Continuing on from Parts 1 and 2, I’m working through the set up for my uni section.
Since I decided to look at going back to university study last year, then applying and be accepted this year, I’ve been squirreling away all the possible ideas I could add to my uni section. What will I need? What do I want to keep with me all the time? What don’t I need? Will I be keeping course notes in my planner? If not how will I be keeping notes and where?
What do I need and what do I need to keep in my planner?
Course overview, including important dates, and contact details
Unit details, dates and contacts
Study timetable
Assignment due dates
Assignment results – I’m not sure on this one as yet
What don’t I need?
I have watched so many videos on YouTube and they add budget trackers, self care trackers, monthly and weekly spreads. I already have these so no point doubling up.
Will I be keeping course notes in my planner? If not how will I be keeping notes and where?
Nope. I’m going to be making a digital notebook in Goodnotes for all my uni course notes. Trying to work out what I want before the year starts. When I make it, I will no doubt link it up and offer it for others to use.
If you’re looking at getting back into study or just interested in digital note taking and student planners, I’ve created a YouTube playlist which you can view here. If you’ve got a favourite video you think would be a great addition, drop me a link in the comments so I can check it out.
Onto the planning and set up,
and as a bonus, my February planning and set up
One more section to go and that’s my everyday planner set up for the year. Until next time.
Continuing on from my previous post Planner Set up for 2025, I thought I’d share how I’m setting up each of my planners for the year. Starting with my A5 Everyday planner.
It’s going in my Planners Anonymous A5 Chapters Melody again and will have the following sections
Yearly
Monthly/Weekly
Uni
Misc
The yearly section will contain
a mini calendar for the year with week numbers
a Year at a Glance for birthdays, anniversaries, term dates and other important dates
a Year in Pixels
Health Log
Moon phases, sabbat dates, numerology & tarot for 2025
weather tracking (which I didn’t film as I added it afterwards)
Declutter 365 list
Monthly/Weekly section will be my monthly calendar followed by the weeklies for that month
The uni section I’m not 100% on yet but anything related to my uni course will go in here.
Finally my Misc section (in no particular order)
future me problems
Cleaning routines
What can I do in 15 minutes (aka quick wins)
When did I last?
TBR list
2025 bookshelf
Movies to watch/watched
Shows to watch/watched
Podcasts to check out
Present ideas (for when the kids show me something they want)
In this video you’ll see me set up my Yearly section
and here’s my January set-up video.
I’ll be back later with information about what I’m putting in my Uni section and my Misc section.
(Going back through the drafts folder and I realised I never finished my 2024 set up post but it’s up now and you can go check it out here.)
For the past few years I’ve made no real plans for what I wanted in my planner apart from the basics – a year in pixels, monthly and weekly spreads and a few other bits and pieces. I do think I’ve found my planner piece in a ring bound planner and just printing dot grid paper so I can create my weekly spreads to my heart’s content. I prefer being able to design my own spreads and not being stuck using a pre-printed inserts. That said for certain things – like Christmas – I do like a good pre-done insert. Lights Planner Action Christmas inserts, I’m looking at you *heart eyes*
I’ve been following Jess at JashiiCorrin (& part of her Patreon then YouTube subscription) for a while and recently binge watching all of her new year planner set up videos – which you can find here. One of the things she does is a WANT analysis of her past year’s planner. What is a WANT analysis? Its looking at the following areas and brainstorming. WINS (things you enjoy & work well), AVERSIONS (what didn’t work or you didn’t enjoy), NEEDS (what is necessary for the year ahead) and TRY(new or old things you want to try out). It’s also explained in the video I’ve linked below.
After lots of thinking and brainstorming, here’s my list
WINS (worked well, liked, keep doing)
Ring planner with printed dot grid pages
Pre-designed month spread on 2 pages from Lovely Planner
Yearly collections book. Something new I started last year.
Trying to do too much in a month. I’m ditching a bunch of extra pages I had at the end of each month that I’d fill in at the start of the month but would drop off as the month went on.
Not making planner time. And then when I do feeling overwhelmed when I need to create the layout then fill it in.
NEEDS (plans, events, challenges, pain points)
Monthly spreads
Weekly spreads
TRY (have a go, test run, curious about)
Planner Day once a month to set up the upcoming month’s layouts. Just setting up the layouts to make my weekly planner time easier. See point two in Aversions
What journals, planners and apps did I use in your planning system this year?
A5 ring bound planner with a mix of dot grid inserts and planner printables
Artful Agenda digital planner app on my phone and laptop
A5 bound book for yearly collections
A5 bound book for long term collections
What is the status of each of my planner system elements? (i.e. are you keeping them as part of your system, retiring them, or setting up new versions of them)
A5 ring bound planner – keep but with a few changes
Artful Agenda digital planner app on my phone and laptop – keeping as this is super useful when I’m out and about or at my laptop
A5 bound book for yearly collections – loving this, so keeping but making it more accessible so I update it more & adding reminders to actually do updates
How easy was it to keep up with my planning system this year? What made it this easy / difficult to keep up with?
As I pointed out under aversions I struggled with motivation to set up my weekly spreads each week. Sometimes I just wasn’t in the mood, other times I was just busy.
My next planning system
What journals, planners and apps are you going to use in your new planning system?
Journal / planner / app
Purpose
Everyday planner (A5 Planners Anon ring bound)
My everyday, go-to planner. Yearly, monthly/Weekly, Media journal, Uni stuff.
Artful Agenda (on phone and laptop)
For noting appointments when out & about so I don’t double book myself
Yearly Collection (bound book planner)
Housing my yearly collections – yearly goals, 25 in 2025, Then & Again, Monthly favourites, Goober Readathon and my Year in review
Long term collections
For all the long term collection I want to keep. Things that will last more than 6 months.
