Among the most popular names in notebooks is Five Star, a brand of planning and organizational products geared toward students in search of efficient ways to write and study. In particular, Five Star’s line of spiral notebooks caters to schooling, with durable covers, thick sheets and smart divisions.
The best, a four-pack of Five Star’s DuraShield Notebooks, provides coverage for a full course load and guaranteed effectiveness for a year. They resist wear and tear, and they're organized to support your way of studying.
Two main types of notebooks are spiral and composition. With different bindings, each has their own benefits and drawbacks.
Spiral notebooks can be easily folded back along their spiral bindings; the quality of the binding influences the notebook's longevity. The end of a Five Star spiral notebook's binding clips back onto itself to prevent uncoiling or snagging.
Composition notebooks, sometimes referred to as softcover notebooks, feature a closed spine like that of a book. It can't be folded over unless you break the spine. It is also often difficult to write close to the edge of a page near the binding. However, composition notebooks tend to last a lot longer.
How lines are laid out in the notebook is referred to as ruling. Five Star offers three types.
College ruled notebooks are the most popular, with less space between the horizontal lines. They're often used by older students, particularly those in college, as they welcome compact writing and lots of content.
Wide ruled notebooks have slightly more space between the lines, better catering to those with larger handwriting.
Graph, or grid ruled, feature both horizontal and vertical lines. These notebooks are useful for anyone in creative fields, such as design or architecture, as well as certain math courses.
Five Star notebooks include 100 to 200 sheets, each of which allows for double-sided use. Sheets are perforated, so they can be easily torn out. When removed, the sheets measure 8 1/2 by 11 inches, which is standard paper size. The entire notebook is three-hole punched in advance to accommodate binder storage.
Five Star notebooks may be divided into one, two, three or five sections, called subjects. These divisions make it easier to use the same notebook for different classes, or to mark the transition from one semester to another.
To differentiate between multiple notebooks for different classes, choose a colored cover for each. Black, white, orange, red, green and blue are among the choices.
Five Star covers resist water, protecting the pages underneath from minor spills or splashes. Some feature its patented DuraShield, which boasts antimicrobial properties to protect against bacteria.
Five Star offers an app designed to digitally organize and upload notes. Pages include markings to create flashcards or highlight important points on your laptop, phone or tablet.
Five Star sells packs of notebooks, with anywhere from two to 12 sold together. Buying in bulk is economical; even if you won’t be using every notebook for another semester or year, it helps to have some at the ready.
In addition, some packs of notebooks are bundled with a gaming console controller for those who want to balance studying with playing.
A single one costs from $10-$20, depending on subject and size. Bundles, of course, cost more.
A. Generally, one notebook is suitable for one class, particularly if you’re taking a generalized course load. Choose different color covers to stay organized.
For more specialized or continuous studying, a notebook with multiple subjects may be useful. For example, if you’re taking related science courses, you may want to keep them in the same notebook in different sections.
A. A physical notebook may be required in middle schools or high schools where laptops are not permitted. Even with the choice, many people find writing in a notebook a better way to learn and retain knowledge, as writing is more mentally engaging than typing. Also, the ability to write legibly and take organized notes, especially quickly, is a useful skill in some professions.
Five Star 4-Pack DuraShield Notebooks
What you need to know: This set of four color-coded notebooks is designed to withstand the wear and tear of an active school year.
What you’ll love: Five Star’s antimicrobial cover is built to withstand bacteria, stains, odors and water. Each notebook includes 100 wide-ruled sheets as well as dedicated pockets suitable for general studies.
What you should consider: The small sheet count may not be enough for more involved courses.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Five Star Five-Subject Notebook
What you need to know: This 200-page, five-subject notebook provides terrific value at its low price.
What you’ll love: This college-ruled notebook provides plenty of space for involved note-taking across multiple courses. The sheet design integrates with the Five Star app for more efficient use.
What you should consider: It best serves those in college.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Five Star Graph-Ruled Spiral Notebook
What you need to know: This high-quality graph-ruled notebook suits studious and creative artists, engineers and math lovers.
What you’ll love: This spiral notebook is designed for those in need of grids in their note-taking and brainstorming. The 100 sheets are thick enough to resist ink bleed; each is perforated for easy removal.
What you should consider: Grid-ruled notebooks are not recommended unless designs or graphs are involved.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Anthony Marcusa writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
