Has life been super chaotic lately? Are you starting to stress over all the assignments and extracurriculars you have to complete by the end of the semester? Have you pulled an all nighter because you didnt start a project early enough or maybe even panicked because you forgot something was due until right before class? Well, I’ve got one helpful tip for you… Start using a planner!
They help you to be more organized and tends to keep the stress at bay if used correctly.. just think of all the things you force yourself to remember and the few times you wish you remembered things sooner… Now think of having a book or app that will remember it all for you. If this appeals to you, you need a planner ASAP. Well organized and fun planners make the stressful things a little more bearable and is super helpful to master time management.
Here are some quick tips on choosing a planner and how to get the most use out of it!
Find the right planner for YOU
There are tons of options when it comes to planners. Some planners have layouts that are only daily, weekly or monthly, or you can find ones that have all three. Planners can also have multiple add on sections depending on which theme you choose and many bonuses like stickers and snap in pages. Today, planners can be anything you need and more, so try to think how your schedule would be best laid out. I suggest looking in Marshalls or Target for cheap finds to get you started. If you are like me and love planning every detail, I would suggest investing in an Erin Condren or Simplified Planner so you can customize it to your liking.
Academic Agenda
The first thing I did when I bought my planner was write down all the days I had exams, assignments due and breaks off from school. At the start of next semester, I highly recommend to grab all your syubulli and planner to write down all those essential dates you have to remember. This way you will be able to notice the weeks that you have more time to hangout with friends and other weeks that you need to spend those extra hours in the library.
Personalize
Don’t let organizing your planner feel like another chore. I like to color code and decorate my planner so I enjoy looking at it every day. You can use different colors for every class or do one color each for major exams, graded assignments, extracurriculars, your workout schedule and special events. You can also use washi tape, post its and personalized stickers to make it more creative.
Make it your bible
The biggest mistake I see most people make is buying an expensive planner to use it for a week and then have it sit on their desk untouched until the semester is over. Planners require commitment to be beneficial. Crop out fifteen minutes out of your Sunday night and write down your plan for the week and then every morning you can easily see what you have to accomplish that day.
There are many different ways to keep track of your daily schedule and using a planner is just one of the ways I use to keep track of mine. Use a planner in the best way that works for you. Happy planning!