As a person who is almost never on time, running out of the house with two left shoes and a room piled in clothes, the concept of keeping an organized tally on how things were going in my life was intimidating. Like many college students, I often have the habit of falling into unorganized and procrastinating patterns throughout the semester. I discovered the one thing that has finally worked for me and my unorganized ways: the Bullet Journal. A bullet journal (also nicknamed “bujo”) is the perfect combination of a to-do list, a planner, and a diary. The founder of this organization system, Ryder Carroll, describes the Bullet Journal as being meant, “to help you track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.”
Three months ago I made a quick trip to my local Walmart after browsing a dozen videos on YouTube about bullet journaling for beginners. There are only two supplies you need: a blank journal and some pens. However, you’re totally free to add stickers or other decorations if you want more of a scrapbook aesthetic. I was hooked and bullet journaling has been a daily part of my life since then.
Journaling is a great option for college students as it is low cost and is a great way to maintain structure to a busy life. Here are 6 more reasons why bullet journaling can be a savior for you this semester.
- Express creativity
-
Get creative with your journal! While being a good artist can bring your pages to life visually, you can customize your journal to bring out your own unique style and visions. Trust me, my handwriting can easily be mistaken for a 5th grader’s chicken scratch but it’s what makes my journal my own. The main goal is to choose whichever layouts or visuals that will help you stay organized. There are a wide variety of page ideas and aesthetics you can find online for inspiration on how to layout your journal. All you need next is a set of your favorite fine-tip pens and you’re ready to get journaling.
- Allows for self-reflection
-
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the chaos of each day that we forget to check in on ourselves. Journaling allows us to slow the pace and look inwards to assess and track moods, energy levels, and goals for the day all in one place. Journaling towards the end of the day can be a good way to review what you accomplished during the day or what you would like to work on in the future.
- Stay organized
-
By making a weekly and monthly calendar you can schedule and review your assignments and commitments in both the short term and long term. Making your own unique key of colors or symbols for different tasks and assignments can also help your journal stay organized. The all-in-one style of a bullet journal is a life-saver because it has all you need, which means one less book to carry around.
- Helps calm mind
-
Journaling can be a great way to calm racing thoughts and give you the ability to focus on one thing at hand. Dr. Joshua Klapow, a clinical psychologist, says that journaling can be a helpful way of taking information, “which may be in our heads but causing emotional distress and move it to another location.” Journaling is a great way to track your mental health, but even just the act of creating and maintaining your journal throughout the week can be beneficial. Laying your events and assignments out in an aesthetically-pleasing way can make your week at hand feel more manageable and ease stress.
- Easy way to budget time and money
-
Many bullet journalists track their budget and savings goals in their journal as a quick way to make sure you’re staying on track. If you have something expensive you’re saving up for, like a car or new laptop, you can try the idea of making a bar graph and drawing in each time you’ve made a step towards your goal. For other outline ideas give YouTube a try, there are some users who dedicate their page to bullet journaling. (Quick shoutout @AmandaRachLee on Youtube for her captivating layout ideas and overall amazing artistic ability!)
- Can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle
-
You can use a bullet journal to start tracking your fitness goals for the day, week, or month. There are also many layout ideas for ways to track your health. Personally, I find that if I set specific goals to eat cleaner and go to the gym a certain amount of times in a week that journaling motivates me to stick to it. With everything else going on in a college student’s life it can become easy to disconnect from our bodies, but selfcare is the most important care and journaling is a great tool to make sure you’re staying on your game.