Are you looking for the best academic planner to get you through grad school? There’s no denying that graduate school is a busy time that may sometimes have you feeling out of your depth. When you add work and family, it can get even more challenging to balance.
Paper planners aren’t for everyone, but the best academic planners (below) might change your mind. We’ve also included a buying guide for the best planner for college or graduate students. Let’s get started!
The Best Academic Planners At-a-Glance
Planner |
Description | Link |
Class Tracker College-Edition Student Planner |
Best academic planner overall |
|
Live Whale Undated Planner |
Most flexible planner for grad students |
The Best Planners for Students in 2024
Here’s the more detailed guide on academic planners. I’m highlighting those that will best help you prepare for exams, homework, and (most importantly) academic goals. In the past, The GradCafe recommended six planners. I’ve narrowed that down to two. Both have appeared on the list in the past. The difference? These stood the test of time.
1. Class Tracker Student Planner: College Edition – Best Academic Planner Overall
Key Information:
- Size: 7 x 8.5 inches
- Months: 12
- Starting Month: July
- Paper Type: Thick, but thickness unspecified
- Cover Type: Soft-touch laminated cover; coil bound, rounded corners
- Colors Available:
- Cream and pale pink
- Cream, ocean blue, and seafoam
- Cream, pale pink, and salmon
- Cream, poppy, and bubblegum
- Cream, violet, and bubblegum
- Ocean blue and seafoam
- Pine and cream
- Additional Features:
- Class schedule pages
- Notes pages
- Goals pages
- Self-care tracker
If you’re looking for a tried and tested option, the Class Tracker Ultimate Student Planner is an excellent option. This dated planner has monthly and weekly pages that start in July and end in June of the following year. It includes various features to make your life easier, such as weekly pages with self-care trackers, class schedule pages, goal pages, notes pages, monthly pages, and more.
This planner (featured by Wired, CNN, and College Life Made Easy) has plenty of space for you to write everything you need. To help maintain focus, the pages have an unassuming design to restrict distractions.
Another element that makes The Class Tracker Ultimate Student Planner one of the best planners for college students is perfect for people who want to start at their leisure. The undated planner has more cover options and the same features as the dated planner.
2. Live Whale Undated Planner – Most Flexible Planner for Grad Students
Key Information:
- Size: A5 (5.83 × 8.27 inches)
- Months: 12 months
- Starting Month: N/A; Undated
- Paper Type: 100% recycled 120 GSM with satin-reinforced edges
- Cover Type: Hardcover, vegan leather
- Colors Available:
- Grey/silver accents: Black
- Yellow/gold accents: Blue, Pink, Purple, Red
- Additional Features:
- Vision board pages
- Dreams and goals pages
- Health and wellness pages
- Expense tracker pages
- Three ribbon bookmarks
- Hidden back pocket
- Riveted pen loop
The Live Whale planner is one of the best college planners for students who need extra flexibility. Because it’s an undated planner, start planning any time you’d like. If you stop using the planner for any reason, come back and start fresh whenever you want. That’s one reason we like this college planner again for the current academic school year. If you bought it two years ago, you could still update the due dates and use it this year.
This planner offers monthly and weekly layouts to help you stay organized, as well as plenty of other features that might come in handy. The paper is 100% recycled and thick at 120 GSM, making bleed-through unlikely.
Thoughtful design decisions went into the color and accent choices for this planner, making it an aesthetic choice for those who aren’t into busy prints or flashy colors.
Recommended Accessories for a Graduate Student Planner
Even if you have the best planner for Ph.D. students, it can still sometimes feel as though you’re struggling to stay organized. If you find yourself on this boat, the following list of accessories might be able to help.
Accessory |
Description |
Link |
Post-it Super Sticky Notes, Assorted Sizes |
This pack of Super Sticky Notes comes with 15 pads for a total of 675 notes | |
Post-it Flags and Tabs Value Pack |
This pack includes a variety of tab and flag sizes. It comes with a total of 956 flags and tabs. | |
Clip-Rite Flag Paperclips |
This 24-pack of eco-friendly reusable paperclip flags comes in four colors with six flag paper clips each. | |
Leoter 30 Rolls Washi Masking Tape Set |
Washi tape leaves no residue, sticks to most surfaces, and can be used and repositioned (even on paper). This pack contains 30 rolls. | |
Tombow Power Mini Glue Tape (3-Pack) |
This 3-Pack of Tombow Power Mini Glue Tape is a handy paste and glue substitute. | |
Pilot Frixion Pastel Erasable Highlighter Pen Set |
The Pilot Frixion line of pens and highlighters are all erasable. Use the six colors included in this pack to color-code and organize your planner. | |
Pilot Frixion Erasable Clicker Pens (6-Pack with Refills) |
This pack of erasable clicker pens comes with six pens (three black, three blue) plus four refills (two black, two blue). | |
Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Pens (12-Pack) |
This 12-pack of metallic gel pens can help you color code and organize while ensuring important dates and deadlines stand out. |
How to Find the Best Student Planner
Finding the right grad school planner can feel challenging – not all planners are made the same! Additionally, a planner can be deeply personal, so what works for others may not work for you. Consider some of the criteria below to find your perfect planner:
- It’s Designed for Students: Compared to a traditional option, academic planners have certain features that make them better for students, like detailed pages for class schedules. Designers also make other considerations, such as offering flexibility, adding prioritization methods, and more.
