Perfect Planners for College Students | 2017 Edition

Kayla Blogs Planner Post 2017

It’s time folks!!!!! I’m back with my THIRD annual planner post where I’ll be sharing my recommendations of the best planners for college students! Which, by the way, can we talk about that real fast??? I’ve been writing planner posts for y’all for three years?! I’m so beyond proud of how far this post has come and I’m so happy you all enjoy seeing the different planners and my thoughts about each one. Hopefully this post inspires you and helps you pick the PERFECT planner for you!

*I also added something different this year! The planners that I think would work for guys and come in more gender neutral designs I designated with an asterisk next to the brand’s name.

Before we begin, full disclosure: I received each of these planners for free and there are affiliate links throughout this post. All this means is that if you buy through my link I get a little bit of commission on the sale. It’s still the same price for you, I just get a little credit for showing it to you! These affiliate links are really what makes this post possible so THANK YOU in advance for shopping through me! 🙂

1. ClassTracker*

ClassTracker Planner

ClassTracker Planner

ClassTracker Planner

ClassTracker Planner

Size + Specs: 7″ x 8.5″. Spiral bound, poly cover with rounded edges. Weekly/monthly layout with notes pages. Runs August to June. Plenty of space for to-do lists or for writing out your schedule if that’s something you’re interested in doing! Super simple and SUPER functional!

Favorite Features: Like I just stated above, I love how functional this planner is. Perfect for girls AND guys, this planner is definitely a college staple. It’s a perfect size, not too bulky, but you can track EVERYTHING you need to: school, extracurricular activities, etc.

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who isn’t about the frills. Someone who doesn’t need distractions or anything fancy. Someone who wants something purely functional, easy to use and easy stick with. Someone who likes to take their planner with them everywhere!

Price: $19.99, buy it here.

2. STARTplanner Legit Weekly Student Planner

STARTplanner

STARTplanner

STARTplanner

STARTplanner

STARTplanner

Size + Specs: 7 7/8″ x 10 1/8″. Hardback cloth cover with gold lettering. Runs from August 1st to July 31st, 2018. Comes with a ribbon bookmark that is attached to the binding. Monthly/weekly layout with monthly layout pages occurring at the beginning of each month. Lots of bonus features including: financial planning, projects, and health planning and tracking. Hour increments from 6AM to 10PM every day of the week.

Favorite Features: This planner has it all! From tracking your H2O intake to your expenses, there are so many useful features in this planner. However, favorite part of the STARTplanner is the cover and binding. It’s super unique and reminds me of a special, classic book. This planner will hold your memories and keep them all in a safe place! Spirals sometimes bend and break but this book seems like it will be super durable and last throughout the year through lots of wear and tear.

Who Would Love This Planner: The adventurer. Someone who loves to track every area of their life. Someone working on making every aspect of their life better and someone who wants to keep their goals, plans, and progress all in one place.

Price: $60.00, buy it here.

3. Rifle Paper Co

Rifle Paper Co

Rifle Paper Co Planner

Rifle Paper Co Planner

Rifle Paper Co Planner

Rifle Paper Co Planner

Size + Specs: 8.25″ x 10″. Spiral planner with hard cover front and back. Comes with an elastic band attached to hold the planner closed. Runs from August 2017-December 2018 (*18 months*). Reinforced tabs for every section in the planner. Monthly pages are grouped together at the beginning of the planner.

Favorite Features: I love how simple, classic, and all-around beautiful the Rifle Paper Co planners are. My favorite feature is honestly the cover. I could stare at it for hours; it’s so beautiful and sophisticated. I would have no problem bringing this in to a job interview or an important meeting! It’s subtle but so gorgeous. I can’t say enough good things about it!

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who likes simple but beautiful. Someone who doesn’t need a ton of space to write every day but still likes to cross things off her to do list.

Price: $34.00, buy it here.

4. Day Designer

Day Designer

Day Designer

Day Designer

Day Designer

Size + Specs: 9″ wide x 9.75″ tall. Hard cover, spiral bound with gold foil. Includes goal setting pages, inspirational quotes at the top of each day, time slots from 5AM to 9PM. Checklists every day, space for a daily gratitude and top 3 goals for the day.

Favorite Features: The Day Designer will always have my heart! I love the beautiful cover options, the ample space for to do lists every day, and the time slots.

Who Would Love This Planner: The girl who LOVES to do lists, loves writing everything down, can utilize a page for every day. Someone who plans religiously and has the means to cart a bulky planner around or is okay with leaving it on her desk most of the day.

Price: $59.00, buy it here.

5. bloom ultimate planner and notebook

bloom daily planner

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Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Size + Specs: 9″ x 11″ with clear frost plastic cover. Spiral bound with reinforced tabs. Includes a storage pocket on the back cover. Different tabbed sections: important information, calendar (undated), 50 notes pages, 21 classic to do lists, 19 pages of detailed to do lists for busier days, blank sketch pages, and a coloring book section!

