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Ready to organize your life with a college planner?
I’ve rounded up all the best planners for college students into one convenient post!
The last of spring college classes are winding down, and we’re all ready to enjoy a lonnnggg summer break.
But the fact of the matter is:
The fall semester really isn’t that far away. I know that’s the last thing I want to have in the back of my mind when I’m trying to relax…
…however, I am a person who likes to plan ahead.
College Planner
If I know I can save myself from a major headache later, I’m all for doing a little work upfront.
That’s why I like to buy a college planner during the summer – before things get really busy around back to school time.
It gives me plenty of time to shop around and find the best planners to suit my needs.
And:
Without all the usual college life stress, I can make the most level-headed (and not a snap) decision to set me up for success come the next semester.
- Also Read: Your Step by Step Guide to College Success
And trust me, I need all the help I can get when it comes to managing my life when school is in session!
After all:
There’s A LOT to stay on top! Between new classes, assignment due dates, social outings, and extracurriculars – the list goes on!
Having the right planner to sort it all out is an important key to managing my time during my college years.
Soooo, how do I find the best college planner for ME?
Figuring out which college planner will work best for you is actually pretty simple!
You’ll just want to consider a few things:
- How busy is your schedule?
- How much do you like writing?
- Are size and weight important to you?
Thinking about how much you have to do in a day will help you decide on choosing a planner. Do you need one that has space to track everything (down to the hour) or would a minimalist planner work better for you?
Next:
This can be an overlooked detail, but it plays a factor in your planner decision as well. Is writing a lot (or often) something that bothers you?
Writing in a planner is a part of using it and if you can’t stand your own handwriting – well a more bullet journal type planner could be more up your alley. A digital academic planner could even be the one for you.
And finally…
The SIZE of your college planner is another option to mull over. The point of a school planner is to keep track of your schedule, and if it’s not with you at almost all times then it’s not doing its job!
Do you prefer to carry light when going around campus or is there plenty of space in your backpack to accommodate a bigger notebook?
Once you’ve taken a moment to think about what type of planner would suit your schedule, I have 9 AWESOME student planner suggestions for you.
They are even organized by HOW MUCH planning you can do with them:
- Ultimate college planners have the most space for more planning.
- Minimal college planners lean towards the “less is more” mantra.
- Middle ground student planners fit in between those two categories!
And:
Because I know the typical college student doesn’t have a ton of money to spend, all of these planners are affordable – under $25!
They are all massively useful planners for school – don’t let the inexpensive price tag fool you!
The Best Planners for College Students
Here’s a quick list of all the planners I cover in this post…
Ultimate Planners
- The Clever Fox Planner
- The Live Whale Planner
- Goal Setting Planner (by Write Stuff)
- Erin Condren Academic Planner
- ClassTracker Ultimate Student Planner
Middle Ground Planners
- Day Designer for Blue Sky
- Lemome Academic Planner – Black or Grey & Undated
- Bloom Daily Academic Planner
Minimal Planners
The Clever Fox Planner
Details
- 1 Year Planner – Undated
- A5 size 8.25″ x 5.75”
- Monthly & Weekly pages
The Clever Fox Planner is a product that’s newer on the market, but already it’s a big hit with reviewers.
It’s a handheld-sized planner with a soft to touch cover that has room to plan it all. While it does allow you to track weekly goals, priorities, habits, to do lists and more – it does so in a way that’s not overwhelming.
Which makes it a good candidate to be the best planner for students!
With this planner, you can track a few goals at a time, which helps your focused efforts to be more effective.
And if that wasn’t enough already:
The notebook has premium paper that doesn’t bleed, an elastic band, a pen holder, an accordion folder, 3 colorful bookmarks and it even comes with a few sheets of stickers!
Want to take a look inside? Check out my full, in-depth review.
Bottom Line:
The Clever Fox Planner would make a great college planner for students who want to plan A LOT, but don’t want planning to become a chore.
This planner has tons of great extras without feeling like TOO much. It’s smaller, but not so small that it’s difficult to fit everything you need to write.
I think it’s a very well rounded planner and it’s one of my personal top picks.
