The life of a student is not easy. It is filled with a myriad of tasks that will not tolerate any negligence. That’s why every young person diligently studying for their coveted diploma should have such a thing as a planner for effective time management. With it, the academic workload becomes clearer: it gets boundaries and DEADLINES 😅 The best planners for college students help them stay on track. When the organizer is by their side, they will never forget about the “Why I want to be a nurse practitioner” essay or the super important marketing interview, for example. Yes, this cherished notebook is that reliable friend who will never let you down but remind you of important things.
Understanding the seriousness of scheduling for students, we have prepared a comprehensive guide in which you’ll find all the best planners for college.
Choosing the Right Planner for Your Academic Needs: Where to Start
We all have to make important decisions in life. In a student’s life, one of the essential decisions is choosing a suitable organizer. After all, out of all the best planners for college students, you have to choose only one or two. It’s a challenging task that requires some preparation. Thus, here are some tips on how to approach your scheduler choice thoughtfully.
- Define the must-have features. Think about the planner functionality that’s most important to you. What exactly do you want to get: enough space for writing, sturdy materials, or additional sections for setting goals and tracking habits? Or do you want all of these at once? Make a checklist of the main characteristics you need. This will help you narrow down the available student planners.
- Check out the different types of the best academic planners for college. There are different formats of schedulers, each of which suits various academic organization preferences:
a) Daily planners: This variant offers precision for those who like to plan their day by the hour.
b) Weekly planners: The option allows for a broader view of the week with sections for tasks for each day.
c) Monthly planners: Such an organizer is ideal for long-term, customizable planning, as it shows a monthly overview of the main deadlines and events.
- Take into account size and portability. Think about where you will use your academic planner most often. Do you need a compact size that fits in your backpack or a larger one for detailed notes and scheduling?
- Think about your budget limits. Decide how much you are willing to pay for the best planners for college students, and choose your options. Remember that a good planner doesn’t always have to break the bank. There are affordable yet effective organizers.
- Check the return policy. If possible, choose schedulers that offer a flexible return policy. This way, if the planner doesn’t meet your academic organization expectations, you can easily exchange it for a more suitable one.
Top 5 Features of the Best Planners for College Students
We’ve already briefly touched on the issue of the essential characteristics of the best planners for college students. To ensure you get the full picture, we’ve compiled the top five features you should definitely take into account when choosing the right organizer.
- Sufficient space for writing. Opt for a good planner that offers enough space to write down study schedules, daily tasks, due dates, and important notes.
- Durability and strength. Select an organizer made of high-quality materials that can endure frequent use and transportation without falling apart.
- Multipurpose sections for organization. Choose a scheduler that comes with a variety of intuitive sections for different time management needs.
- Pleasant design. Give preference to a planner with a design matching your personal liking.
- Additional features. Look for advanced sections in your organizer to help you set goals, track your progress, or build habits.
7 Top-Rated Student Planners for Your Academic Success
We’ve thoroughly researched to find the best planners for your academic organization needs. Here are the top six options that will satisfy the most stringent requirements.
The best planners for college students for personalized organization
The ClassTracker Ultimate Student Planner — Effective Time Management Tool
The dated college planner has a convenient layout for daily, weekly, and monthly customizable planning. Students can use the specialized sections to jot down all the necessary coursework, exams, and self-care activities. The scheduler boasts a sturdy cover and compact size that makes it durable, comfortable, and easy to carry.
Rating on Amazon: 4.5 out of 5
Size: 7” x 8.5”
Dating: July 2023 – June 2024
Binding: Spiral
Colors: Multiple options
Price: $20.29 on ClassTracker
The Centered Student Planner — Irreplaceable Time Management Instrument
This academic planner with a minimalist yet practical design is developed by an award-winning professor. It gives young people a great opportunity to focus on time management and academic organization. The layout shows every day from 7 am to 10 pm. In this way, users “see” their time divided by days and weeks. Inside, the organizer contains a QR code to access lots of exclusive training videos for arranging study schedules. This is one of the best planners for college students with ADHD for customizable planning.
Rating on Amazon: 4.7 out of 5
Size: 7” x 9”
Dating: August 2023 – June 2024
Binding: Spiral
Colors: Multiple options
Price: $32 on Centered Student
Focused Planner by Erin Condren — One-stop Time Management Means
The 2024 Focused Planner Series offers three binding options, as well as dated and undated layouts on heavyweight, ink-resistant paper. One of the best planners for college girls, Erin Condren’s Focused Planner is suitable for students who prefer simplicity without flashy design that provides a clean layout for effective time management. This academic organization option is available in a variety of colors, textures, and sizes.