Favorite Features: This planner is different from the other ones I have listed here. I love this because it is super flexible and you can use it however you need. This is advertised as a planner/notebook so there are TONS of lined pages for you to write in. In addition, there are calendar pages, blank to do lists, and more detailed planning pages that allow you to track H2O intake, meals, and your top 3 to dos.

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who doesn’t quite utilize a planner every single day. Someone who just likes to write important things down and plan when there’s a lot going on. Someone who switches up their planning method often and can’t find their happy medium between notebooks and bullet journals and planners.

Price: $22.95, buy it here.

6. Karma Paper Co

Karma Paper Co

Karma Paper Co

Karma Paper Co

Karma Paper Co

Size + Specs: 7.25″  x 9.25″. Rose gold spiral bound, synthetic cover (waterproof, bend, tear resistant), real foil on cover. Reinforced dividers. Options of vertical or horizontal layout. Space for daily schedule, to dos, notes. Monthly spreads at the beginning of each month. Monthly goal planning, bills/expense tracking. Notes pages. Choose your start month!

Favorite Features: You can customize this cover to say whatever you like! I chose one of my favorite quotes and it looks so good! The paper in this planner is really high quality, it feels great to write on. There are tons of pretty black and white patterns throughout (there is one on each of the monthly tabs). My favorite feature though is the rose gold spiral! It’s gorgeous.

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who sets a lot of goals for themselves and wants to be able to keep track of them. Someone who appreciates space to track bills and expenses as well as their daily routine.

Price: $32.64 (ON SALE), buy it here.

7. College Compass Student Planner*

College Compass Student Planner

College Compass Student Planner

College Compass Student Planner

Size + Specs: This planner is a PDF which makes it the most flexible planner I have listed here! Created by my friend Sara of the blog Sara Laughed, this planner is formulated for college students BY a college student.

Favorite Features: I love how you can switch up your weekly layout whenever you feel like it. Since this is a PDF planner, you can download it immediately and print as many sheets as you want again and again. You can easily move pages around and swap pages out as needed. Weekly view can be changed from week to week if you’re feelin’ something different. The months have beautiful color and are inspired by the seasons and colors of the year (but you can get a more neutral design as well!)

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who is a DIYer. Someone who wants to create their planner exactly how they want it. Someone who can’t decide what layout works best (or just wants to try them all!) Someone who likes flexibility and practicality.

Price: $22.00, buy it here.

8. May Designs*

May Designs

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May Designs

Size + Specs: May Designs offers 3 different size options. The one I use is the 5″ x 8″ classic notebook. It has a soft canvas cover with stitching.

Favorite Features: May Designs books are super portable and easy to carry with you wherever you need to go. They are beautiful and offer the most cover options out of all of these brands. You can easily monogram it or put a quote on the front. Inside pages are able to be customized by choosing from a few pre-made options.

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who needs something simple and doesn’t like bulky. Someone who appreciates design. Someone who takes their planner with them everywhere.

Price: $23.00 (academic planner with monogram), buy it now.

9. Horacio Printing Academic Planner

Horacio Printing

Horacio Printing

Horacio Printing

Horacio Printing

 

Horacio Printing

Size + Specs: 9.5″ x “8.5. Gold double coil binding. Elastic strap to keep the planner closed. Front pocket. Runs from August 2017-July 2018.

Favorite Features: So many great things in this planner! Dream planning, refocus pages, project pages, space to praise and be grateful, semester at a glance, and checklists. There are even bible verses throughout for you to reflect on!

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who loves to do lists. Someone who is hoping to move closer to God and recognize the blessings in their life.

Price: $43.00, buy it here.

10. Emily Ley*

Emily Ley

Emily Ley

Emily Ley

Emily Ley

Size + Specs: 7″ x 9″. One day per page, shared weekend pages. Hard cover with gold foil. Hourly schedule from 6AM to 9PM. Gold double spiral binding. Pocket in front cover. Sturdy tabs.

Favorite Features: As I said in last year’s post, I love the color in the Emily Ley planners! So bright and fun. This year the planners include a sticker sheet and they are adorable! The Simplified Planner has lots of space for meal planning, daily to dos, and hourly schedule.

Who Would Love This Planner: The preppy girl who loves color! Someone who loves to do lists, someone who is hoping to plan every aspect of their life.

Price: $58.00, buy it here.

11. Mia Ellsworth Co*

Mia Ellsworth Co

Mia Ellsworth Co

Mia Ellsworth Co

Mia Ellsworth Co

Mia Ellsworth Co

Mia Ellsworth Co

Size + Specs: Plastic clear spiral binding. Thick paper, plastic front cover and leather back cover. Pages 8.5″ x 11″. Various cover options.