Save an extra 10% off when you use promo code CFP10OFF at checkout!
The Live Whale Planner – Weekly Edition
Details
- 1 Year Planner – Undated
- A5 size 8.3″ x 5.5”
- Monthly & Weekly pages
This best college planner option is small, making it easy to take with you and it has a hardcover with thick pages (so that ink won’t bleed through).
It has lots and lots of space for writing!
You can track your schedule down to the hour and there are quite a few extra pages for more self-tracking.
Other pages include a budget tracker, new inspirational quotes for each month, a goal date countdown tracker and “brain dump” space.
I also love the little whale on the front cover!
Bottom Line:
The Live Whale planner is the right college planner for you if you need MAXIMUM planning capabilities for your busy schedule.
The small size also makes it optimum for slipping into a purse, which is a perk because this planner will be going just about everywhere with you.
A great choice for students who have a FULL course load.
Goal Setting Planner by Write StuffDetails
- 12 Month Planner, Jan. 2018 – Dec. 2018
- Size 6.5″ x 9″
- Monthly & Weekly Pages
Another wonderful option for those who have a lot to record is this Goal Setting Planner. It has plenty of space which you can use to write down your college schedule hour by hour.
The school planner has a clean and functional design to help you keep track of your busy schedule, manage your to-do’s, prioritize projects and make the most of your time.
This one also includes:
- goal-setting sections throughout
- a Year at a Glance page with space to record and remember important dates
- a goal setting guide
- a vision board
- 40 note pages
- a contacts list
- a Year in Review page (to record your progress and memories at the end of the year)
Bottom Line:
The Write Stuff Planning Goal Setting Planner is great at keeping track of it all! It is medium size, not tiny and not huge.
I’d pick this as your college planner if goals are a big motivator for you.
Erin Condren Academic Planner
Details
- 6 Month Planner – Undated
- Size 7″ x 9″
- Monthly, Weekly, Assignment Tracker and Note Pages
This brings us to my next ultimate planner type pick: the Erin Condren Academic Planner. Gotta say it’s one of my favorite planners on this list.
This planner is designed specifically for students which means there are pages you wouldn’t normally find in a regular planner. Like an assignment tracker page, and a place to write your classes, assignments and due dates on the weekly planning pages.
Super handy for busy college students!
But, if it wasn’t good enough already:
The Erin Condren Academic Planners have a HUGE selection of covers! There are tons of cute designs to choose from and you can even personalize it by adding your name to the cover.
Oh, and these planners come with a sheet of stickers. All in all, a pretty sweet planner.
Bottom Line:
In my opinion, this academic planner is a smart choice for just about any student since it is specifically made for them.
It has room for a good amount of planning and it’s a moderate size. All the little extras tailored for students really takes it over the top!
There are loads of great cover choices!
P.S. Sort the planners by price (low to high) to see all the $25 ones. About 1/4 of them are $30.
ClassTracker Ultimate Student Planner
Details
- 11 Month Academic Planner, Aug. 2018 – June 2019
- Size 7″ x 8.5″
- Monthly & Weekly Pages
Finally my last ultimate college planner choice:
The ClassTracker Ultimate Student Planner – it had ultimate in the name, how could I not include it?
This one is another one of my personal favorites! It’s also another one that is made just for college students.
Because of that:
The weekly layout pages include space for tracking assignments and upcoming quizzes/exams/paper/projects. Which of course is VERY useful for staying up to date on ALL due dates and upcoming tests.
There aren’t a lot of extra pages outside of the monthly and weekly pages, but I really like the simplified design.
Want to know MORE about this college planner? Check out my in-depth review for more details!
Bottom Line:
The ClassTracker Ultimate Student Planner is the perfect option for the student who’s concerned with planning JUST their college schedule.
It’s a no-frills type planner that doesn’t skimp on the planning capabilities. And it’s the right size to take anywhere, without being a chore to haul around.
Shipping is even FREE on all USA orders
Best planners for students – Middle Ground Planners!
Day Designer for Blue Sky
Details
- 12 Month Planner, Jan. 2018 – Dec. 2018
- Comes in two sizes: 8.5″ x 11″ and 5″ x 8″
- Monthly & Weekly Pages
May I present to you, the Day Designer Planner for Blue Sky!
