If you like to organize your life / planner into multiple categories then student planners are a good option, but there are also other layouts that work well for students too!
So if you’re on the hunt for a new planner for school, or you just want to try a different layout, here are some planners to consider.
Some things to look for when buying a student planner
- Extra pages such as grades tracker, project planning worksheets etc. If you can’t find a planner that includes this you can always add some printables. See this post I shared for a tutorial on how to resize printables for any planner size.
- Portable size – A5 is an ideal size for a student planner for portability although it can get crammed if you have a lot of subjects
- Cover personalisation – you’ll be taking your planner everywhere and seeing it all the time – make sure it has a pretty cover
- Decide whether you need a full daily planner space for weekends or are ok with a combined space – some planners reduce the amount of space for weekends so always make sure you check
- Day of the week the planner starts – Monday is ideal for students as it keeps weekends within the same weekly spread and Sat & Sun side by side
- The layout – if you’re a student, then categories for each subject or planners with timeslots – AM, PM and evening – are ideal for time management (don’t forget to color code as well!)
Related: How to organize and color code your notes for school, college or university
1. Plum Paper Planner
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Plum Paper Planners. I’ve done 3 hauls over the years (posted one here and another here).
- Tear proof & water resistant cover
- Clear plastic protective sheet for added durability
- Durable Mylar Coated Monthly Tabs
- Strong Aluminum Binding Coil
- Double Sided Pocket Folder
- Inside Paper Weight: 70lb text
- Monthly spreads included in every layout
- Customized layout
- Add-ons for home, business, lifestyle educational, notes and lists
Price: Varies depending on page size, if you choose add ons etc.
The best layouts (in my option) for students are their vertical priorities layout and their student planner. I have the Me Planner (pictured below) which is very similar to the student planner with each day organized into different categories.
Review of the Plum Paper Me Planner
I opted to have the pages unpunched, then punched them myself and used the ARC rings to create a discbound planner.
Read more: Arcing my Plum Paper Planner – everything you need to know if you’d like to try it yourself!
2. Passion Planner
While not actually a student planner, the Passion Planner is great for time blocking the entire week. Ideal if you’re juggling school, a part time job and extracurriculars. The only downside to this planner is the very small line spacing.
- Sizes available: A5, A4
- Extra dotted and blank pages
- 120 GSM
- Calendar or academic year
- Undated or dated
- Sunday or Monday Start
Price: $35
If you’re trying to decide between the large and the small I’d go with the large
See how I used the Passion Planner: Rainbow Color Coded Weekly Spread Using the Passion Planner
3. Happy Planner Student Planner
To be honest, the Happy Planner student edition doesn’t have many school specific pages. But there are tons of inserts you can add to customise it for study. Like half sheet assignment tracker, habit trackers, checklists and lined notebooks. The reason I recommend the Happy Planner is probably fairly obvious if you follow my blog – it’s discbound.
I wish the Happy Planner existed back when I was studying I would’ve loved using all the pretty inserts, dividers, color coding things…
- 12 month or 18 month duration
- Dated and undated versions
- Tabs
- You can purchase larger size discs if you want to add some of their refill pages
- Classic page size is 7″ wide x 9.25″ high
- Reversible cover (different designs on each side) and plenty of covers to choose from
Related post: MAMBI Happy Planner Mini vs. Classic vs. Big: which size is right for you
Read more: MAMBI Student Weekly Planner Review
4. Whistle and Birch
If you’re a fellow Aussie, this would be my pick. Affordable, very functional layouts and you can customise the cover.
- Size: 7.75″ wide x 9″ high (inside pages are approx 7″ wide x 9″ high)
- Coil binding
- Glossy cardstock cover (personalisation optional) with clear frosted cover
- This belongs to page in case your planner is lost
- Dates at a glance
- Neutral inside pages
- 2 page monthly planning spread
- 2 Page monthly calendar (starts on Monday)
- 2 page weekly spread (starts on Monday) – various layouts to choose from
- Lined notes page for each month
- Double sided cardstock pocket folder
- 2 clear storage sleeves
- Lined notes / list pages
- Monthly dividers & tabs
- Australian made
- 12 Month duration
Whistle and Birch Weekly Planner Review
5. TUL student planner
If you like discbound but want something simpler than the Happy Planner, try the TUL notebooks. They’re compatible with the ARC discbound system and come in portable A5 page size.