Rating on Amazon: 4.8 out of 5
Size: 5.8” x 8.3”, 7” x 9”, 8” x 10”, and 8.5” x 11”
Dating: Dated and Undated options
Binding: Spiral, Softbound, and A5 Ring-bound
Colors: Multiple options
Price: from $17 to $75 on Erin Condren
Eco-friendly and sustainable student planners, especially for you
Green Dreamer Planners — Eco-Friendly Assignment Tracking Instrument
If you’re looking for eco-friendly options for student planners, there are plenty of options available. One of the best planners for college students designed with the environment in mind is the Green Dreamer Planner. In addition to its convenient, undated format and intuitive design with additional sections, such as goal-setting guides, affirmation, and gratitude parts, it boasts the following:
- The organizer is printed using soy-based ink.
- The scheduler for efficient planning is made of recycled paper pages.
- The planner has removable, reusable bookcloths from recycled cotton.
Size: 7.5” x 8”
Pages: 248
Binding: Case-bound
Price: $34.99 on Green Dreamer
“I love Green Dreamer college planners. Every year, I buy a new one for the new school year. I care about the environment, and this is one of the ways I can help it.”
Akari Saito, a marketing student in New York
Wisdom Supply’s 2024 Planner — Eco-Friendly Options for Learners
Wisdom Supply’s eco-friendly planner is one of the best academic planners for college students. It offers everything a young person might need for effective time management: a dated format, a year-at-a-glance page, an important dates page, and monthly spreads. In addition, anyone who cares about the environment will be happy to know that:
- The planner is made with 100% recycled materials.
- The organizer is Green-e and Green Seal certified.
Size: 9” x 11”
Pages: 138
Binding: Lay-flat
Price: $46 on Wisdom Supply
Budget-friendly planners for students for personalized organization efficiency
Blue Sky 2024 Scheduler — Budget Planners for Students
The attractively priced Blue Sky 2024 planner has 12 months of monthly and weekly pages for easy academic organization for the whole year. One of the best planners for college students also includes additional monthly pages, previous/next month reference calendars, note spaces, holiday lists, and contact pages. The planner is made of high-quality paper and has a professional cover and sturdy tabs for managing study schedules.
Size: 8.5” x 11”
Binding: Spiral
Price: $10 on Amazon
Clever Fox Pocket Planner — Ultimate Assignment Tracking Tool
This is one of the best student planners for college for a nice price that fits in literally any bag. It leaves a lot of room for customizable planning of the student’s time. For the best possible experience, budget planners from Clever Fox include monthly calendars, weekly pages, a habit tracker, and goal-setting tools for effective time management.
Size: 3.7” x 6.7”
Binding: Lay-flat
Price: $16 on Amazon
“I don’t understand the chase for expensive academic planners. Clever Fox organizers work just great for me. They have never let me down.”
Cristel Roberts, a nursing student
Innovative and User-Friendly Planners for Students
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the variety of planners out there, as each seller claims that their organizer is exactly what you need. You are free to disagree with us and call any other scheduler a top choice among the best planners for college students. However, here’s what we think is one of the greatest options for learning how to plan your tasks and projects on your own.
Our top pick for the best planners for college students with unique features
Set Up Success™ College Planner — One-Of-A-Kind Efficient Planning Instrument
If you are looking for not only a planner but also an opportunity to learn how to manage your time as efficiently as possible, then Set Up Success™ College Planner is for you. This organizer is a distinctive program created by educator and learning coach Marydee Sklar. Customers can purchase the time management planner itself, the “College Weekly To Do Planning Pad” (1 year supply), and access to planner instructional videos. Or, together with buying an organizer, they can join two 60-minute private sessions with an SMT instructor to start using the scheduler properly for customizable planning.
Size: 8.5” x 11”
Color: Bright green
Binding: Spiral
Planner-only price: $21.95
Planner + 2 private sessions price: $271.95
Top 3 FAQs on the Best Planners for College Students
1. How can a planner help in managing college study schedules?
With the organizer, students can easily keep track of all the pending lectures, seminars, and written assignments. This allows them to manage their time effectively and complete their tasks on time.
2. What features should I look for in student planners?
Each person is free to choose exactly what features of the planner are critical for them. However, students should definitely consider the availability of sufficient writing space, durability and strength, multipurpose sections for academic organization, and pleasant design when choosing a suitable option.
3. What are the best planners for college students?
The best planners for students are those that match their planning style, are made of quality materials, and have a reasonable price.