| I would say the answer is a definite yes, but you | | | | recommend you keep spare cartridges in your |
| must follow some basic principles. Firstly, don't use an | | | | pockets as they could break or leak, and that's a |
| ink that is considered wet. Pick an ink that will dry | | | | mess! |
| quickly for you. The paper is also important, some | | | | Fountain pens write using their own weight on paper, |
| papers have an almost glossy feel to them, with | | | | you do not need to apply additional pressure as you |
| very poor absorption. You should also avoid any | | | | do with other types of pen. This generally leads to |
| broad nibs on the pens you use, as writing from a | | | | minimal hand cramping, which can be a real problem |
| fine nib will dry more quickly. Fountain pens are a lot | | | | when writing pages of notes with a ballpoint. You |
| less trouble than rollerballs and ballpoints. Gel pens can | | | | should be able to write an awful lot quicker with a |
| be pretty good, but suffer from the ink smearing. | | | | fountain pen, which is of course a real benefit when |
| Ink drying is a combination of the ink and the type of | | | | taking notes down. |
| paper. Most inks these days dry very fast, this is all | | | | The last thing to bear in mind is cost. For college, you |
| the more important for left handed writers. If you | | | | don't really want to be note taking with a $200 pen. |
| use a few piston fillers in your fountain pen, make | | | | It could get lost, stolen, or someone could borrow it |
| sure it carries a good amount of ink and you top it | | | | from you and you never see it again! A $20 pen will |
| up regularly. Preferably you should use a cartridge | | | | write perfectly for your needs, and when you |
| pen, as you can keep a few spare cartridges of | | | | graduate you can then ask for that gold-plated |
| different types in your college bag. I wouldn't | | | | fountain pen as your gift! |