10 Best Student Planners in 2022 (Education Specialist-Reviewed)
Are you hoping to start a new school year more organized than before? Maybe you often miss classes or essay deadlines because the dates slip your mind. With a student planner, you easily can keep a track of all of your exams, homework, and deadlines. They cover the academic year and are a must for any disorganized student!
It can be difficult to pick the best student planner for you, so that's why we’ve done the research for you! We picked the 2021-2022 Student Planner by Indeme as our favorite. It's durable, has plenty of space to write, and even comes with stickers. We’ve also put together a top 10 list for you to consider and created a handy buying guide to help you make your choice. There's even a video at the end to help you learn how to organize your planner!
Quick List - Top Student Planners
With 16 years and counting in the education field, I have worked with pre-school age children all the way up to university students. I have taught in classrooms, trained teachers, and managed schools around the globe.
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How to Choose Student Planners
Before buying a student planner, there are a few points you should take into consideration, such as size and features. To help you with this, we’ve put together this handy buying guide!
Get the Best Size for Your Needs
Student planners come in a variety of sizes. Before you purchase a planner, you should consider when and where you’re going to use it.
For Updating on the Move, Smaller Planners Are Best
If you’re looking to take your planner with you to school and update it whenever something comes up, you need a planner that is easy to take with you. Student bags are already full of heavy textbooks, laptops, and folders, so you might not want to add more weight with a large planner!
Look for planners around four by six inches, as these will easily slip into your bag or pocket. If you choose a small planner, you might need to be economical with your notes and entries due to the reduced space.
For Use at Home, You Can Go Larger
If traveling with your planner isn’t as important and you will be largely using it at home, then size is less of an issue. When you’re keeping your planner in one place, you can go as large and heavy as you like!
Larger planners give you more room to write. This might make them more useful for you, especially if you take lots of notes or have large handwriting.
Older students seem to benefit more from smaller planners on the go because they carry more and more things to and from school: bigger textbooks, equipment for music or sports participation, and so on.
Having said this, bigger planners often benefit students who still find organization a challenge at home and at school. Bigger and sturdy planners are harder to get lost in backpacks or school lockers. Younger students may also benefit from having bigger spaces to write legibly in, too.
Desk Planners Keep Your Schedule in View
Another option if you’re keeping your planner at home is a desk planner. Unlike other planners that are in the style of neat books, these planners are large pads of paper that allow you to plan out your week or days at a glance.
They may have fewer features than a more traditional planner but can be a good choice for someone who just wants to plan their week and keep it visible.
Look at the Cover and Binding Style of the Planner
Planners with soft covers often weigh less than hardcover ones. These covers are made from a variety of materials, and some have a plastic cover to protect the paper from spills and scratches. It can sometimes be a little tricky to fully open a soft-bound planner and to have it lay flat, though.
Hard-bound covers are useful if you need to write in your planner on the move. They ensure that you always have a solid surface to write on, and the hardness offers better protection. They are also bound in different materials, but some may attract scratches and marks.
Spiral-bound planners can be either soft or hardbound. The benefit of these is that you can easily open the planner flat and don’t need to worry about it trying to close on you. It can be a little difficult to write right against the edge that is bound, but many planners leave a space on their pages for this reason.
Some spiral-bound planners may even be similar to folders and allow you to open the spirals to add, remove, or move around pages. Spiral-bound planners are often bulkier and heavier than other planners, however, due to the additional thickness of the spirals.
Choose a Planner That Has the Time Periods You Need
Planners can break your school year down into time periods that are as small or broad as you need. The best choice depends on how you like to plan your time.
Day Planners Can Plan Your Time to the Hour
If you want to note down the times of your classes and plan study time, look for planners that split your time into days and times. With these, you can plan your day to the hour.
These are a good choice for those who need that additional structure. Sometimes, each day gets its own page, leaving you plenty of space to write.
Week Planners Allow You to Schedule Your Week
These focus more on your week. They often have the weeks split into days with just a single square for each day. Typically, they don't include time periods per day.
Weekly planners are useful for those who don’t need to plan their day by the hour but still want to schedule events on specific days. Usually, you will find a double-page spread dedicated to each week.
Monthly Planners Are Best For Longer Term Plans
Monthly planners give an even bigger overview of your time and break it down into larger chunks than either weekly or daily planners. They’re ideal for long-term planning and scheduling.
If your course gives you longer deadlines instead of daily homework, you may find a monthly planner more useful. However, if you need to plan your time more tightly, a monthly planner isn’t for you.
Hybrid Planners Give You The Best Of All Worlds
Hybrid planners have two or more of the time periods we just mentioned. They can break your time down into months, weeks, and days, so you can choose which system suits each aspect of your studies best.
These planners are often thicker and might have fewer other features due to the number of pages needed to cover all of these times.