The TUL has a traditional horizontal layout but with lined writing space and plenty of checkboxes for each day. The checkboxes are big enough that you could write numbers to schedule class times, or number tasks by priority.
- Size: approx 6.5″ wide x 8.75″ high
- Discbound binding
- Flexible
- This belongs to page in case your planner is lost
- Dates at a glance
- Neutral inside pages
- 2 page weekly spread (starts on Monday)
- 2 Page monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
- 12 double sided lined notes pages
- Some student oriented pages
- 1 sheet of planner stickers
- Pocket folder
- Snap in ruler with tab top
- Sticky notes dashboard
- No tabs (but you could use the sticky notes instead)
TUL Student Planner Discbound Notebook
6. Kit Life planner
This planner has plenty of space to categorise the page into your classes, study schedule, work and personal life. There is a pre-timed schedule from 6am to 8pm but the numbers are small so you just ignore them or use whiteout if you wanted to use this space for something else.
- Size: 7.25″ wide x 8.75″ high
- Hardcover
- Wire binding
- Choose from floral or marble cover design
- Dates at a glance page
- Lined notes pages
- 2 page Monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
- 2 page monthly planning overview
- Minimalist, but colorful inside pages
- 100 GSM paper
- Undated
- Lasts 6 months
7. Blue Sky
Affordable and pretty, these planners are my pick if you don’t want to spend a lot of money but still want something that looks nice.
They have a personalised option too if you’re ok with spending a bit extra.
I really like the dashboard layout – there’s heaps of list space and it’s already divided into 2 sections. You could use the top for school tasks and the bottom for your personal tasks.
They have a daily option as well with a wider schedule section than most planners so you could fit multiple lines of text.
8. Erin Condren
Most people like the vertical layout…
But for school I preferred to use a layout where I could separate my subjects into their own sections in the planner. If I was still in school and looking at getting an E.C. planner I’d use the Focused Planner. It can be customised in multiple ways with it’s open ended layout, there’s plenty of list space and you can add as much color as you like without worrying about clashing with the colors of the planner.
Note: the layout of the coil bound focused planner is different to the softbound version.
9. Inkwell Press
If you want a discbound planner with a more paired back design than the Happy Planner and are willing to make the investment, then the Inkwell Press is a great option. The sturdy leatherrette covers are like the ARC with minimalist weekly spreads with just a little bit of color without being too much so you can still color code if you want to.
The 3 boxes for each day can be used for your priorities, meal planning or assessments and exams that day.
Inkwell Press Planner Review – 360 Discbound
10. Agendio
If you can’t find exactly what you need, then it might be time for you to splurge on a custom planner. Agendio is my favorite – you start with their pre-made layouts and can change headings, lined or unlined, add pre-printed text (e.g. your class timetable to the weekly spread).
Read more: Agendio Review (custom, personalised weekly planner)
If you don’t want to use a traditional dated calendar, you can make a custom notebook instead. Some graph pages for math, a group assignment planner, checklists, color coded study notes, tabs etc.
If you don’t like the style of the Agendio planners or are a bit overwhelmed, try Golden Coil (also custom but not as many options and the paper quality isn’t a good).
Read more: Agendio versus Golden Coil: Which custom personalised planner is best?
Setting up your planning for school or college
- 5 Ways to use sticky notes for school or college
- How to color code your planner for school using pens
- 50 Motivational Quotes to add to your planner
Planning Supplies
- My favorite cheap stationery for planning
- Using a planner key and symbols to code your planner (efficient planning methods)
- 6 Useful ways to efficiently plan your week using highlighters
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