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I have been an unabashed iPad girl for over a year now. I bought an iPad as a Christmas gift to myself back in 2022, with the idea that I would use it for school. Not only do I use my iPad to take notes, but I also use it to do readings for class and to stay organized. A planner has always been the organizational method that worked best for me, but I found it difficult to balance a physical planner while everything else was on my iPad. Thankfully, I found a solution through TikTok: a digital planner. Why I didn’t think of this sooner, I have no idea, but everything clicked once I realized I could have a digital planner. It has been a lifesaver in terms of staying organized.
I then began my search for a free digital planner I could download onto Goodnotes. I love using Goodnotes for note-taking, so I was thrilled at the idea that I could keep everything in one place. I finally found a free digital planner from the company, Paperlike. They are famous for their iPad screen protector that feels like you’re writing on paper (which I also have). But they also have a great selection of free items available for download. I quickly downloaded the planner and let me tell you, it is easily the best planner I have ever used (and I’ve used a lot).
I love how the planner is broken down into monthly, weekly, and daily spreads. As a visual person, it helps me to see all my tasks and commitments. I also heavily color-code everything based on a system that probably only makes sense to me. The ability to quickly jump between pages is great for when I need to check that I have the correct date or time for something. I use the monthly pages to write down my work schedule, birthdays, and even the days I’m home. Every Sunday, I take the time to plan out my week on the weekly spread. Here, I can block out each day of my week, such as classes, student teaching, and Her Campus meetings. It helps me to see my week written out in that format. But my holy grail is the daily spread. Here, not only can I plan out my day like in the weekly spread, but I can write out the tasks that I have that day. I thrive off of getting to cross a task off my to-do list, so this system works great for me. This is also where I write down what is due for a class, and any upcoming assignments. I can think realistically about everything I have to get done within a day. Switching to a digital planner has completely changed how I stay organized