Planning the Perfect Planner

I will be the first one to admit this: I was the worst student when it came to time-management there ever was. I went off of memory or little notes on the margins of notebook paper that often got lost. I would spend all my time online and never worry about assignments. It was college. How serious were they anyway?

I learned my lesson quickly during my freshman spring semester. I received three Cs, and my scholarship was deferred a semester. I worked harder on training my memory, and I focused more on my schoolwork. I didn't think I needed a planner, nor did I really think about Google Calendar.

This year, I decided that memory wasn't going to be my main source of time management. I bought myself a planner at Staples for ~$25, tax included. I keep track of work schedule, my internship schedule, and my assignments. It's simple, but it's perfect for my means.

I also have several calendars up on Google Calendar. There's my work schedule (for my part-time job and my internship), my class schedule, my personal schedule (for meetings with friends), an assignment calendar, and a blogging calendar. I keep everything color-coded, and it matches the color code I have laid out for my physical planner.

While these are simple task management solutions, there are other methods of planners out there. For one, you could make your own. You could design the pages using programs like Word 2013 or something similar, and store the pages in a binder. In addition, you could order a planner from places like Erin Condren, Filofax, and Kate Spade.

If you order a planner offline, or even if you make your own, you can - of course - decorate it the way you want. Washi tape is a popular way to label planners for events, or even to decorate the borders of pages. You can also write using markers for color coding. I recommend fine-tip felt-tip markers. Sharpies bleed through easily, even if they're fine-tip, so either use a different kind of marker, or use stronger paper.

The point of this post? KEEP A PLANNER OF SOME KIND. Keep track of your assignments or your to-dos. Not only will it make life easier for you, but it will also prepare you for the real world as well.