Once I started using my planner, I never looked back. Having a method for staying organized when it comes to schoolwork and extracurriculars has been incredibly helpful. While I know it sounds ridiculous from the perspective of people who keep track of things in their heads, having a physical planner is seriously a game changer.
The best part of my planner is the satisfaction I get from crossing things off in colored pens that correspond to my classes. In my brain, the daily tasks I write out in my planner are mandatory which allows me to break up bigger essays or projects into manageable pieces while keeping myself accountable. Plus, there is nothing better than looking back at the semester when every assignment, club meeting, and responsibility has been checked off.
I understand that it can be very difficult to get into the rhythm of using a planner if you are not used to it. Once you give it a few weeks of earnest use, you will get the hang of it, and it becomes a part of your daily routine. There is a certain appeal to not writing things down, and remembering your obligations instead. However, once I started using a planner, I found that I had more room in my head to remember other things because I no longer had to dedicate valuable mental real estate to my schoolwork.
It is also super handy to have all of your obligations in one place. When someone asks you about your availability, you can simply check your planner and be sure you have not missed anything. This is a much better alternative to trying to remember every detail of your schedule weeks in advance, and potentially double-booking yourself. That stress is completely avoided by having a planner to pencil in your long term responsibilities and assignments. You can be confident and calm when setting up meetings with professors or plans with friends, and you will never have to be flakey or reschedule again. The best side effect of getting a planner has been an increase in productivity. Breaking up my responsibilities evenly across the week and seeing long term assignments as they creep up has allowed me to stop procrastinating. Huge projects can be daunting, but using your planner to divide it into smaller assignments every few days will ensure that you do not fall behind. You will never have to feel frazzled when the due date for an exam or another responsibility arrives sooner than anticipated because you will have finished most of it already.
I encourage you to try out a physical planner for just one week, one month, or one semester. You will see how much more on top of things you feel, and have tons of fun crossing things off!
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