okay. I haven’t posted in 4 months! Studying is really taking a lot out of me. But I will try to make at least 1 post/month. Because I should have some kind of outlet, right?

Coke: the softdrink, not the drug. I’ve recently gone on a grocery run and bought myself a 2 Liter bottle for less than 50 pesos (that’s a bit over $1, maybe $1.25). I was gonna get myself 2 cans, but a can costs P19 (around $.50) in the grocery (much better than the P25 when I buy it outside). I decided that I might as well buy the 2L version since I’d be drinking it all week to alternate it with coffee. I know it’s unhealthy, but when I have to study, my body does take a hit when I’m on a budget.

 Actually, my wallet takes a hit too.

For me, it’s easy to make this decision during my hell weeks (def. a horrible time wherein I have to stay awake and active for long periods of time in order to complete an infinite number of tasks).

Given life on a student budget, I felt that it would be an acceptable trade-off. However, some people might think that it’s always better to buy something that will save you money in the long run. But what about your health? During 75% of the school year, I would prefer buying the 2 cans compared to the 2L bottle. Why? Because I wouldn’t need to drink 2L. I would have to think twice about opening that can (because I would have to finish that can after opening it) instead of just refilling my glass again and again and again. Cans actually end up staying in the fridge longer than I expect.

Heys

• Think twice about buying that jumbo sized something. Think twice about buying anything at all!
• Share with friends. A sneaky way not to drink everything yourself.
• Dilute with ice to drink less. You'd be surpised at how much space ice actually takes up.

Just a few things I found at the back of my bottle:

Coca-cola 2L

Serving size: 240ml

Calories per serving: 100

Total carbohydrate: 25g

Ingredients

Carbonated water, sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, caffeine.

Extra nerd stuff?

What I found really annoying was that the coke bottle gave something about needing X glasses of water/liquid per day and drinking coke to hydrate yourself.

First, there is no actual amount prescribed for how much water you should drink per day since there are many factors that affect how much water you actually need. Second,  coke will only make you more thirsty. Read the ingredients! Hint: one reason starts with an s and the other with a c.

Finally, How come making this stuff is so cheap, yet they sell them in restos for even 100% more than their market price.

Review: Lioncity Dermatograph

Have you heard of a dermatograph? It's a wax (I think? at least this brand) stick wrapped around paper. They say you can use it to write on different media, but I use it as a replacement highliter for words written in newsprint. This is because normal highlighters are too thick and tend to stain the other side of the paper.


Pros
-cheap (Less than P15 or around $0.50)
-come in a variety of colors
-convenient (no need to sharpen)
-fun (I love the unrolling process)
-allows you to track usage (unlike highlighters that will run out unexpectedly)


Cons
-lighter than highlighters (you'll have to use a heavier hand)
-like a pencil: it can break unexpectedly, and you'll never be able to use the stub when it's about an inch long
-string may give out


The Lioncity Dermatograph tends to be variable in quality: some sticks are definitely better than others. I can work around some of them by using my fingernails to remove the paper if the string breaks, but it gets really annoying.