An Effective Guide to Bullet Journaling for Students

How to organize your time creatively- An effective guide to bullet journaling for students

In recent years, an abrupt boom in studygrams on social media has taken over the productivity world. Although aesthetic note taking, stationery, and handwriting go through on-and-off phases of popularity, one key aspect to an aesthetically productive life has always been trending- bullet journaling.

Those who are new to bullet journaling struggle to devise how to properly use the technique to organize their schedule and to-do lists in order to reap optimal results of a simultaneous creative outlet and effective organization system. But, knowing the right basics, bullet journaling can help one optimize their time to lead both a productive and healthy life. Today, I will be sharing my guide to bullet journaling 101, and my tips for achieving the above ideal!

Before starting to bullet journal, it is crucial for one to find a bullet journal that suits their style and their needs. Not only will it help with creating beautiful bullet journal spreads, but it can also aid with an effective planning system, as you should be comfortable with using the book for long periods of time. The following is a short list of bullet journaling notebooks that I personally find to be most effective (in order of lowest to highest price range).

1. Plouma Dotted Grid Notebook($7.79 CAD)

I recommend this book to beginners who are not sure if bullet journaling is the type of planner for them. It is relatively inexpensive and is very effective to draw, colour, and write on.

2. Kesoto Eco-Friendly Cork Hardcover Notebook ($16.99 CAD)

I recommend this book to people who are semi-dedicated to bullet journaling, or/and are concerned about the environment. It can be used with a wide range of mediums and is also relatively cheap compared to other products on the market that are eco friendly!

3. Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Notebook ($24.95 CAD)

I recommend Leuchttrum ONLY if you are 100% dedicated to bullet journaling. The paper quality and the aesthetic of the overall journal is the best of the best, although it is one of the pricier options. Several other notebooks on the market can easily replace this one if you do not require a bullet journal for excessively creative purposes (the Lemon book would easily serve the same purpose).

These bullet journaling books can conveniently be found on Amazon in accordance to your needs and what you want from a bullet journal.

Now, to jump into the basics of bullet journaling: I recommend starting off with discovering the different spreads many students use to organize their life. To this day, although I have outgrown a few, I still use many due to their effectiveness. This takes me to my next point: Please do not hesitate to discontinue spreads if they are overwhelming or hard to keep up with. I see a lot of people discontinue bullet journaling itself due to how hard it is to keep up with, but looking further into it, I realise that they think that they are supposed to include a certain number of spreads to effectively bullet journal. I can attest to this worry and say that I used to think that way, but it is in no way true. You are in control of how you want to plan your life, and that is the beauty that lies within bullet journaling. Whether you are in the mood for minimalist/materialist/artistic spreads, the key goal for bullet journaling is to channel your inner creativity and supply a source of organization in your life! Keep in mind: in no way do you have to make a complicated bullet journal spread to feel like you are journaling effectively! It is similar to any other creative outlet where the results are different for everyone. You need to assess what type of bullet journaling you are the best with, and make spreads accordingly! With that in mind, let me introduce you to the different spreads I use, and recommend my fellow students to use.

Student Layouts

Semester layout

Source: AmandaRachLee

Timetable layout

Source: AmandaRachLee

Study Tracker

Self Care Spreads

Quotes pages

Tracker pages

Monthly Spreads

Weekly Spreads

I want to let you know that starting your own bullet journaling journey can be hard due to the amount of time it can take to make spreads. But in the end, many find it rewarding, as it is a way to get those creative outlets rolling regardless of life’s obligations and busy nature. As a plus, it is also a great opportunity for many artists to put their creative outlets to use in their day-to-day lives. If at any point you do get busy, keep in mind that there are several youtubers who have bullet journaling resources to help out with your planning! Here are my personal favourites:

1. Amandarachlee
2. Study Quill
3. Bulletjournal

To end, it is well known that channeling one’s creativity can help one find peace. Bullet Journaling does exactly that- but it also channels one’s productivity to lead a more organized life!