Tabula Rasa (noun)
Without preconceived ideas or goals; a clean slate
At the start of every school semester, I like to start off on a tabula rasa; a clean slate.
One of my favourite rituals for “cleaning the slate” is to replace whatever has been worn and weathered into unsightliness; a faulty flickering table lamp, irreparably damaged stationery…
And of course, the biggest eyesore – ANYTHING with unwelcome holes in it.
There is considerable tangible and intangible benefit to this practice – this simple ritual will positively frame the rest of your semester, giving you a mental and emotional head start.
Not to mention, it feels pretty good to get new gear!
If you’re looking for a new arsenal of schooling essentials… look no further as IUIGA has your backs (and bags) covered.
1. Schoolbag
This is the number one essential for everybody.
Needless to say, you’ll want a schoolbag that is spacious and professionally constructed with the best materials for durability and robustness.
Enter IUIGA’s Basic Backpack – stitched together with the most resilient polyurethane material and precisely seamed at the corners, it prevents fabric breakage even after extended periods of use.
Most importantly, IUIGA’s Basic Backpack is endowed with a padded shoulder strap which mitigates the back-breaking pressure on your shoulders and spine. Suffer from back pain no longer!
2. Lunch Box
Two years ago, there was one entire semester where I prepared my own packed lunch every day, in a valiant attempt to save some money to pay for hostel accommodation fees.
Although it invariably consisted of steamed rice and egg omelette, I never got tired. There was something inexplicably satisfying about eating a dollar’s lunch every day.
If you’re saving up for a big purchase, packing your own lunch is mission critical.
IUIGA’s food storage boxes are BPA-free, food-grade and will retain the taste and freshness of your food.
3. File Organisers
If you’re a “clutter expert” (i.e. very good at accumulating clutter) like me, this is an imperative investment.
It has been scientifically proven that too much clutter diffuses our focus and reduces our productivity. If you want to kickstart your productivity gears for the new semester, you need instruments that will help organise your clutter.
After I purchased one of these standing files and organisers, I immediately felt liberated; with a cleaner work space, my feelings of wellbeing shot up, and so did my rate of work completion.
4. Stationery
One of the most exasperating things that could happen in school is realising that your pens have been drained of all their ink. Every time that happens, the next thing that drains away is the colour on my face.
At IUIGA, we have a myriad range of pens for you to indulge your literary cravings in – metal pens, crystal-adorned pens, oil-based pens, gel pens, even fountain pens!
Make sure you stock up on these writing materials before the dawn of the new semester.