Scheduling and organizing are very important aspects of any busy Collegiette’s life. And most college students are very busy thanks to their endless amounts of assignments, exams, group meetings, social events, and more. A planner is most students’ go-to for keeping track of the mayhem of college years. I’ve taken a look at different planners to help you decide which one might be the best for your type of schedule.
1. Lilly Pulitzer Planner
The Lilly planners are well-known and used by many college ladies, especially those involved in sororities. They come with gorgeous, colorful, and preppy calendars.
Pros: Bright designs and colors; Cute stickers; Hardcover
Cons: Only one type of layout — horizontal view; Not too much space, even with the “Large Size” choice
Good for: A sorority girl who loves her Lilly and might just use it for sorority events, basic plans, exam dates and assignment deadlines.
2. Kate Spade Planner
Kate Spade is another preppy designer that many Collegiettes love. It’s pretty similar to the Lilly planner, yet looks more professional than the whimsical designs of Lilly.
Pros: Professional looking; Cute designs and sayings
Cons: Layout — only a horizontal choice; Price — $36
Good for: A fun girl that also has to be professional, whether for work or an internship … or just a lover of Kate Spade.
3. Erin Condren Planner
The Erin Condren planner is now my personal favorite. Before EC, I was a staunch Lilly lover. Once I was introduced to the EC world (thanks to the tons of YouTube videos), I knew it was for me. I love the fact that it has interchangeable covers so you can change your planner cover if you get sick of it. (Yet you can also choose a hardback cover now, as well.) I also love the fact that you have the ability to personalize your planner exactly to what you want. You are able to choose the layout — vertical, horizontal, or hourly. You also can create a neutral color scheme or a colorful one, and add your name on it. I personally love the hourly so you can write exactly what you are doing at each time period, which helps more with time management. It also has a lot of space to write to-dos and other lists.
Pros: Interchangeable covers; Ability to have different layouts: vertical, horizontal, and hourly; Great sizing
Cons: Price, which is $50; Interchangeable covers can get flimsy
Good for: Students who love to celebrate months and holidays, love their stickers, and need lots of space to put down all their assignments; For the busiest of students
4. Target Day Designer Planner
The Target planner is great because of its size, as well. It has tons of room to write events, to-dos, and assignments. It is larger than the average planner and is the size of an actual notebook, which does take up more room in your backpack. It is way cheaper than a lot of these other planners, though!
Pros: Price; It has lined paper; Simple
Cons: Large notebook size; Simple
Good for: The simple girl — someone who doesn’t need a lot of glitz and glamour and wants to get straight to work
5. Happy Planner
I have never personally used the Happy Planner, yet it is definitely on my list to try. Some notable things are that you can take your pages out with their unique binding (similar to a binder), and you can add pages in.
Pros: Fun designs; Nice binding — you can take pages out and add them in; Can choose Un-Date planners; Great stickers
Cons: Size; Loose paper (durability); One vertical layout; No color on the back of the planner tabs
Good for: For the simple gal as well; One who might not need as much planning or information as the EC girl, but more than the Lilly one
6. Apps / Google Calendar
Since this is the age of the Internet and apps, it’s no surprise that there are now apps for planning.
Pros: Easy to add items right from your phone/computer; Can add in items straight from your email when someone emails you about an event
Cons: Can’t just write it down; If don’t have technology around you can’t use it (Ex: if your phone dies and you need to add something in)
Good for: The technologically savvy; Students who are always on their phone no matter what; Email-lover
I hope these reviews help your productivity, Collegiettes. Use one, two, or more of these items to help keep your life on track. I, personally, use the Erin Condren Planner and the Google Calendar as well. I keep both updated so if I don’t have my planner on me, I can add it on my phone, or if I don’t have my phone (like in class), I can physically write it in my planner.
Happy planning!