Just a little over a year ago I started a Bullet Journal after seeing my best friend deeply enjoy her own, but also realizing I needed some kind of new method to keep me better organized. I had tried the standard student planner in the past, but often found they didn’t encompass enough of my own creativity or suit my needs. When I was very young (we’re talking like thirteen or so), I used to keep a diary, but I found after a few weeks I would set my dairy down and never pick it up again. After trials and tribulations, my bff introduced me to bullet journaling. To basically describe what it is, it is a planner, a to-do list, a diary, a future log, and a past tracker– essentially it is whatever you make it to be. For myself personally, I used my bullet journal to track TV shows I’m watching, hours I’ve worked, my utility bills, monthly events, and much more. However, when it comes to university life, I have some pages I always turn to since they help me stay on top of my homework, and better organized.
1) Monthly Layout:
(Photo credit @cupsofsilver on Instagram author’s personal photo)
The first page I find super important regardless if you’re back in classes or not is a monthly layout. This page lets you, at a quick glance, see all at once any really important events/due dates/holidays etc that are going to occur within that particular month. During the first month of a new semester, I personally make sure to grab my syllabus and write down any major things that are going to happen. That way while I’m still trying to navigate where my classrooms are I’m not going to forget about an assignment, or quiz. This also comes in handy since you can write down any cool events happening around campus and try to make it to each one! (An example of this can be seen in the above photo, this is just a basic version of my own September monthly layout.)
2) Monthly To- Do’s
As you can easily see in the previous picture, a monthly to-do list is an easy way to simply layout important tasks that need to be accomplished within the month. These tasks usually do not need to be done on a particular day, but nonetheless still need to be completed. I find putting my monthly to-do’s right beside my monthly layout helps me to see not only the important events in my life, but also key things I need to get done.
3) Class Schedule
(Photo credit @lauriewrites on Instagram)
Picture this: you’re on your way to class, looking at your class schedule on your phone so you don’t forget which room number to go to (Tory Basement is a maze I swear), when suddenly your phone just dies on you. Now what? Trying to rack your brain to remember which classroom each class is in can be a daunting task, especially when you’re new to campus. The trick I learned to help with a situation like this is to write out my class schedule in my bullet journal. That way I can always have in within an easily accessible way, and it can look nicer than carrying around a screenshot of it. When I draw out my class schedule in my bullet journal I colour code my classes, and draw it in a timetable format so that I can better visualize what my day looks like. That way when it comes to organizing an outing with friends I can see if I have break between classes, or when I’m done for the day. It makes it one less thing for me to memorize.
4) Assignment List/ Reading List
(Photo credit http://www.jfca.org/start-bullet-journaling/)
Homework piles up and life gets busy, especially when you’re juggling a social life, academics, family, work, pets, etc. Sometimes you forget until last minute that there was an essay due tomorrow in class, or that your group project is due in three days. Proffs don’t always make it easy to keep track of what assignments are due when, and at times the syllabus for a class isn’t that much more helpful. I’ve found that either during the first few weeks of a new semester, or as soon as an assignment is assigned/discussed, that is the time to write down its due date, title, and which class it is for. That way you can keep track of upcoming assignments, and if you want to as well you can always add a “grade” section to your list so you can then track your grades over the term as well. This also works really well if you’re in a class that’s heavy on readings!
These are just some of the many pages I personally have in my bullet journal. I think the number one thing to keep in mind when customizing your own journal, is to remember that it is for you, not for anyone else. That means your journal can be as colourful, plain, minimalistic, or messy, as you like it to be. As long as it’s doing the trick of helping keep you organized, then you go ahead and do your own thing.