Using a bullet journal to stay on top of commitments

Bullet Journal. A fast, simple way of note-taking and organising your life. They are supposed to be minimal effort, so that you gain maximum utility and continual use. Perfect for students with busy timetables, deadlines, exams and commitments!

Many people like to decorate their bullet journals to make them aesthetically pleasing, whereas other people prefer the minimalist approach: function over aesthetics. I fall in between these two, depending on the time of year and how busy I am.

I use it to keep track of essay feedback so it’s an accessible place to find this feedback when working on new essays

At the beginning of my bullet journal, I list all my readings for each week in the term so that I only have to flick back a few pages to find what tasks need to be done. But the bullet journal is useful all year round. Throughout the year, I use it to keep track of essay feedback so it’s an accessible place to find this feedback when working on new essays.

It starts with an index so that you can easily access your master to-do list or reading lists. This saves you from flicking through every single page in your journal, unable to find the hidden page you are searching for.

A helpful spread for students is the future log, as it allows you to plan months in advance – especially deadlines and exams as time constraints become tighter.

It’s a great way of visualising the week ahead as everything is in one place – especially in term 3 when you are probably balancing several roles and responsibilities more than ever

Around this time of year, it also works as a revision timetable, where you can plan your revision sessions alongside other commitments. It’s a great way of visualising the week ahead as everything is in one place – especially in term 3 when you are probably balancing several roles and responsibilities more than ever.

My favourite bullet journal ‘spreads’ are the habit, mood and sleep trackers. There are different spreads you can use depending on your needs. For many people, the ‘expense’ tracker is a popular one but I find it difficult to keep up with so I omit it from my journal.

I find the habit, mood and sleep trackers extra helpful during exam time so that I can visualise whether I’m sleeping enough, drinking enough water or even going to the library!

You can add in more spreads. For example, this month I have added in a ‘revision tracker’ so that I can hold myself to account for how much work I’m doing. If I feel disheartened by ‘not having done enough’, this can be the boost I need. This worked really well for me last year, and you can compare yourself against previous exam seasons.

It is a space where everything can live together and that ever-increasing to-do list seems a little bit more manageable

But my favourite part about the bullet journal is that you can tailor it to fit your lifestyle. So, if you want to try out spreads, like the trackers, but not end up using them, you just take them out of next month’s pages.

In short, the bullet journal is a space which allows you to keep track of all your different commitments. It is a space where everything can live together and that ever-increasing to-do list seems a little bit more manageable.