Every year when fall comes around, I am awash with a post-summer longing for school. But alas, my days of schlepping a duffel bag up a hill into a musty dorm room on move-in day are over. The part that I miss most: the first day of class, where I would crack open a fresh academic planner that I’d treat as my bible for the first few weeks of the semester and then inevitably get too lazy to keep up with.
I love planners: the month-at-a-glance grid, the daily breakdown, the blank lines for one-off reminders, the inspirational quotes at the start of each month. I mean, what’s a new school year without bullet pointed lists jotted down in your planner’s margins during drop/add period?
Whether you’re into planners of the uber-structured variety where everything has its designated space, or fancy yourself a minimalist and prefer more doodle room, check out this roundup of 2019’s cute and useful college planners at a variety of price points.
For more back-to-school recs, check out our favorite laptops for students and our guide to giving your desk a makeover.
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This floral planner is adorned with gold foil accents and has weekly and monthly page layouts, plus month tabs and plenty of stickers.
Rifle Paper Co 2020 Garden Party, $34, available at Rifle Paper Co
If you want to design your own planner down to the page — this one’s for you. Plum Planner lets you choose from a variety of sizes, layouts, and patterns, and even personalize the cover.
Plum Paper Plum Paper 7″ X 9″ Personalized Planner, $32, available at Plum Paper
This planner has a vertical page layout that’s perfect for organizing daily appointments and keeping lists. Plus it has tabs, a cute little pocket folder in front and back, and an emerald watercolor cover!
Paper Source 2019-2020 Emerald Glaze Medium Planner, $29.95, available at Paper Source
This Shinola planner is perhaps the fanciest-looking of the bunch. It’s sleek, smooth, and can be personalized with your monogram. And it includes moon phases! It’s also inconspicuous enough for class or a meeting.
Shinola 18 Month Runwell Planner, $26, available at Shinola
Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily — this planner has it all. Still, its interior is on the sparse side (with plenty of blank pages), which means you’ll never run out of the room. Also, the cover is v chic.
Poketo Daily Weekly Monthly Planner in Abstract, $34, available at Poketo
This planner wins as cutest of the bunch. It’s full of artwork, many, many stickers, and would make for a great gift. And it comes in a variety of pretty colors/designs, too. But perhaps the best perk of all is ban.do’s matching planner accessories.
Bando Medium 17-Month Academic Planner – Block Party, $28, available at Bando
I have been an ardent Erin Condren fan since middle school and remain one to this day. There’s something about that spiral binding. This planner comes in a variety of designs, includes detailed pages meant for projects and exams, and has assignment-specific stickers to help you stay organized.
Erin Condren Fruity Beauty Academic Planner, $37, available at Erin Condren
If you’re looking for a planner with less structure, this one’s for you. Fill in the date, your to-do list, notes, and whatever else you need it for. And it comes with a sweet ribbon for a page holder.
Urban Outfitters Daily Planner Journal, $18, available at Urban Outfitters
A tried and true classic. If you’re looking for a straightforward planner without all the frills, look no further. There’s ample note and list room — the weekly view on the left is paired with a ruled page on the right. Also, the binding lets you lay the planner flat on your desk, which is great if you’re looking for something less bulky.
Moleskine 18-Month Weekly Notebook Planner, $17.95, available at Moleskine
A planner for the do-er: This one is all about pushing you to achieve your goals, both short-term and long-term. For each day, there’s a section for your top three to-do prompts, plus there are built-in reminders to keep you in check.
Day Designer Academic Year 2019-2020 Daily Planner, $59, available at Day Designer
It’s one of the simpler options, but with nice paper and a gorgeous cover — it wins for the best visuals of the bunch. Plus, it comes with a variety of different covers to choose from.
Papier Earth Mother Weekly Planner, $28.99, available at Papier
Who said pretty planners have to cost the big bucks? This option from Target is inexpensive and has all the fixings, plus tabs that make it super easy to toggle between months.
Blue Sky 2018-19 Academic Planner 5″ x 8″ , $7.99, available at Target
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