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Life

10 Reasons You Should Bullet Journal in 2020

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.

The new year is all about new changes, new resolutions, new challenges, and new beginnings. 2020 marks the start of a whole new decade, so why not go big when it comes to making some changes? 

One big change I recommend making is to start a bullet journal! Here are ten convincing reasons why you should start one for 2020:

All you need is a pen and paper! 

Chances are, you’re a student (why else would you be reading Her Campus?). That means you definitely have a pen and paper lying around. Step one: done!

It’s easy to learn!

Who doesn’t want a new hobby that is easy to learn, can be done anywhere, and looks beautiful when finished? Don’t be discouraged if your calligraphy isn’t Instagram-bujo-level yet — that takes a little time! We all start somewhere.

It’s so satisfying to look at!

Bullet journal pictures are such insta-worthy photos. It’s so tempting to post little snippets of your journal to your story.

You can stay organized and have fun while doing it!  

2020 calls for new resolutions — why not aim to stay super organized and be on top of things? You might think that’s easier said than done, but with a bullet journal helping to make your life easier, organization will be second nature to you.

It’s a creative stress-reliever.

Who isn’t stressed by a new year, a new semester, new classes, and new professors? Art is a soothing tool that many students – whether or not they’re art majors – resort to. Bullet journaling can help you relieve stress while staying organized.

It gives you an excuse to go stationery shopping!

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take any excuse I can get to make a quick, two-hour pit stop at the nearest Michael’s Craft Store or Blick Art Materials.

It’s so customizable; you can track unique habits in your journal.

I love customizing my bullet journal to fit my needs. Planners are too basic and don’t allow you to track workout habits, water consumption, or productivity.

It’s your journal — it’s a place to write down anything that crosses your mind.  

Whether it be grocery lists, questions to ask your academic advisor at your next meeting, your locker combination, or research paper topic ideas, your journal is a great place to write these little blurbs down.

You can experiment with different art styles.

When I first started bullet journaling a year ago, I just used colored pens. I slowly started experimenting with monthly themes, black-and-white pages, and scrapbook-style pages. Honestly, I’m still exploring these styles since I just can’t pick a favorite!

You can measure immense growth and actually see your progress.

This is one of my favorite reasons to bullet journal. I love being able to compare spreads from my journal from September 2018 and September 2019. It’s pretty crazy how much you grow — both artistically and as a person — in just one year.

I’ve also compiled a list of my top ten favorite bullet journaling supplies. Take a look and try a few out!

  1. Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Journal (A5 size)

  2. Tombow Dual-Tip Brush Pens (Bright Colors, 10 pack)

  3. Crayola Supertips (20 pack)

  4. Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens (Black, 2 pack, hard and soft nib)

  5. Zebra Mildliners (Pastel Colors, 5 pack)

  6. Pigma Micron Fine Tip Pens (Assorted nibs)

  7. Bic White Out Pens (an ESSENTIAL!)

  8. MUJI Pens (0.38 mm)

  9. Washi Tape

  10. Stickers (available on Amazon)

If you want some more inspiration, check out these Instagram accounts:

  1. My bullet journal account: Ritika’s journal

  2. The Bullet Journal Queen: AmandaRachLee

  3. plinthced

  4. ihggs

  5. bujodani

  6. Begüm’s Bullet Journal

  7. fridastudies

  8. megansstudies

And there you have it — ten reasons to start your own bullet journal! I hope this helped you get some inspiration and hopefully start journaling next year!

Ritika Iyer

Northeastern '24

Ritika is from Seattle, Washington and currently attends Northeastern University, pursuing an architecture degree. When she's not in studio, she loves exploring coffee shops in the area, tweeting for Her Campus NU, bullet journaling, watching Jeopardy!, and sightseeing around Boston.
Nia Beckett

Northeastern '22

Nia is a second-year journalism major with a global fashion studies minor at Northeastern University. She loves Carrie Bradshaw, YouTube, and chai tea lattes. Follow her on Instagram @niashalise_.