I began bullet journaling after last fall semester because I started doing poorly in my classes due to being disorganized. I often forgot about due dates or online assignments because I would try to simply remember them instead of having a place to write them all down, and I didn't set aside enough time to complete my work or study for exams. I first discovered bullet journaling on Pinterest, and then I saw it more and more on other social media sites before I decided to give it a try, and it absolutely changed my life. I've never been artistically gifted so starting out was a struggle, but it truly did allow me to organize my personal and academic life and it even became a sort of stress relief for me.

What I love most about bullet journaling is the ability to customize it to its user, and that's what drew me towards it over a regular planner. What I find most effective for me, might not be what is most effective for others, and that's okay! The beauty of it is that it's your creation, your imagination, and your preferences that make the bullet journal a medium that will ultimately keep you organized.

I personally use the Leuchtturn1917 journal, however there a ton of cheaper options out there. At the front of my journal comes a blank, preprinted Index, but that is the only thing that comes preprinted besides page numbers and the bottom corners of each page. I started off my bullet journal with a future log, which is what I have pictured below. It works as a central location for all of the major events that I have throughout the year. In addition to my future log, I also have several other spreads at the beginning of my journal such as New Year's Resolutions, books I want to read, TV shows I want to watch, etc. These are mostly just fun spreads that helped me start my year on a positive note.

Future Log

I also have a section dedicated to each month of the year called my monthly logs and in each of those sections, I have subsequent weekly logs. My monthly logs start out with a calendar overview of the entire month where I can visualize all that I have going on, followed by a monthly goal spread and a motivational quote before I dive into my weekly log.

Monthly Log

Weekly Log

Something that I do that deviates from what most bullet journalers I see on social media does, is that I have spreads specifically for academics that I have separated into each semester. I include a sketched-out schedule of my classes for that semester, a month-to-month look at all of the important dates for my classes, and a master syllabus which includes my professor's name, email, and office hours and location.

Academic Spread

Academic Spread

These are just some of the things that have helped me stay organized over the past two semesters, and what works for me may not necessarily be what works best for you. However, I have found that due to my bullet journal, staying organized is less of a daunting task and more of a fun, stress relieving activity.