Whether a first year or a senior, it’s far enough into the school year where you’ve realized how busy the life of a college-student really is. My first-year at Clark, I found myself missing meeting after group meeting because I never wrote any of my plans down. I bought a cheap agenda from the bookstore, used it for two-weeks, forgot about it and then continued to constantly be stressed about my schedule. Between classes and volleyball six days a week, I had too much going on to keep track of.
While doing some research on Pinterest the summer going into sophomore year, I discovered the glorious website of Erin Condren (https://www.erincondren.com/). For those who are new to the planner world, Erin Condren is, in my humble opinion, the holy grail of all planners. I knew that my first-year was messy scheduling-wise and took a leap of faith in buying an Erin Condren “Life Planner”. Though a little pricy, getting an Erin Condren Planner drastically changed my organization, study skills and improved my stress levels. Since then, I have invested in various other Erin Condren products including stickers, a notebook for my classes, address labels and customized notepads.
Of course there’s a chance Erin Condren may not be the right fit for you. Some people prefer to stick to a simple planner or a celebrated favorite like a Lilly Pulitzer. I have proudly convinced several of my close friends into getting an Erin Condren and they haven’t regretted the decision since. Before deciding on a planner though, explore your options! Talk to friends and see how they use their own, look for reviews on Pinterest and YouTube and consider how much you are willing to spend. Below is my review and favorite aspects of my Erin Condren Planner.
The BasicsWith each Erin Condren Notebook you receive:-Planner bound by a heavy-duty coil-Clear snap in bookmark-Four sheets of stickers (two with pre-printed events such as “birthday” or “vacation” and two blank sticker sheets)-Two-sided folder-Clear zip pouch-“Perpetual calendar” that can be used from year to year to write down reoccurring events
For First TimersErin Condren does a great job of welcoming new customers into their community by giving you a large amount of free swag. This includes a pack of personalized stickers/gift labels, compliment cards and a postcard. In addition to these, all customers ordering a life planner get samples of some of their other products like their “coil clips” and “do it all dots”.
CustomizabilityErin Condren is VERY into personalization to make your planning the most appealing to your personality and lifestyle. The customizability starts with the option of having either a horizontal or vertical planner layout. I personally have stuck to the vertical style as I am a very visual person who needs to see my day laid out in order. I include my classes, volleyball practices, group meetings or plans with friends. It gives you more room to customize by not adding on “time of the day” labels at the top of each box like the company has done in previous years.
There is also a horizontal layout option which is targeted more towards writing down assignments or general to-do lists for the day. It is ideal for someone who does not have a hectic schedule and can easily remember their classes.
The second aspect to customizing your Erin Condren Planner is the wide range of options you have with the covers. You have 70 different options to choose from, with designs coming and going with different seasons and holidays. If none of these 70 options work for you, you can design your own cover by uploading a picture! You can even make a collage of a variety of your favorite pictures. For a few extra dollars you can also add a picture to the back cover of any planner design.
Next you can customize what is written on the cover of your planner. Common examples being name, school and the year. They are also interchangeable so you can order more than one and switch them out as you like!Lastly, you can customize your planner by deciding how long you want the planner to run for. You can order a planner running from January 2016-December 2016 or, for $5 more, you can add on the remaining months of the year. For example if you bought a planner right now, you could have the planner include from October 2015-December 2016.
The CompanyAll of my experiences with Erin Condren have been great and I can really tell they care about their customers and their products. While shipping is not the fastest, on each product’s page it tells you the estimated shipping date. Additionally, they email you when your order has shipped and provide you with the tracking number so you can watch the movement of your planner coming closer and closer to being in your hands!Erin Condren also send out surveys every year requesting feedback on the current planner and really put in an effort to make changes with the next year’s edition based on the survey responses. They love to hear that their customers are spreading the word to others and give you store credit for doing so. Each current customer has a referral code. So, for example, if I send my referral code to a friend, my friend would get $10 off their first purchase and I would get a $10 credit to the online store.
Accessories and Other ProductsIf you already have a planner but like the idea of using Erin Condren products or if you just want to accessorize your Life Planner more, Erin Condren can lead you in the right direction! They have accessories such as “designer” sticker sheets, customizable event stickers, snap in to do lists, wellness and budget trackers, pens, elastic bands and so much more! They also sell notebooks, address books and wedding planners.
Note on ShippingThe cheapest shipping option is two dollars less than their recommended shipping option. With the cheapest shipping option, they have a noted warning that these orders could take twice as long to arrive. I have ordered every one of my shipments choosing this cheapest shipping option and have never had an issue with receiving my product late.
If you would like to explore the Erin Condren world more, check out their Youtube channel for a ton of informative videos on all of their products: https://www.youtube.com/user/erincondrendesign
Still not sure if you want an Erin Condren? Staples sells a variety of their products in-store! Go online to see which Staples near you carries their products, and go check out the Life Planner in person!
Good luck planning!
* This post is not sponsored by Erin Condren. All opinions are the writer’s own.