by Gabrielle Schrader

Created on: September 23, 2010

The benefits of using a day planner while in college are astounding. In my opinion, there isn't a reason not to use a day planner. When coming from high school where your teachers might have been lenient with due dates or gave you extra reminders before a project was due, your college professors will give you one due date and that will be all. If you lose the paper, if you forget, or whatever other way you might forget to do something important, you will not be given another chance. You need to be completely responsible for yourself and for your work. 

WIth a day planner, you can of course plan more than just your homework. If you have an extra seminar you want to attend or if you have a date with someone for lunch. You can even use it to set the party agenda or some meeting for an exciting internship or externship program. You will want to use a day planner for the rest of your life. Many people forget that you will want to meet with your professors at several points throughout the year and it will definitely be easier for you if you can write down your appointments with your professors in your day planners. Professors will not look kindly on those who are late to their appointments or forget to show up altogether. Don't be that student and write your appointments as well as assignments down in your day planner.

The extent to which you use your day planner depends entirely on you and your lifestyle. Some people choose to record everything in their day planners and some prefer to limit it to only academic assignments or only to large projects. Some include lots of information and even plan out their daily schedules in terms of studying language form 7-8, math from 8-9, english from 9-11. It's always up to you to decide what works best for you. However, recording your assignments in a day planner is the most important way to keep track of your assignments and your class schedule. 

Once you've decided that I am indeed right and you do want to buy a day planner, I suggest buying an academic day planner from the brand Quo Vadis. These will hold up all year and they have a variety of styles/colors. My favorite is a pastel color of the club planners. They have been the providers of my yearly planners for almost four years now. And no, I was not paid to endorse these planners. I know quality when I see it and these are not-too-expensive-long-lasting-quality planners. Regardless of whether or not you'd like to try these planners, get out there and buy a planner today! You will not fare nearly as well in college without one, I promise.

Learn more about this author, Gabrielle Schrader.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.