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rexaleph · 2 years

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welcome to my twisted mind, im abt to be so annoying abt my gay little notebooks & also sigma grindset

bought a leuchtturm notebook for almost a week's grocery money bc i wanted a separate planner for work. (I found myself expanding my scratch-pad & phone to do lists into like weekly plans so i felt like doing that more purposefully in the moment instead of reconstructing work plans in my at-home planner would help me out)

however, the things i want from it i feel like sth i could have achieved w an A4 notebook from the supermarket stationary aisle lmao. finally becoming the kinda person i secretly looked down on for like the 5 years since i started doing bullet journal-adjacent organizing, the type who buys an expensive planner to crack open on january 1st (instead of starting in the middle of the week in a random notebook you already have and not allowing yourself to use a highlighter until youve proven you can keep the journal for a couple months. Like a smart and normal person would)

Anyway ive used it since wednesday & as an object rly like it, never had a dot grid journal before (decadent), the B5 format is superior for my purposes, tho i wish it had a pen loop bc one of my few aesthetic indulgences is bringing a separate planner pen from home. (not even purely aesthetic, i have an easier time processing thick black script, my eyes kinda slide off of ballpoint pen writing)

Not sure how much mental strain its relieving for me so far tho tbh. Im used to spinning plates in my head so i obviously didnt stop doing it in 4 days even if its all also down on paper, plus i feel like maybe im doing rookie overplanning and writing down things that a) dont need it b) move up and down the priority scale a lot given how unpredicatble work is. So writing some things down on a specific date introduces more pressure and chaos bc i know im not actually supposed to do it but it is written down. Thats sth that will iron itself out over time tho, Ive already made some provisions against it.

Anyway, otoh ive done literally twice as much chemistry this week as usual + kept up w housekeeping way more. But i may have just been keeping myself in line w anxiety over being completely alone w my work w no immediate day-to-day accountability for the first time ever and the planner is incidental. However, having a thought like "oh i should..." and immediately writing it down in a place where i know for sure i will later sit down with and consider how to best implement it, bc thats what that place is exclusively for, feels p good.

The ultimate goal ofc is not to do twice as much chemistry and wash my glassware on time, but the much more ephemeral and difficult fantasy of anxiety relief & freeing my mind from work when im not engaging w it productively. So like, how will i ever know if the planner is helping at all given that the world is a nightmare and none of the shit i do matters, and even if i were to achieve less anxiety abt it, being at peace and despair to the point of resignation dont look that different from each other

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study-like-you-mean-it · 5 years

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ONE YEAR WITH A MOLESKINE BULLET JOURNAL || MY IMPRESSIONS AND HOW MY NEXT BULLET JOURNAL WILL BE DIFFERENT

Hey guys! It’s been a while- I’ve been swamped in exams and various things after, but I’m back now! Also, a little disclaimer: sorry about the lighting and the background in the pictures here- I’m currently working at my summer job helping to edit the translation of a book, and I don’t have access to my usual lighting and background conditions, but without further ado, let’s get into it!

I’m going to go through a bit of what I thought about the bullet journal I used this year, and then talk a little about what I’m going to change for this coming year based on the experience that I had this year.

Bullet Journal: July 2018 to June 2019

(Side note- I run my bullet journal in these months as it covers a summer and an academic year, which gives me time to set a journal up over summer and record my experiences without having to switch journal right in the middle of an academic year)

So, the notebook that I was using this year in order to make my bullet journal was a blue, lined A5 softcover Moleskine notebook that someone gave to me as a present for the express purpose of making a bullet journal. I wasn’t super hot on the idea of using this notebook for this purpose initially, because I was more keen on the idea of buying a Leuchtturm dotted 1917 for this purpose, but I thought I’d give it a go anyway. Besides, I quite liked the feel of the softcover notebook and this way I didn’t have to buy any more supplies to get myself started.

The notebook itself was nice, and the quality of paper was alright: there was a bit of ghosting as you can see in the picture above (the ink from other pages can be seen but it has not bled through). My main issue with this notebook, however, was the fact that over the course of the year, the actual structural integrity was damaged, and the cover came detached from the spine and the bookmark ribbon soon followed, as you can see above. This was mostly due to the fact that the book was softcover and therefore possibly more likely to get damaged, but on the whole the rest of the notebook stayed together quite well.

One thing I did really like about how I did the bullet journal this year, partially prompted by the fact that there were lines rather than dots in the notebook, was the space I left for reflecting and doing actual journally things in the notebook. I experimented a bit with art journal things as well on a couple of pages (but those pages have too many personal details and photos on to be worth sharing), and I really like the way that I could record my experience of my first year at uni in a space that also served a functional purpose for managing my expenses and my daily tasks and events. If you take a look at previous bullet journal posts I’ve made, you can see my weekly spreads, which are a very traditional calendar layout, and that system worked for me as I needed an easy setup that I could lay out quickly.

I messed around a lot with the front section of my months: here’s what my spread looked like in July (with my spending more or less blurred out). I like the inspirational quotes, although towards the end of this year I found it hard to keep coming up with new quotes. I quickly lost my “things to be excited about” and “things I am not looking forward to but will conquer nonetheless” boxes because although they were a nice thought, the content was sort of covered in the reflection at the start of each month, and they were taking up room where I needed to record my spending. I also stopped using the habit trackers that I laid out (which took me ages but oh well) because I found that they weren’t particularly useful for me personally. Going forward, I’m keeping the spending section, and I’m replacing the whole right hand page of this spread with a “line-a-day” section, which I introduced in November of 2018 and I found it to be a really good way of keeping track of the important things that I’ve been doing and experiences I’ve been having without taking up masses of my time.