- It Fits Your Needs: Check out product pictures to see what the inside of the planner looks like and determine whether the features you need are included. Look at product reviews to see what others have thought about their purchases. Additionally, you can look into some of the additional tools each planner can offer. Some have pages for mind maps, habit tracking, goal-setting (and tracking), budget tracking, to-do lists, and contact lists. Consider whether the planner includes the organizational tools you need. Many students will purchase a planner for its function over its form, but it’s possible that a better-looking planner will motivate you to use it more often. We recommend balancing your aesthetic tastes, learning style, and time management methods.
- The Start Date Aligns with Your Schedule: ‘Normal’ planners start in January, while academic planners may start in different months (such as June or July). If you start on a non-standard date, consider using an undated planner. Undated planners allow more flexibility, letting you plan only for the weeks and months you need.
- Check How Many Months the Planner Has: Some planners offer six months of pages, a typical 12 or even 18 (for some college student planners)! The amount you require is a matter of preference – so it’s up to you to decide!
- It Has Plenty of Space: The best planners for grad school will have plenty of space. As a grad student, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll be incredibly busy. Make sure that your academic planner has plenty of space to accommodate school activities, schoolwork, tasks, meetings, and even your real-life stuff. You may even get enough space to help accommodate some notes!
Why Have a Planner When You Have Electronics?
Digital planners often work with some of the best note-taking apps on tablets. However, there are many reasons to choose physical planners for college students (rather than digital alternatives). These reasons include:
- Paper Is More Tangible
A digital student planner works perfectly fine, but sometimes the best academic planners for grad students are paper-based. A physical paper planner feels much more tangible and might better remind you of your tasks, deadlines, and meetings. When you have a book to look at, it can help make your schedule and priorities feel more “real.” Plus, it’s just nice to have something you can chuck in your backpack and keep with you wherever you go! - Fewer Distractions
A planner app or to-do list on your phone has its benefits, such as giving you reminders and notifications when something important is imminent. However, the downside to a digital solution is that the chances of distraction are far greater. Getting a notification while checking your calendar could lead to wasting an hour on social media. Another fantastic reason to choose a paper planner over an app or other electronic service? There are few-to-no distractions. - Writing By Hand Offers Many Benefits
Finally, numerous studies and articles state that handwriting is simply superior to typing when it comes to memory retention, deeper comprehension, and learning. Choosing physical planners for a college student or a grad student can help you more deeply comprehend the importance and urgency of the tasks at hand. It can also help you commit important dates to memory (though digital reminders are great for dates that shouldn’t be missed).
Top Tips for Staying Organized in Grad School
It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed when you’re starting — or are in the middle of — grad school. Things can get hectic fast. Without time management and organizational skills, you might find yourself struggling to keep up with necessary tasks. To help you out, we’ve put together some of the best tips for staying organized in grad school.
1. Use Your Planner!
It’s not enough to have an academic planner: You need to use it! Make it a habit to check your planner in the morning so you know what you need to do that day. Always add new tasks, deadlines, and meetings as they come up.
It takes time to get accustomed to using a planner, so stick with it! If you struggle to remember to use yours, keep it in plain sight so you remember.
2. Work Out an Organizational System
A color-coding system can help you instantly recognize items at a glance. Use various tools and stationery like Post-it notes, flags, stickers, and colored pens to make important events (as well as coursework, research, and notes) stand out.
3. Use Digital Alarms and Reminders
Just because you’re using a paper planner doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use technology to supplement your daily planning. Digital reminders and alarms will help you remember when the most important things are happening.
4. Develop Your Time Management
To stay organized while earning your master’s or Ph.D., you’ll need to work on your time management. Everyone has a style that works best for them, so find yours and stick to it.
It’s also a good idea to do as much as you can without procrastinating (if it’s possible). Procrastination is one of the biggest reasons that many grad students get derailed! While there is such a thing as productive procrastination, too much can lead to problems!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should Be in an Academic Planner?
Features included in an academic planner may vary, but you can generally expect:
- A monthly calendar spread with space to write important dates and deadlines
- Weekly calendar spreads with plenty of room to write down assignments, coursework, important meetings, and more
- Note pages if you forget your other notebooks
- Some academic planners may also have pages for your class schedule.
What’s the Difference Between an Academic Planner and a Regular Planner?
There’s not much difference between a regular planner and an academic planner. Regular planners start in January, while academic planners often start before the fall semester (June-July). Academic planners may also have more space for writing down tasks, as well as a few pages for your class schedules.
How Do I Organize My Academic Planner?
Organizing your academic year planner is a personal experience and can depend on your preference. However, you can try techniques (such as color coding with pens, using Post-it notes, highlighting important dates and deadlines, and using stickers to draw your attention). If you experiment, you’ll eventually find your preferred method of organization!
Do Students Use Planners?
Yes! Many students (of varying levels) use planners to help them stay organized and stay on top of deadlines and important dates.
Conclusion
Having the right tools can make academic life much easier, especially if your schedule is exceptionally busy. A planner might take some getting used to, but getting into the habit can make a massive difference in how well you organize and manage your time.
We hope this list of the best academic planners has helped you find the right productivity companion. If you think we missed a great addition to this list, tell us in the comments below!
If you prefer digital planners, check out some of the best planner apps for students!
Chriselle has been a passionate professional content writer for over 10 years. She writes educational content for The Grad Cafe, Productivity Spot, The College Monk, and other digital publications. When she isn't busy writing, she spends her time streaming video games and learning new skills.