This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Vanderbilt chapter.
Like many other girls on campuses across the South, I’m always carrying my trusty Lilly Pulitzer Agenda. From the outside, it’s print looks appealing and eye catching. While that’s what enticed me when I bought it, that is not the key reason I have it now. Crack open my agenda to any random section and you’ll find the pages are covered top to bottom, margin to margin, in various colors of ink.
To the unknowing onlooker, my scrawlings may look like incomprehensible chicken scratch, but infact, the agenda is organized. Without my agenda, I can say with utmost certainty I would be a disorganized mess. This was not always the case, and even as recently as last year I think there is a chance I could have gotten by with to-do lists every so often. Now I know that this is no longer the case.
My agenda has class assignments and exams written throughout, keeping me on top of things. In addition, I have all my sorority events for the semester written in red, so that I know what I’m going to and why. I add in extra campus programming as it comes up. If the week is especially busy I add in a sticky note to highlight the key tasks that must be performed that week. I never make a commitment, sign up for an event, or schedule an appointment without first consulting my agenda. The second something new is scheduled I know I have to add it in or else I will forget it.
While it sounds like keeping tabs on your life is a lot of work, in actuality it cuts back on possible issues arising in the future. If you know what’s coming next, you’ll be less likely to forget an assignment, miss an event, skip a lunch date, or procrastinate as badly. Whether you opt for a drug store planner, a school one, a Google calendar, or my beloved Lilly Planner, any organization will be worth your while.