Inside it, there is a weekly calendar view that has a good amount of space to keep track of your schedule, and there is a daily to-do list.
There are lots of bonuses like: inspirational quotes on each weekly spread, pages to fill in your morning/nighttime routines, space for notes, yearly goal tracking and more.
With a thick and flexible clear cover, strong twin-wire binding and durable coated monthly tabs, this school planner is on the weightier side.
Bottom Line:
This Day Designer planner would be a good fit for those who want to do a moderate to high amount of planning and don’t mind a larger size notebook.
Lemome Academic Planner
Details
- Academic Year Planner, May 2018 – June 2019 OR Undated
- Size 8.4″ x 5.7″
- Monthly & Weekly Pages
This college planner is great for the moderate college planner. It has 58 pages just for NOTES (the pages are thicker, too).
Extra features include an elastic closure, a convenient pen loop, an inner pocket, 2 bookmarks, and monthly sticker tabs.
Bottom Line:
The Lemome Academic Planner is yet another fabulous option for those who have a fair amount of planning to do. It is medium size, making this school planner easy to keep in a back pack or mid size+ purse/cross body bag.
Bloom Daily Planner
Details
- 12 Month Planner, Jan. 2018 – Dec. 2018
- Size 6″ x 8.25″
- Monthly & Weekly Pages
When it comes to the best planner for students, you can’t go wrong with a Bloom planner!
This planner has a nice amount of space to write a daily student schedule and to-do lists. It is made of sturdy materials with thick bindings.
Extra pages include: personal info, goals for this year a “Plan to Bloom” page, class scheduling pages, notes and year in review.
Want to know more details about this college planner? I did an in-depth review of the Bloom Academic line!
Bottom Line:
The Bloom Daily Planner strikes a nice middle ground for school planners.
It would be great for someone who wants to track a moderate amount but still wants a smaller sized planner.
Just Right Monthly Planner
Details
- 17-Month Planner, Aug. 2017 – Dec. 2018
- 7.5″ x 9.75″
- 48-page planner has monthly calendar grid pages.
This planner has nice full-color pages and is small enough to easily fit into a purse or backpack. The cover is soft, making it not as heavy duty as some others.
These planners include tear-off notes for shopping and to-do lists, a handy pocket for storing loose papers, and a handy elastic band closure.
Bottom Line:
The Just Right Planner is a nice choice for those who like a college planner that looks pretty, is easy to carry and offers minimal space for daily planning.
The Minimalist Planner
Details
- 12 Month 2018 Planner
- 3 Sizes: 4.75″ x 6.75″, 7″ x 8.5″ and 8.5″ x 11″
- Monthly & Weekly Pages
This simplified planner design allows for not only more room for writing, but also offers less visual distractions. It has heavy duty, wire binding and a rugged cover that holds up to tough use.
Each planner contains 146 pages of monthly planning calendars, 2-page weekly calendar spreads and a wide open notes section making it an excellent school planner option.
Bottom Line:
The Minimalist Planner really delivers a minimal planning experience leaving pages more open-ended, so you have more freedom to personalize it.
It has size options to fit any preference, too.
Bloom Weekly Tear Pad Planner
Details
- 60 Tear Off Sheets Per Pad (more than enough for a year!)
- Size 8″x 11″
- Weekly Pages – Undated
This last best college planner offers a whole new way to think about what a school planner should be.
It has minimal space for a daily schedule, and even less space for weekends (which may or may not be a problem for you).
The tear pad still has ample room for other things one would want to keep track of though, like: water intake, to do lists and healthy habits.
Bottom Line:
The Bloom Weekly Tear Pad Planner is the perfect pick for those who need to do minimal planning.
It can stay on your desk, or it’s just as easy to tear off your plans for the week and take them with you.
Alright, those are my affordable college planner picks for students in 2018!
Have a planner you’re enamored with that’s not on this list?
I’m always on the hunt for new awesome, cheap planners: I’d love to hear about what you’ve found on your own planner hunt. 🙂
Which one of these is the best college planner for you?
