Back to School Series : How to Organize Your Agenda/Planner

Even though some of you have started school already, I haven't start school yet but will soon. So, I've decided to do a back to school series that will hopefully help you in school and get you ready for a new year.

Organization is key to having a successful year and with homework, projects, extra curricular activities, and tests, we have a hard time remembering everything which can lead to forgetting something important. What better way to organize your life then using a planner, either electronically or by hand. Personally I use both since I always carry my phone, but I'm obsessed with my planner and love writing in it. So here is some tips I found useful for my planner(:

Deciding on what size planner is based on whether you like to carry your planner in your purse or with your notebooks and binders. Since going to an IB high school, I've been using my own planners rather than the planner they give to us because now the planner they give to us require us to write in the dates and frankly I don't really like it. So from 9th-11th grade I have been carrying small to medium size planners like the one on the left since it was easier to carry it in my purse, but for senior year I decided to go for a large planner because IB senior year = more things going on. The pros of having a smaller planner is that it is able to fit in your purse, but it will also weigh your purse down. A bigger planner has a more space to write but will require you to carry more. I have decided that beside a large planner; I would be keeping a pocket planner in my purse only for major test and events so I would have a quick glance of upcoming important events.

Here is an example of my planner from 10th grade and how I organize the calendar portion which is what I look for in my planner since I like to write major events down and be able to glance at what is going on within the month. Using label stickers, I assign a sticker to a certain subject for example: red = test/quizzes/exams, blue = CAS (for IB), green = school events, and yellow = special events. However with my new planner, I am now highlight the event the different color category instead of using stickers. Also, I highlight the date to signify that I have something that day that I need to pay attention to. For very special events like holiday or birthdays I like to do something special around the box to really point out for myself. For test/quizzes/exams I write them in red pen to really signify to myself. As you can tell I like to decorate the calendar with stickers, it makes it look festive(:

So for each subject, I write down each subject I have and the homework I need to do and highlight the homework due the next time with the same highlight color I used to highlight the subject, which signifies that I have something for that subject. With upcoming test and quizzes, I would write it in a different color and even put a symbol, (T), saying that I have a test coming up for that class. I also on the way top put the event going on that day and write in blue pen for "Homework" on one line and then all the subjects. In black pen, I write the homework for that subject. I really love highlighters so I highlight the different subject alternating based on my A and B day classes. I also don't like to repeat highlighting pattern so I try to mix it up. On right corner I like to also make a short to do list of other things I need to get do beside my homework. 

The same goes for my calendar on my iPhone. I have different colors for each event similar to the label dot system. Also, I like how I can add more information on there like notes, reminders, and times. The reminders especially are helpful because it will remind you before whatever happens, happens. However, sometime I do neglect to type it in my phone because we aren't allow to be using our phone during class, so usually I would have to do it after which makes me tend to forget or neglect to type it down. 

Key thing to remember for organizing your planner:

1) Categorizing events by stickers, highlighter, etc. is a good way to keep track which is happening

2) Highlighting homework and the subject reminds you that you have something due

3) Test/quizzes/exams in a different color like red will be a bold reminder for you

Trust me, taking time to write/type stuff down onto your planner either by hand or electronically will definitely help you organize your life much better and help you be more efficient during the school year and even with your life (:

 x o x o