As a college student, there’s almost always a new assignment or event to keep track of. On top of classes, clubs, and organizations, there’s still the life I lead outside of academia, and many others like me also have a wealth of personal interests to keep track of. I’ve found that Google and Apple calendars can only get you so far, with notifications being easy to miss or not going off entirely.
During my first semester as a college student, I decided that enough was enough. Come the spring semester, I was going to try what hadn’t failed those who came before me. I bought a $10 planner from Amazon and got to work.
figuring out my planning style
It took time to figure out which planning style worked for me. A lot of people have extravagant planners, like a Filofax or a Hobonichi Techno. I found that the pressure of keeping up with an “aesthetic” for my planner did more harm than good.
Obviously, this looks enticing. A personalized little book full of my entire life, but how much is too much? I like journaling as much as the next 19-year-old woman in college, but I needed to plan. I decided to swear off the high-fashion planners. Ever since then, it’s been smooth sailing.
how i use my planner
At the beginning of each week, I sit down and write down my entire schedule in my planner. If something pops up as my week goes on, I go back and add it. I can even keep track of the books and movies I’m watching, along with my mood. This simple practice has been a game-changer for keeping up with my academic and personal life.
Writing out every little detail can be exhausting, but not writing enough can affect your entire plan for the week. It takes a while to find the balance, but once you do, it sticks with you as long as you use a planner. Once I got into this rhythm, it became easier to decorate my planner.
It wasn’t distracting to cover it in stickers or draw flowers with my paint markers. Instead of just writing down books and movies I’ve watched, I print out posters and covers and create my own little library in my planner. At the end of the year, I’ll be able to tally everything up without relying on any apps.
Now that I’m writing down my plans for the week, they’re already in my head. I don’t have to reference my Canvas to-do list nearly as much, and I’m aware of all the plans I make or am told to make because I genuinely look forward to writing them down in my planner. Once you get in the groove of doing it, it’s hard to get out.
I’m also saving myself a ton of mental stress by putting all my tasks in one place. I’m not constantly checking three or four different calendars or chasing things I swore I’d remember. Now, all I have to do is look back at my planner. Mine has a bunch of extra space, so I do little weekly recaps. I try to keep them short, just the basics and highlights of the past few days. They’re nice to look back on and revisit good memories.
Balancing school, work, and life is hard to master. We’re young women still figuring out what exactly we want to do every day for the rest of our lives. My planner halves that stress by keeping me from living day to day and setting me up for success.
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