” Mead – Cambridge City Zipper Binder, Microfiber, 12.75″” x 11″”, (Assorted Colors)”, black

What I didn’t know when I was buying this binder was that there was a legal pad and calculator included (see pictures). Nice bonus, since the calculator sits perfectly in the pocket. The binder measures 12.7 inches tall, 11 inches wide, and 1.5 inches thick. It measures 22.5 inches wide when open. The binder inside is a 1 inch. The interior of the front side is lined with a pocket to stick folders that opens up about 2 inches. The outside of this pocket has 6 cardholders, 1 business card holder, 1 mesh pocket w/ velcro, and 1 calculator slot. The picture would indicate that there is a mesh business card holder, fabric pen holder, and another pocket with a zipper, but in fact, there are not. There is however, an elastic pen holder on the inside of the back cover (see picture). The back of this binder is bound with a smooth, matte plastic material, and the rest of the fabric feels like a rough nylon.As far as the false picture goes, at the time that I am writing this review, there are separate Amazon listings under different sellers that use this picture, so for all I know, the picture may be accurate for those other binders. For the one I received, it was not accurate. I bought my binder from Bison Office supply.I like this binder for a few reasons. Firstly, the zipper. It keeps everything in, so if you have an oops!-moment, you won’t be embarrassed and have to scramble to pick up all your stuff. It also keeps paper edges from getting damaged and looking shabby. The zipper itself has a nice curve where you hold it that makes it easier to grip, and therefore, easier to zip. There is only one zipper on this binder, and it would be a nice extra if there were two. The zipper has a hole, so you could attach a key chain if you wanted to.The second feature I like about this binder is its slimness. It does measure about 1.5 inches rather than 1, but the binders advertised as 1.5 inches usually end up being 2. I hate unnecessarily bulky things, and at my college, we get those chairs with dinky little desk things attached, so small is a must. Furthermore, I only have the rest of my semester’s notes in this at any one time. I don’t need a 2 or 3 inch binder for that; the 1 inch is great for exactly that amount of notes. I also like the fact that I can keep my wireless notebook and planner inside of this. There’s enough pockets for all of the things I need in a class, and I am tempted to just carry this around instead of a bag. I might even try that out.The seams on this are tight and durable. When I first received it, I realized that there was a place to put the cardboard backing of a legal pad (to hold it in place inside the binder), but not a place to put the cardboard backing of a notebook, which is what I needed this for. The main difference between these two pockets is that the insert pocket for pads is horizontal and the pocket for notebooks is vertical (see pictures). I really wish that they had included a vertical pocket behind the horizontal one, so both pads and notebooks could be secured inside. It’s kind of stupid that Mead doesn’t just make a pocket for it. I used my pocketknife to rip out the seam to the side of the legal pad pocket, and now my wireless notebook can be secured just as it could have if it had come made with a pocket for it (see pictures). While I was ripping, I did come across an adhesive around the seam to further secure it. This just goes as further proof to how durable the seams on this binder are. As I slid the back of my notebook in, I came across some more nasty adhesive. To remedy this, I cut the backing of my notebook down to size.On a side note that is related, I’m notorious at school for having the most tidy (and most borrowed) notes around. I’m often asked for tips. Since this binder is a key part of my note-taking system, I thought I would share:I prefer to have extra paper under whatever I’m writing on. I find it very hard to write on one piece of paper with a hard desk underneath. It doesn’t give the right amount of cushion to write neatly. Plus, if I’m writing on my home desk, I don’t want to scratch or put writing indents on the surface of it. I remedy this situation with a loose-leaf pad (commonly dubbed “wireless notebook” on Amazon…Norcom 3-Subject Wireless Notebook Wide Ruled, 10.5 x 8 Inches, 5 Assorted Colors, 132 Sheets, 1 Notebook per Order, Color May Vary (76132-24)). I have tried marble notebooks and I have tried spiral notebooks. Marble notebooks don’t have large enough pages, and they aren’t able to tear out without ruining the binding. Not to mention, you can’t keep the pages in a binder or in any kind of an organized fashion after you rip them out. Spiral notebooks, on the other hand, have sharp wires that tangle with other spiral notebooks, annoyingly perforated pages that never rip where the perforation is, and leave behind tiny bits of paper that go everywhere. The solution, my friends, is a loose-leaf pad. There’s a nice little place in the back of this binder where the pad will fit. I remove the pad from the binder when I have to take notes, since binders are too big for my workspace. I keep the binder under my chair until the end of class, at which time I tear out my notes and secure them into the proper section in my binder. I tab each subject with a blue tab, and each unit with a pink tab (Avery NoteTabs, 2 x 1.5 Inches, Neon Blue and Magenta, 40 per pack (16293)). I also useBIC 4-Color Ball Pen, Medium Point, 3 Pack, Assorted Ink (MMP31-ASST)to help differentiate texts. The different colored inks are useful for recording problem solving steps in math classes or writing side-notes in English classes. I try to avoid highlighting things because it looks sloppy and tends to bleed through or fade. When I finish with a semester or course and I don’t need notes on hand anymore, I stow them away in a cheap, regular binder at home. I have found that this is the most pleasurable and effective way to take and keep notes.