The soothing, slightly sinister world of productivity hacks
Before starting this job, I blew $50 at CVS on neon gel pens, pleather-bound notebooks, and felt-tipped highlighters because a TikToker told me they’d make me enjoy working more. In the past month, I haven’t used a single one.
The TikToker in question, @Studynotesideas, is an 18-year-old with nearly 650,000 followers who produces content for the overstressed and underprepared student. Each video is shot at her desk, which features a bubblegum-pink keyboard, a collection of rainbow gel pens, and a peek at her greeting card-esque handwriting. She tells us which pens you need for seamless notes (no smudging), study methods that guarantee results (active recall), and gadgets that prevent procrastination. Her schtick is gently intimidating and reminds me of when you’d ask the overachiever in your history class for the notes you missed.
I’ve watched nearly a hundred of her videos over the past four months, and after each binge, I’m convinced that with the right set of stationery and desk tchotchkes, I too can become more organized.
