How to Start A Bullet Journal for College Students

Let’s get one thing out of the way before everything else - bullet journaling is a luxury that not many can afford either with time or money. It requires a lot of patience, passion, and skill. If you have all three and you believe a bullet journal is what you need to keep you going in your daily activities, then by all means, please do it. Once you see the end result of every page you poured all your efforts into, you will only see something beautiful at the forefront of a chaotic college student life. Without further ado, here is how to start and create a bullet journal or "boju" for college students:

What is a Bullet Journal?

A bullet journal , commonly known as boju, is a very personalized diary or planner. It’s a perfect mixture or doodling and organizing. Bullet journaling is perfect for those who want to make the best of their messy daily activities and just make something beautiful out of it. It is an art in its most worldly form. A bullet journal doesn’t have to be clean. It entirely depends on you and your artistic expression. The best thing about starting a bullet journal for college students is that it’s not entirely necessary, but once you do it you can’t seem to stop until you’re satisfied with what you see. If you find yourself uninspired in the middle of the day, then just bring out your bullet journal and let your creative freedom explore the pages as you write down your appointments in the next few days. 

Why Do You Need a Bullet Journal?

As stated, it’s not much of a need but it’s still a necessity, especially for those who enjoy time on their own after spending a stressful day in college. It can be a pastime that will help you, a college student, have more control over your life at the same time frees you from heavy burdens of term papers, studying, and strict professors. 

If you think you’re a college student who needs to start a bullet journal, then allow us to convince you further. 

1. It helps you become organized. Sure, a plain planner, your phone, and a laptop can help you with that. There are many apps available for college students to help their life become a bit easier, but where’s the challenge in that? With a bullet journal you have more control over what you see in your planner or diary. You will be organized and at the same time, you have all the freedom to draw on your journal’s pages. 
2. It helps you become more productive.  When you write down your activities and deadlines, the likeliness of you remembering it increases. Instead of typing it on your phone, take time to actually organize your schedule in a bullet journal so that you know it more intently. 
3. It amplifies your creativity. If you’re already creative enough, then starting a bullet journal will help you utilize that skill. Starting a bullet journal for college students is exciting because it gives you the avenue to be creative without having to show off to people. It’s just for your own looking, and if friends actually see it they will be nothing but impressed and want one for themselves as well. 
4. It reduces stress.  When you’re in college, you’ll spend most of your time feeling stress to perform in class or impress a professor with your essay. Stress is inevitable, so take time to work on something that won’t actually pressure you too much but is still needed when studying in college. By working on your bullet journal in your spare time, you won’t feel like you’re wasting your time and you’ll still be working on something productive. Writing in a bullet journal can be a way for you to reduce stress in college. 
5. It allows for more focus and fewer distractions. As opposed to using a phone, an iPad, or a laptop in organizing your notes and schedule, there’s less cause for distractions when your bullet journal. You’re solely focused on writing down details and decorating the pages. When you check back on your schedule, you won’t be tempted to go on social media apps as well because all you see are your handwriting and cute doodles. 

A bullet journal can be something you dedicate time and effort on or just want to do in your free time. It doesn’t significantly need too much of your attention. You can do it in between classes, as you wake up, or even before you go to sleep. When you need to write down a lot of information and remember details and deadlines, you will really need a bullet journal to help you maintain an organized and systematic college life. 

To start a bullet journal, here are some tips we can offer to get you going:

Buy the proper notebook or organizer. 

You can freely choose what kind of notebook you want for your bullet journal but we recommend a notebook with dotted pages. This will come in handy for those who enjoy collecting notebooks because you can have more than one bullet journal depending on their purpose. This kind of notebook will be easier to draw on and decorate. The exterior of the notebook can be on whatever design you choose. You have complete freedom over what your bullet journal will look like as a college student or simply just a regular person. 

Gather your materials

The materials you use don’t have to be high-end writing and art equipment. In most parts, a simple pen will do. However, if you want to make the most of your bullet journal then you will need to use a lot more than just a pen - they don’t have to be expensive, use your creativity and make the best of what you have. The materials you will solely need to beautify your bullet journals are pens and highlighters, but if you have money to spare then you can buy washi tape, brush pen, watercolor, and other art materials. Nonetheless, the cost of college tuition is high enough, no need to pressure yourself into expensive supplies, save your money for something more important. Your bullet journal as a college student can still persevere with a simple pen. 

Know what you want to write

A bullet journal is a clean slate. You are completely free to write about what you want to write about. Of course, most bullet journals is a personally decorated planner, so you can follow through with that. Just divide it between daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. List down your short-term and long-term commitments and schedule, and other things you need to remember to do. However, your bullet journal can also be like a written dream board. List down the accomplishments you want to do by the end of the month as encouragement and look back at it once the month is down, then do it again the next time. It can also be a memory diary where you write and illustrate the emotions you feel on a specific day. Do whatever you want with it as long as you keep it pretty and creative. 

If you choose to go with a traditional bullet journal, similar to those you can learn from others, then you will need the basics to fill the pages. Divide the contents of your bullet journal accordingly:

• Index . This page functions as the table of contents of the bullet journal. As you construct your bullet journal, you will need to go back to this page to update the contents. This is so you can easily find where you need to go. There are notebooks that have a built-in index page, however, if the one you bought doesn’t, then make one for it. 
• Future log. The future log is where you can write down the important appointments, deadlines, and key events in advance for the months you haven’t set up yet. 
• Monthly log . You set up your monthly log to have a complete overview of what your month will look like. This can be set up like a calendar or a list, it’s completely up to you. You can also list down your personal goals for the month here.
• Weekly log . The weekly log is similar to a monthly log, but it’s more detailed and stresses more on your weekly tasks. Some people prefer a weekly log over the monthly log, however, having both is not a problem at all. You plan out the seven days of every week in these pages. 
• Daily log . A daily log in your bullet journal is the schedule you have on a specific day. It is a macro view of the day from the moment you wake up throughout the whole day. If you are someone who wants to go by a strict schedule, then a daily log can help you keep track of your time. 
• Signifier bullet system . Your bullet system has to be organized and something you can easily distinguish. Use unique bullets on each of your notes so you can categorize them accordingly. You can use hearts, circles, triangles, and other shapes. 
• Collections . In the collections, you keep a note of the things you want to do soon like the books you want to read, movies you want to watch, or music you want to listen to. This is so you don’t forget what was recommended to you or what you found interesting when you passing by a store. 

Top it all off with your own personal touch in between the margins. Let your imagination run wild when you create your bullet journal. As a college student, you’re often limited to what your major is and you don’t have enough avenues to express yourself properly. By having a bullet journal, there is a creative outlet for you to be one with your college schedule and making art.

Essay writing assistance for college students

If you have decided you do need a bullet journal then it is hoped it’s because of this article you have read. We are happy to have provided you with assistance. Furthermore, if you are also in need of writing services and proofreading support, then CustomEssayMeister is here for you. We have expert writers you can help you with your college papers. Let us help you get the grade you desire in class.