I know what you are thinking? What on earth is a bullet journal?!
I remember when that used to be me, scrolling down the nerd side of tumblr (studyblr) and seeing everyone share "weekly spreads" and "bullet journal ideas." I felt like somehow all the successful people had managed to exclude me of this particular strategy to keep your life together. It took some failed experiments and a lot of research (scrolling down tumblr), but now I just can't imagine my life without my bullet journal.
My favorite definition of a bullet journal is "a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above." The basic idea is getting a blank notebook and customizing it into the perfect journal to fit your needs. Here are some reasons why having one might be the clue to survive college (or life in general).
Are you one of those people that need to see the whole week at once? Or maybe the amount of things to do overwhelms you and you must take it one day at a time? With a bullet journal you get to choose the layout that best fits your busy bee life.
2. Who doesn't love color coding?
When designing your own key, you get to find the organization system that works for you. Maybe you need cute colors to find some peace in this chaotic world, or maybe you are more fond of using shapes. You do you!
3. To Do Lists are a basic human need.
There's something reassuring about seeing all the things you have to get done, and nothing beats the satisfaction to cross them all out after one productive day. Not to mention this is a fool proof way to make sure you don't forget big assignments.
4. You have an excuse to be creative.
Have you ever walked past the washi tape aisle in Staples and thought "Man, I wish i had a reason to buy these super cute things"? Well, this is your moment! Your bullet journal can be as pretty, colorful and/or messy as you want it to be, after all this is supposed to help you.
Also, on this particular note, bullet journals are supposed to help you keep track of your responsibilities and make your life a little easier. If that means keeping a simple minimalistic one, that's okay! Bullet journaling is not about showing off your cute handwriting, it's about improving yourself.
5. You can use it to help you remain positive.
After a pretty bad year in 2015 I decided 2016 was going to be the year where I stopped being so negative. I bought a cute blank notebook and started trying different ways to plan the year ahead. After every month I made sure to leave a blank page, so that on the last day of the month I could sit down and make a small collage of the best things that had happened on the past days.
Bullet journals are a great way to engage in conversation with yourself. Doodle that cactus that you've been wanting to draw! Paste a picture of how cute you looked on your coffee date with your best friend! Write an encouraging quote to get you by a stressful week. College can be nerve wrecking, and life doubly so. Use your bullet journal to make the best out of it!
6. You can use it to remain healthy.
Goodness knows if it's not written down in my bullet journal there is no way I'm doing it. This is a very cool way to keep track of your eating habits, work outs and more!
7. You get to have fun with it!
Life can't be all work and no play. The great advantage of designing your own journal is that you get to include whatever you want. You can keep track of your tv shows, your reading list or the movies you want to see. Taking some time off your week to work on your bullet journal can decrease your stress levels dramatically.
