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Hello Fountain Pen Network! As I mentioned in the title I am a journalist who is moving on to college in the fall. As a journalist, it is very important for me to be able to handwrite quickly, accurately and legibly. But unfortunately up to this point I have struggled with this endeavor because my handwriting is so terrible. I can usually read it, but for others it is typically borderline illegible. Below I have attached a sample of my writing so you can see just how bad it actually is. What's worse is that my handwriting is bad in both print and cursive. I'm pretty sure I'm applying to much pressure with my grip and on the paper but I'm not sure what else I really do wrong. What do you guys recommend I do to improve my hieroglyphics/chicken scratch into something that is legible and pretty? I have also been looking into some different pens and notebooks to buy for classes in the fall. In high school, I used whatever pen I could find to write in my beloved Moleskine or the four plastic covered Mead Five Star Wide Ruled notebooks in my bag. For college, I would like to step it up a bit so I have been looking at some different pens, namely the Uni-Ball Signos and the Pilot Metropolitan, and also some different notebooks like the Rhodia Wirebound A4 and the line Maruman Mnuemosyne in A4 and B5. What do you guys think of these choices, especially considering I am a poor college student? For the pen should I be using a fine, medium or bold tip? Will a fountain pen make my handwriting better? Any pens and/or notebooks you guys would recommend for my stated goals?

Hey all you college kids like me who use the fountain to take notes/general writing. Decided to see how many of us are on the forum. I apologize if theres already a topic like this one, I couldn't find one! Anyway. Lets give each other a picture of where, how, and when we use our pens. I am an American Student but would be totally open to hearing about students studying in other countries and their experience. Heres some loose guidelines to start the discussion. 1. Age(if desired), The school you go to, Etc... 2.When did you start using pens? 3. How do you use them? 4. The pens in your collection... 5. Whats the general response of others(peers)? 6. Why use a fountain pen? Cheers

I've been using (semi)hard cover journals for many months, size A5 in my bag and A6 for pocket carrying. I like the way they work and how good the paper is, but I think I like them as objects much more than as funtional note keepers. My Espresso coloured Leuchtturm medium journal with a blue and gold Conway Stewart pen in the loop is a thoroughly beautiful object to look at and to hold and feel. I do like writing in it and I do like leafing through previous entries. But for capturing a stream of thought or transferring ideas I find that it's completely out-classed by a keyboard. I know this is a highly personal thing, and the exact opposite of a lot of peoples experience, but that's how it is for me. I'm a very experienced keyboard user. I can't claim to be a good typist, but when I get a thought going (such as right now) I can type faster than I can write, even though I write quickly. I use software that can sync over every digital device I use so my notes are always available and editable. And I can go back and correct mistakes and insert words, which really helps me to organize and clarify my thoughts. Even with piddling little tablet on-screen keyboards, a phone is a bit slower but Swype for one handed use is great once you get used to it. I thought I was on to something with my pocket notebook. It's a red Leuchtturm pocket with a Burgundy Parker 17 or 45 in the loop depending on my mood, and again it's a lovely object. I used it many times a day to capture quick thoughts, make lists, jot reminders, etc. Before I bought it I used Spirax No. 560 spiral bound pads that always looked tatty and rough after just a few days and the pages weren't big enough. Then I got some Rhodia #13 pads and a vinyl cover and I haven't looked back. It seems to be the perfect size, have fully removable pages and great quality paper. It looks a bit industrial and the pen loop is so small that it only fits my Parker 45 pencil but that's been an unintended bonus. The soft 2B leads I like to use are perfect on that paper and it's re-invigorated my interest in mechanical pencils. I was really hoping I would take to bound journals, I admit mainly because of the aesthetic, but they just didn't work for me. I gave them a good long trial but there's no point flogging a dead horse. Are there any other philistines out there that just can't make some kinds of old tech work for them?