Best Planner for College Students

Hi friends! Today I'm back and talking about one of my favorite things - planners! I have talked about planners a few different times on the blog, from all of the good contenders for students to how I organize my planner. And today I'm sharing the planner I will be using for my senior (!!!) year of college.

My first three years of college, I used different planners each year. Freshman year started with the classic Lilly Agenda, sophomore year I opted for the sleeker Kate Spade agenda, and with a crazy schedule looming for junior year, I decided on the Simplified Planner by Emily Ley (which I actually got as a gift). After using the Simplified Planner for the last year, I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to a normal planner. In my opinion, it's the best one on the market, which is why I decided to use it again for senior year.

After receiving my planner in the mail, I realized there were some differences between the 2016 and 2017 versions, so I thought I would share those and my opinions about why this planner is the best for college students.

One of the best things about the Simplified Planner are the little details involved. Each planner arrives in a gorgeous keepsake box with a note from Emily inside and a little pamphlet on the story of the SP and how to start getting it set up. The attention to the little things is what sets this company apart and what keeps me coming back a loyal customer.

I decided on the "Happy Stripe" pattern for senior year. I just love the bright colors. There was also a deal on launch day for free monogramming, so obviously I took advantage of that, because if it's not moving, monogram it.

I loved seeing the two planners next to each other. Last year my boyfriend chose the gold pineapple print for me, and I absolutely adored it - I'm obsessed with pineapples - but the white cover got a little worse for wear after being hauled around every day in my backpack. However, the cover is the only part that showed wear! The binding stayed perfectly in tact and no pages ever ripped - it is not easy to find planner that fit those criteria.

The biggest difference cover wise between 2016 and 2017 is the binding. How pretty is the new gold binding? Not that the brassier binding from last year was bad, but I just love how the gold looks.

Inside the cover is a small pocket. I'm planning to get a coordinating Maybook to stay on top of blog things this year. A new feature this year is this page of stickers! They remind me of the stickers in the Lilly planner, and they're just so cute. I can't wait to use them throughout the year.

The beginning of the planner has stayed largely the same. There is a letter from Emily, tips on simplifying and small calendars for each month of 2017 and 2018, and there is page for a yearly bucket list that I didn't get a picture of. I didn't utilize the bucket list this past year, but since I am going into senior year I plan to use it to make note of all the things I want to do before graduating next spring.

I prefer academic planners - running August through July - because I love the idea of each school year having it's own planner, is that weird? I keep all my planners and I think it's fun to remember oh this was from freshman year, and these were all the things I did that year.

Anyway, the monthly view has remained largely the same, with the exception of the top of the page. In previous years, each month had a longer quote at the top, this year they swapped the quotes for a tip on simplifying.

The daily pages are really what makes this planner perfect for the busy college student. Each day has its own page with space for a schedule, to do list, meal tracker, and notes. Being able to separate my schedule and to do list was crucial during junior year. In college, no two days are ever the same between classes, meetings, work, social events, etc. Some may find it tedious to write down your schedule every day, but it really helped me keep track of all of my obligations. I used the to do list to keep track of what things I needed to get accomplished each day, and the notes to keep track of upcoming assignments that I needed to remember, but not necessarily work on yet.

In the past, when I used smaller planners, my schedule always ended up jumbled with my assignments, and it wasn't unusual for important things to get lost in the clutter. With this format, that doesn't happen.

Similar to the change in the monthly view, the daily pages used to have a quote at the top of each one, and now that is just open space. It's being referred to as the "headline space." While I wasn't sure at first about not having the quotes - they're sweet and inspirational - the blank space has grown on me. I can see myself making note of important things like tests, presentations, or friends' birthdays, etc. I previously would mark those down in the notes section, but I like the idea of having it at the top of the page instead.

This is the weekend view. Another tiny change is the color shift on Friday from yellow to orange, which I'm so excited about! Every Friday at Clemson is Solid Orange Friday and everyone wears orange to show support for the Tigers in their game that weekend. I think it's so cute that now even my planner will be participating, and maybe the color will remind me to wear orange that day.

The weekend schedule isn't marked by time and has a smaller to do list, since the weekends aren't usually as busy. In all honesty, my planner doesn't see much use on the weekends, so I'm perfectly happy with having small spaces for them. And I love the space to record a happy memory from the week.

I just had to include a couple more pictures, because I can't get over how pretty it is! And I love that my initials are on it.

What planner will you be using for the upcoming year?