The spring semester is in full swing. Club meetings are starting again, 15-hour internships are dominating your mornings, and your first exam is about two weeks from now. It’s time to get it together — all of it. Staying organized is probably one of the most important, albeit hardest, tasks in college. We tend to forget its importance until we get that first zero for an assignment we forgot even existed. The tried and true way of combatting this hopeless spiral into a cluttered semester, is using a planner. Not everyone loves the idea of keeping a detailed journal documenting their every move, which is fine, but there’s a planner out there for every person (and every price point). Here are some of my favorites!
1. Mon Journal Diary – $22.99
Don’t let the title fool you — the Mon Journal Diary is actually a super cool planner. It comes with a yearly, monthly, and weekly layout for an entire year like your traditional planner. Unlike a traditional planner, the Mon Journal isn’t numbered for you, making it incredibly simple and allowing you to start it whenever you’d like. The pages are printed on a grid, opening up endless options for creativity, and the possibility of combining a bullet journal and a planner in one.
2. Plum Paper Planner – $32
As a former user of the Plum Paper brand, I can’t say enough about how nice this brand’s customizability is. It truly has an option for everyone. The planners are super colorful and allow you to choose between vertical, horizontal and hourly layouts. You can separate your weeks and days into virtually any way that works best for you. Plum Paper also has a variety of covers ranging from pretty floral arrangements to monogrammed options.
3. Erin Condren LifePlanner – $60
Odds are, someone you know owns of these planners. They’re pretty expensive, but they’re also really heavy duty, and they won’t fall apart from being slammed around in your school bag. Similar to Plum Paper, Erin Condren offers a variety of layouts and even more design options for the aesthetic of your planner. If you’re into the idea of keeping a really pretty planner, this is definitely one to consider.
4. The Happy Planner – $11.99
If you frequent Michaels or Hobby Lobby, you’ve definitely seen the Happy Planner hanging around. It’s definitely the option that offers the most bang for its buck. Happy Planner offers relatively inexpensive planners with lots of different sizes and design options. The brand is also known for their planner accessories. You can find Happy Planner inserts made specifically for your planner, washi tape, sticky notes, stamps and a variety of other Happy Planner branded tools to make using your planner more efficient and fun.
5. Horacio Printing Planner – $40
Horacio Printing is home to a variety of high quality stationery and paper based products. Their planners use heavy duty paper, so you don’t have to worry about your favorite pens bleeding through. Beautiful calligraphy adorns the pages, so if you’re not into making your planner pretty on your own, don’t worry, they’ve done it for you. Horacio Printing also features planners that include monthly prayers and devotionals.
6. One Canoe Two Planner – $31.50
As a current proud user of a One Canoe Two planner, I definitely would recommend this brand to just about anyone. Similar to Horacio Printing, One Canoe Two planners use inspiration quotes and calligraphy to decorate the pages and add that zest to the process of planning your week. The hard-back cover makes carrying the planner around easy and adds some durability. You can purchase this one at Anthropologie, but for a slightly lower price, go directly One Canoe Two’s website.
7. Fall In Design Monologue Planner – $18.30
This handy monologue planner has all of the organizational abilities you’d find in a full size planner, but inside of a much smaller moleskin notebook. Just like in a traditional planner, you get yearly, monthly and weekly layouts, with plenty of room to jot down whatever events you may have. The sleekness and simplicity of this planner makes it easy to toss in your purse and take with you literally anywhere.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your favorite planner, a handful of pens, and get ready to conquer this semester.