Think About How Structured You Need the Planner to Be
Some planners have layouts on every page. There are pages for your days, timetables, or to-do lists that you complete in the way the planner manufacturers want. Well-planned and structured planners that are like this are great for people who are new to planners or don’t know how to use one.
If you’re more experienced with planners and have a better idea of how you want to use them, look for ones that aren’t as structured. These will have more plain pages that you can use how you want and give you the freedom to create your own pages and layouts.
If you want true freedom, you could always consider a blank journal and go the bullet journal route. This style lets you design every single page yourself. If this method sounds interesting to you, why not check our Top 10 Best Bullet Journal Supplies article?
Consider a Dateless Planner
Most student planners follow the school year and start in the summer. You can also find 18-month planners that start halfway through one year and then continue through the entirety of the next year.
However, what if you’re looking to start your planner at a different time of year? Or, you need to take a break and sit a semester out? With dated planners, you will have a planner that has months you can’t use.
A dateless planner allows you to write your own dates in, so you can start the planner whenever you wish. You can skip weeks or months if you need to and only use the planner when it’s needed.
A dateless planner can be especially helpful for students whose school may have vacation dates that differ from those of other schools. In a format where students can write down the date themselves, they won't waste many pages skipping over vacation days.
In addition, many students usually want a new planner at the beginning of the new school year, not the calendar year, and dateless planners are accommodating in this way.
Extra Features to Look For
There are other features to look for when you choose a student planner. Some of them come with stickers that allow you to make your planner look prettier and quickly mark important dates. You can find options with multiple timetable layouts for you to complete or other layouts such as to-do lists, homework planners, or year overviews.
Some student planners may even have non-school-related layouts, such as budget planners or pages for contact details. Whether these additional features are something you need or not is up to you!
Planners with a pocket on the front or the back inside cover can come in very handy as well. These features create a good place for students to put forms and other printed materials that they may need to take home. It also saves them from having to check multiple books and folders at home as they prepare for the next day.
10 Best Student Planners Ranking
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Journaltastic Student Planner 2021-2022｜Classic Blue | | A Cute Planner That Comes With Handy Stickers | |
2 | Smart Planner Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Scheduling | | Track Your Grades, Schedules, and Passwords | |
3 | BooQool 2021-2022 Pocket Planner | | Slip This Planner in Your Pocket | |
4 | Zicoto Weekly Planner Pad And Habit Tracker | | A Desk Pad to Plan Your Weeks | |
5 | Inamio Hourly 2021-2022 Planner | | Large Planner With Hourly Layouts | |
6 | Coboll 2021-2022 Flexible Cover Planner | | Stylish Covers and Inspirational Quotes | |
7 | Artfan Academic Weekly Monthly Planner | | Durable Planner With a Textured Faux Leather Cover | |
8 | Frasukis Weekly & Monthly Planner With Tabs | | Spacious Layout and Durable Cover | |
9 | BooQool 2021-2022 Planner | | Plain and Straightforward Layouts | |
10 | Blue Sky Academic Year Weekly and Monthly Planner | | Planner With Straightforward Layouts and Cute Floral Designs |
JournaltasticStudent Planner 2021-2022 ｜ Classic Blue
A Cute Planner That Comes With Handy Stickers
If you're looking for a planner that is visually pleasing both inside and out, this planner may fit the bill. It has a colorful cover and layouts, and it comes with bright reminder stickers. The weekly layouts give you space to note your goals and check-off tasks, and each monthly page has an identifying tab. It also has a pocket and a bookmark!
There are a couple of critical comments regarding the durability of the paper cover, but the vast majority of reviewers say that it's very cute and has everything they need. They also love the handy included stickers. Reviewers note that there is plenty of room to write, too.
Track Your Grades, Schedules, and Passwords
This planner is undated, so you can start it at any point in the year. It has straightforward weekly and monthly layouts, but it also includes spaces for you to write your daily gratitudes and review your achievements. There are also layouts for you to note your class schedules and track your grades through the year.
The organization was a little messy for a couple of reviewers, but the vast majority of purchasers were happy with this planner. They say the quality of the planner is very high, and they love that they can log a lot of information. Many reviewers say it helped them organize during their studies, too.
Slip This Planner in Your Pocket
If you're looking for a planner that can slide into your pocket, this may be the one for you! It is available in several designs, and they all feature an elasticated pen loop and strap to keep the planner closed. It has weekly and monthly pages, as well as pages for contacts and notes.
A couple of reviewers report missing monthly pages, but this is a rare criticism. Most reviewers praise this planner, saying it is durable with thick pages. They also love its small size, saying it can easily fit into their bags.
A Desk Pad to Plan Your Weeks
This weekly planner pad has 52 pages, so it will see you through a full calendar year. It comes in two undated designs, allowing you to choose when to start. It also has ample space for daily tasks to be noted. It allows you to track habits and list weekly tasks and goals.
