We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

How do I Choose the Best School Notebook?

By Lauren Romano
Updated Feb 23, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

At the beginning of every school year, you may be one of the many students that go to the store to pick up new notebooks for their classes. You may also be one of the students that has to buy more after realizing that they purchased the wrong ones. Before going to buy a new school notebook, consider adhering to some tips that can help you find just the one you need.

If you need the school notebook before class starts, you may want to talk to students who have previously had the teacher. Each teacher gives their own amount of notes, so previous students will have an idea how large of a notebook you actually need. Should you be able to wait until after school starts, the best way to choose a school notebook is to speak to the teacher. He or she is the best source for knowing how many notes you are going to take throughout the length of the class.

If you believe that you will be receiving many papers from the teacher, you may want to choose a school notebook that has folders included in it. Having the folders built in gives you the opportunity to keep all of your papers together for one class without having to carry separate items. You can increase your chance of not losing the papers if you have everything organized in one place.

The cost for all of your school notebooks can add up, so instead of paying a large amount, you may want to visit your local dollar store. You can usually find every size notebook you need, from the very small to the large five subject notebooks. Instead of paying several dollars for each one, you can stock up and pay only one dollar each.

Should you know that you will have to tear out pages from your notebook to hand them in, you may want to choose a notebook that has perforated edges. Instead of ripping the page out and having to cut off the jagged edges, you can have a straight edge immediately on each page. When taking pages out, make sure to pull gently as to not rip the paper.

For those that are environmentally conscious, you can buy a recycled notebook. Each notebook is usually made from one hundred percent postconsumer recycled materials. You can still have the notebook you need, just with an eco-friendly twist.

When choosing a school notebook, you have an option of picking between legal or college ruled paper. Legal ruled paper has lines on the paper that are narrow while college ruled means the lines are spread a little further apart. Each teacher will usually have a preference as to what kind of paper they want the work on, but many prefer college ruled.

Before you purchase a school notebook, you should carefully consider what class you will need it for and how often you will be using it. If you feel that you may need more than one, consider buying a different color for each class in order to stay more organized. With little effort, you will have all of your paperwork organized and have everything that you need.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Discussion Comments

By googlefanz — On Sep 01, 2010

I find that in many college classes, the whole idea of a notebook for school is being replaced by laptops. Many students simply take their laptops to class with them and take notes on that.

Of course, some teachers don't allow you to do that since the students sometimes end up surfing the internet rather than taking notes, but for a conscientious student who types much faster than they write, a laptop can be a Godsend for taking good notes.

By yournamehere — On Sep 01, 2010

Bear in mind that out of your school supplies, notebooks are probably the ones that get used the most, so get a good one that you won't mind looking at for a year or two.

I mean, sure, that High School Musical notebook is just super-cute in the store, but do you really want to stare at it for a year?

Just a thought...

By rallenwriter — On Sep 01, 2010

This is a nice article -- when I read the title, I thought, "How could anybody actually write an article on back to school notebooks?" but you actually made a decently interesting article out of it.

Well done!

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.