Favorite Features: I LOVE THIS PLANNER. I really think it’s going to be my go-to this year. I was able to customize almost every aspect of the layout which I loved. I added space to track my reading goals, space to track what’s due in the current week and the following week, time slots from 8AM to 9PM. There are plenty of different layouts, mine is just one and I’ve customized it to how I want it (I’m using the Glazer layout).

Who Would Love This Planner: Someone who has yet to find a planner that works PERFECTLY for them. Someone who is eager to try something new.

Price: $59.00, buy it now.

That’s a wrap!

Thank you guys so much for reading and loving these posts. They’re my favorite to write and I love seeing what planners everyone picks and is using. Tell me below, which planner caught your eye?! Which planner do YOU use? Which planners would you like to see me write about next year?

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18 Comments

  1. August 9, 2017 / 9:30 am

    Planners are my favorite thing to get for class! I feel excited when I feel organized and I love using all of the fun stickers and colored pens 🙂 Loving that Day Designer planner! So cute and functional!

    https://www.alexisdezayas.wordpress.com

  2. August 9, 2017 / 9:53 am

    So many adorable planners here! I use an Erin Condren planner at the moment and I have been using it for the last two years. I have also tested out Emily Ley and Lilly Pulitzer planners as well. My sister uses a Day Designer because she has a bit more of a structured hour-to-hour day at her job and wanted a planner that showcased that. I love your yearly planner posts because it’s so fun to see all the new planners out there.

    • August 9, 2017 / 10:34 am

      There are so many great options out there! I’m glad you have one that works for you! 🙂

  3. August 9, 2017 / 11:05 am

    Such a great post! There are so many ones that I haven’t heard of! I use the Shinola Runwell Planner this year and I looove it so far!

    Noire & Co.

    • August 9, 2017 / 11:57 am

      I’ve never heard of that one, I’ll have to look it up! Thanks girl!

  4. August 9, 2017 / 11:54 am

    Okay, there are so many cute ones that I had never heard of before! It’s so nice to be introduced to a lot more options outside of the ones typically being pushed. I’m using a Happy Planner right now and I really like it!

    I love the stickers in the Emily Ley and the cover on the Karma Paper Co!

    Madison // http://www.madsmaybe.com

    • August 9, 2017 / 11:58 am

      The stickers are SO cute! Thanks Madison! I like hunting around for new, different planners!

  5. August 9, 2017 / 12:52 pm

    The Bloom Planner really pulled my eye! I think I like the meal planning and shopping list part because that’s something I don’t have in any of my planners. My favorite planners right now are definitely the Day Designer and the Rifle Paper Co! Great post, Kayla! Loved how you summed everything up. This is super helpful!

    X,
    Cristina
    cristinawashere.com

    • August 9, 2017 / 12:58 pm

      The meal planning notepad is sold separately on their site, you should look into it! I’m really excited to use it. It has magnets on the back so you can stick it to the fridge, too!

  6. Karina Melendez
    August 9, 2017 / 7:40 pm

    Hey Kayla! I really enjoyed your post, and hadn’t heard of lots of these planners so thanks! I just bought a planner at Marshalls and can’t wait to try it once I get back to school in a few weeks. I found your blog a couple of years ago while researching planners and ran into one of your posts When I saw you were going to be an SLP I got really excited because I had recently made the change to pursue that career. I actually started SLP grad school in Dallas this May and found your Instagram account while looking up SLP stuff on there and realized I had read your blog a few years ago, crazy who that worked! Well, I’m gonna stop rambling now haha, but great post and good luck starting grad school this semester!

    • August 12, 2017 / 8:57 am

      Thank you so much Karina! I’m so glad you found your way back to my blog. Hope you’re loving grad school!!

  7. August 9, 2017 / 10:36 pm

    Yes! I got so excited when I saw you tweet this. I’ve honestly been waiting for it for so long. I bought the Horacio Printing Planner this year and I love it. It’s my first time investing in a nice planner and I’m beyond happy with it. Although I don’t consider myself a christian, I still really love the layouts and project pages and whatnot. Thanks for this super helpful post!

    • August 12, 2017 / 8:57 am

      It was really great quality and super cute! I’m glad you found the perfect planner for you! xo

  8. Jocelyn K
    August 13, 2017 / 9:49 am

    I love this post and your writing style Kayla! Putting a who would love this planner section for each one was super helpful and really interesting! Mine was spot on (; I have used the Simplified Planner by Emily Ley before and I’m using the exact one in your picture this year!

    xx Jocelyn // lifeinaleotard.com

    • August 14, 2017 / 11:16 am

      I loveeee that cover! It’s so gorgeous. Glad you liked my post Jocelyn! 🙂

  9. Jami Eastman
    January 3, 2018 / 1:50 pm

    Have you ever tried the Day Designer planners from Target? I’ve had those editions for the past 2 years and they’re amazing! But I might get the ones you recommended for when I study abroad later this year!
    xo,
    Jami Eastman// jamiinprogress.com

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