A few reviewers wish that the day boxes were larger. However, reviewers like the quality of the paper and find the pad very handy for taking notes and keeping track of their tasks. The chic design and variety of logging options are also praised.
Large Planner With Hourly Layouts
This planner allows you to plan your day by the hour and also has yearly and monthly layouts. There is a second monthly layout that is specifically for monthly goals. Plus, it's eight-and-a-half by eleven inches, making it the biggest planner on this list. It's also available in a smaller size.
A couple of reviewers note that this planner is soft and floppy. The useful hourly time slots are a hit with many reviewers, however, as is the large size of the pages. Reviewers also say that the pages are thick and easy to write on.
Stylish Covers and Inspirational Quotes
With its marbleized cover, this planner will help you plan your year in style. Each monthly spread has an inspirational quote, and the weekly pages give you space to list your priorities for the week. You can quickly find each month with the tabs, and it also includes contact and reference pages.
Reviewers point out that although the cover looks like it has glitter accents, this is just a printed image. However, many reviewers praise the layout of this planner, saying it has plenty of space for writing. They also like that it's lightweight and has good-quality pages.
Durable Planner With a Textured Faux Leather Cover
The cover of this planner is made from faux leather but has the cross-hatched texture of real Saffiano leather. It comes with stickers that can be used to create monthly tabs and a pen loop on the spine. Inside the planner are both monthly and weekly layouts, as well as a detailed list of holidays for the next three years.
There are a few reports of missing pages. However, many reviewers like the textured cover, saying it feels quite durable. Reviewers also like the multiple blank pages at the back and note that the pages are thick and of good quality.
Spacious Layout and Durable Cover
The bold but simple design of this planner makes it both stylish and unique. It has weekly and monthly layouts, and each month has a tab to make it easy to find. There is an elastic closure to prevent the planner from opening and it also includes pages for contacts and additional information.
Some reviewers received planners with missing pages, and a few also found that pages can get caught in the binding. Many reviewers praise the amount of space in the planner, however, saying that they can write everything they need. They also like the durability and hardness of the cover and the usefulness of the monthly tabs.
Plain and Straightforward Layouts
In this softcover planner, time periods are split into both monthly and weekly layouts. The weekly layouts have enough space for you to plan your day by the hour. You can add notes to the monthly spreads, and the edges of the monthly pages are clearly marked. The planner also includes pages for contacts.
Some reviewers report that their planner had pages out of order or missing. But most reviewers say their planner is durable and easy to use. The plain and straightforward layouts are a big hit with reviewers who just want a simple planner.
Planner With Straightforward Layouts and Cute Floral Designs
This planner has a floral motif that can be seen on both the cover and throughout the weekly and monthly pages. There is plenty of room to write appointments and reminders on the weekly layouts, and the months are easily identified through attached tabs. Also included are layouts for important dates, annual goals, and contacts.
A few reviewers report that the spiral binding isn't secure enough, saying that some of their pages became loose or fell out. However, most purchasers like that the layouts are clean and simple to use. They like the floral design and say that this planner is handy for students and teachers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to reviewing our buying guide, Minori was kind enough to answer some common questioned about student planners.
Can primary or elementary students use student planners?
Minori says, "They can, and they absolutely should! Many schools actually distribute daily planners to elementary students by default.
As educators, we consider it to be part of a good education to teach young children how to stay organized and manage themselves. If our students have planners, we can help by guiding them to write down homework assignments, make notes of any items they need to bring from home, and so on.
When a younger student has a planner, it can be beneficial for their parents as well. Planners are a great spot for parents to write a quick note for the teacher or vice versa."
Should college students still use student planners?
Minori says, "For many students, college is the first time they are truly managing their own schedules and keeping track of their own assignments. Investing in a proper system for self-management like a student planner is a wise way to start college.
This is especially true if you were using a student planner in high school, it makes sense to use an organization system you're familiar with. This will ground you and keep you motivated in the new season of life you're starting."
More Useful Products for Students
Students always need more stationery, and we have more stationery to recommend! Take a look at these articles for more products that we love.
Buying Guide Reviewed by Education Specialist Minori Nagatomo
This expert reviewed the contents of the buying guide for accuracy and provided factual corrections when necessary, as well as extra tips and advice. They did not participate in the product selection process, nor are they affiliated with any of our choices unless explicitly stated so.
Top 5 Student Planners
No. 1: Journaltastic｜Student Planner 2021-2022｜Classic Blue
No. 2: Smart Planner｜Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Scheduling
No. 3: BooQool｜2021-2022 Pocket Planner
No. 4: Zicoto｜Weekly Planner Pad And Habit Tracker
No. 5: Inamio｜Hourly 2021-2022 Planner
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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