My planner has always been my bible. I write down everything including daily to-do lists, monthly to-do lists, homework, my schedule, etc. So when I first heard about bullet journaling I thought to myself, "what even is this?" and "how is it different than a planner?"

The honest answer is that a bullet journal can be whatever you want it to be. Literally. When I decided I wanted to start a bullet journal I went on Pinterest for some inspiration and saw pages such as a mood tracker, sleep tracker, daily habits tracker, monthly memory pages and more. As an avid planner girl, I thought that having a set journal to track everything each month would be perfect so I decided to give bullet journaling a shot.

My initial reaction to the bullet journal was that even designing and creating the pages was a great way to relieve stress. I was essentially making a coloring book every month, and setting aside time each evening to color quickly became an easy way for me to relax. I also found that tracking my mood helped my mental health; when I felt as if I was sad every day I was able to look at my journal and realize how many happy days I'd had that month and it helped me to reevaluate my view on life. A money log also helped me to see how much I was spending each month... especially on food. As a college student, it is really important to save your money and to see how much is spent each month can be quite eye-opening.

A bullet journal can be whatever you want it to be as long as it includes pages that are important and relevant to you. My bullet journal has changed the way I spend money, has made me more productive with my days, and has helped me to track when my emotions shift and why. If you're someone who is considering starting a bullet journal but is hesitating I recommend starting one. Your life can only change for the better as a result of it.