Why are you still using paper?

No paper, no staples, no stapler. Send whomever it is a PDF.

What you want is this baby here:

http://www.office1000.com/discount/stapler-high-capacity.html

It's the Swingline 2-60 stapler. Up to 60 sheets with one staple size.

Of course, you can visit Swingline's site and order a stapler that will get you 120 sheets or more.

I have one of these (Stanley-Bostitch Personal High-Capacity Stapler), and I highly recommend it. The stated maximum on it is 60 sheets, although I think I've used it to staple more than that. I love it because it's designed for leverage--I'm a fairly petite woman, and I can staple 60 sheets without having to stand up and lean my entire weight on the thing.

Sounds like you need an easy button. :-)

Swingline Heavy Duty Stapler (Stock # 39005).
Always works and in event of an office invasion you could club someone to death with it.

This PaperPro High Capacity Stapler works 5-60 pages. And its easy to use. I am sure your University like mine has some contract set up with an office supply place to order from so that may limit your options.

http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&prodBlockOID=1611339361&expansionOID=-536892101

Yet more evidence that the freedom inherent in blogging encourages exposure of moronic musings best left cloistered. Stapler advice? I guess in some horribly misguided way it was intended to be funny - but that just underscores the lameness of academics. Here's some advice Dan: buy the biggest most expensive stapler on the shelf and everything will work out just fine.

What used to be the standard stapler and staple are now high end...the "standard stuff" now is crap. At home, I purchased an old fashioned big steel Swingline...but also make sure to get what are now heavy duty staples.

James is right, that is an excellent high-capacity stapler. I use that one, plus a regular Swingline desktop for just a few sheets. And it is wicked important to get the best staples you can - "Premium" I think they call them. It makes a huge difference.

Meta: WTF is it with the hating on stapler-talk? If you think it's petty, then what do you call spending your time meta-commenting about it? Busted. Anyway, staplers are tools like any other, and I use good ones.

Make sure that you're stapling with the stapler resting firmly on a stable surface. If you're squeezing the stapler in your hand, or stapling on a wobbly or flimsy surface, it won't work as well.

Get an electric stapler. May not be necessary for small jobs, but if you ever have to do a mass mailing, it's wonderful.

Why do I have visions of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpEelqMGSLU

Also suggest getting one of those wicked stapler removers that have claws and which you'd never be allowed to carry through airline security.

(Sheesh, I'm gonna start an airline that goes point-to-point, scans baggage, and arms the passengers to the teeth.)

You need more than one stapler. Obviously the stapler that works well for a few pages isn't going to work for forty pages and vice versa. Two staplers and probably two different sizes of staples. Jeez.