I wouldn’t have survived college without my planner – it kept me organized and on schedule throughout all four years. Thankfully that little agenda can hold and organize much more than just homework assignments and coffee dates. My life was literally all bound up in that planner.
Interested in organizing your life in the same way? Then keep reading!
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Social Activites & Food.
Travel Plans
Going to Cabo over winter break? Heck yes, put this in your planner! Not only does it help you get through the semester, but you can use this space to plan and create packing lists.
Okay, so maybe you’re not going to Cabo. Maybe you’re going home – and that’s just as awesome! Getting to spend time with family so fulfilling. Going home can keep you motivated during the semester.
Club Meetings & Events
Participating in clubs is such a big part of college, you don’t want to miss out on some of the most fun events on campus! From free pizza to tie-dying t-shirts, keep track of your meetings & events in your planner.
Coffee or Lunch Dates
Seeing a coffee or lunch date with your bestie in your planner can easily brighten up your week and make you look forward to your time together.
School.
Meeting & Appointment Times
Missing an appointment with an advisor or a meeting with a professor won’t leave you in good standing. You want to leave your best impression on those that control whether or not you graduate. Keep track of any meetings or appointments so you never miss one!
Assignment Due Dates
Depending on how many courses you’re taking you can end up with a crazy amount of assignments at once. They’re all due at different times and some professors don’t take late assignments. Writing down your assignment due dates can help keep you organized.
Quiz and Test Dates
Along with your assignment due dates, you’re also going to want to keep track of when you have quizzes, tests, and exams. A key to passing your exams is to start studying early – keep prepared by writing down when you need to start studying and when the actual exam is.
Study Sessions
Once you’ve figured out when you need to start studying for a quiz or test, you’ll need to schedule some study sessions. Don’t leave your study buddy hanging at the library because you forgot to write it in your planner!
Healthy Habits.
Fitness Goals
No matter if I’m headed to yoga or going on a run I like to include these activities in my planner. Keeping track of my fitness goals helps me to stay motivated and actually accomplish my goals!
Water Intake
If you’re wanting to drink more water throughout your day, then it’s a good idea to keep track of it! Simply color in water drops or make tally marks to track how many glasses of water you drink each day.
Me-Time
We all need some me-time in our lives. Make a point to schedule in some time to read a book, do a face mask, take a bath, or paint your nails. And yes, Netflix is included in this category.
Thankful Thoughts
Be purposeful and put some thought into what makes you thankful each week. Simply taking the action of thinking thankfully will make you a much more appreciative person. Write it down to save it to look back on later!
Planned Meals
Planning your meals is a great way to maintain a healthy diet. Easily keep track of your weekly menu by writing it in your planner. It’s also a good idea to use your planner to create your weekly grocery list.
Budget.
Savings Goals
No matter how old you are, it’s important to save money. Thinking ahead for your future is such a beneficial thing and it’s so simple. Keeping track of your savings goals in your planner helps to keep it top of mind so you don’t forget about it.
Bill Due Dates
Nothing is worse than forgetting to pay a bill. Never let your rent, utilities, student loans, or anything else go past due. Keep a reminder at the top of your planner for the day your different bills are due.
Expenses
Along with keeping tabs on your savings, it’s also important to keep an eye on your expenses. Simply write it down anytime you spend money – what you spent it on and how much you spent. You might be surprised at how much or how little you spend each month.
Memories.
Have you ever seen some of those crazy planner layouts, with all the stickers, colored pens, and glitter? You want to know what is great about these (and keeping a planner in general)? It helps you to keep memories.
You don’t have to go all out with stickers and glitter, but just taking note of a few things can help you to save your memories for another day.
Did you have a fantastic day shopping with your mom? Write it in your planner and make a note of it! Then, later when you’re done with your planner for the year you can flip back through and reminisce about all the fun you’ve had and the special moments you enjoyed.
What College Planner Should I Use?
Now that you know what to put in your college planner… which planner should you use?
I tried multiple different planners while I was in college, but one (two) stuck out as the best – The Erin Condren Life Planner + The Academic Planner.
Combined, the two make a masterful pair. The hourly layout of the Life Planner allows you to plan out your day and to-do lists, whereas the Academic Planner allows you to keep track of homework assignments and anything school-related.
The Life Planner can get pretty big and heavy to carry around. The Academic Planner easily fits within your bag – allowing you to carry it around without losing out on space!
Because I know college students are often on a budget… if you sign up with my link, you can get $10 off your first order on Erin Condren!
I wouldn’t recommend this brand or these planners if I didn’t completely love them. They are my go-to for any planning or organizing that I need to do. My Life Planner has helped me organize in so many different ways and has helped me accomplish so many more things that I couldn’t have done without it.
Read more about these two planners and how they’re perfect for any college student in my How To Organize Your College Planner guide.
Is there anything else that you keep in your planner? Let me know in the comments!