With regards to the notebook, I left a lot of pages blank at the back, which was a shame, especially because I could have spent at least some time writing longer actual journal entries about particularly important events and travels and things, but there realistically weren’t that many pages that were left blank, so it might have been a bit odd. The book was also a bit too narrow for my liking, but that’s sort of by the by. As you can see in the bottom of the pages in the above pictures, I put page numbers in as I thought I should do that when I was first setting this up, but in reality this really did nothing and I’m not going to bother adding page numbers to bullet journals where the notebooks don’t already provide them).

In summary:

The notebook was ok, but I didn’t like how narrow it was, and the fact that it was softcover meant that it was more susceptible to damage and did get damaged

Having lines wasn’t hugely problematic, although for the art pages I’d rather have a dot grid. It did let me do some more proper journalling, which I realise I want to do more of in the coming year.

The habit trackers were really just a waste of time for me in the end

There are spreads that will stay, like the year at a glance spreads as well as the layout of the weekly spreads as being similar to those of a traditional planner

Bullet Journal- July 2019 to June 2020

I’ve opted this time around for a Leuchtturm 1917 hard cover journal with dotted pages, which is the typical bullet journal notebook, and I can see why. Hopefully the hard cover means it won’t get as beaten up, and the pages are just that bit wider, which allows me to make spreads that look more like planner pages rather than just decorated pages in a notebook. The dot grid has also meant that I’m more comfortable with going a bit further with the art side of things (partly aesthetic, partly stress relief) so get excited for some really funky spreads. I’ve kept the expenses and line-a-day format for the beginning of each month, as well as the full-page monthly reflection that I started in the Moleskine. Because the Leuchtturm has far more pages, I won’t have to compromise on space like I did in the moleskine (outside of term time I had one week to a page instead of across two for space reasons), and there will still be plenty more empty pages left over, which hopefully means I can fit in some proper journal entries. To make a long story short, this upcoming journal is equally as functional for me, but will also be more effective at recording memories as I go into my second year of university.

I’ll have some posts with my latest spreads ready for the start of July, but until I post those on the first, I hope this post was vaguely useful, and as always, you can support what I do below:

http://ko-fi.com/studylikeyoumeanit

https://www.redbubble.com/people/stdylikeumeanit?asc=u

(pls help a poor broke student out)

See you soon for some more content (I promise I’m back now guys)

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bananastudies · 7 years

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Hello! I decided to post about how to buy stationery (in a kind of realistic way) beause almost every post about stationery I’ve read are more like a brand recommendations. Here you’ll find a few things you should keep in mind before buying school supplies/stationery. But first, let me tell you that i loooooove stationery and what you’re about to read has helped me a lot when buying stationery.

1.-Before getting new stationery

Ok, so everytime I buy stationery I get excited and want to buy every cute/awesome (or even useless) things. Think before you go shopping, focus on the important things you need. You’ll save money because you are not waisting it in things you don’t need. So, keep the following things in mind:

How are you going to organize your stuff? maybe you’ll need new folders and loose paper, will you buy blank, dotted, gridded or lined paper? Maybe you want to use notebooks, how many notebooks will you need? Which size?

Do you need special supplies? like specific pens, pencils or paper for certain classes,

Small things like paper clips, pen refills, eraser, sharpener, scissors, etc are part of the Forgettable Things Team… Please, keep the Forgettable things in mind!

Do you need flashcards,post-it notes, page flags, etc..?

Do you have to replace something that is broken or doesn’t work anymore? (like a calculator or a stapler)

If you want, write a list!

2. Brands and Aesthetic

Like I said at the begining of this post, this is not a brand recommendation. You shouldn’t spend lots and lots of money on aesthetic brands or supplies you don’t need just to fulfil an aesthetic. Yes, I know all the “studyblr aesthetic” thing it’s cool, beautiful and everything but you don’t need to be aesthetic to be a studyblr! Well, in case you want to fulfil an aesthetic, find your thing! Would you like your aesthetic to be minimalistic? Or you rather a colorful and flowery aesthetic? It’s your aesthetic, you decide. Try different options, different brands and decide on what you like best. Find a balance between practicability, quality, price and aesthetic.

3. Money

Good stationery doesn’t have to be expensive. Price can’t define quality. A high-end pen, expensive notebooks or anything else don’t help you to get better grades.

Get pen refills instead of whole new pens.

Buy only the notebooks you need! Don’t buy a notebook if you don’t know exactly what you are going to use it for.

If you are going to spend a bigger amount of money, make sure to spend it in things you will be using almost every day, for example a scientific calculator, a filofax agenda or a fountain pen.

When you use a bullet journal, the less important thing is the brand, it doesn’t matter if you are using a Leuchtturum1917 or a Moleskine, the important thing is what you put inside it. You can make a bullet journal out of any joural you have!

Well, i think that’s it. Those are my basic tips on buying stationery, hope you like it. :)

#stationery #originalcontent #study tips #mine #masterpost #back to school #heysareena #areistotle #studypetals #studypool #obsidianstudy #mochistudies #studyblrpositivity #oc

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aeseyastudies · 7 years

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i wanna start bullet journaling do you have any recommendations or advice

Of course anon, thank you for asking me!

Firstly I’d say it’s best to try out the method first to see if it works for you, literally just on loose leaf paper or in a rough notebook. Of course you can change the system later to suit your own needs

you can find the official website here, there’s quite a bit of guidance on how to get started and it explains the basic method

Next you need a notebook. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy, but I would recommend using squared or dotted rather than lines; it works better for the actual ‘bullet’ part.

I use a Leuchtturm1917 A5 dot grid notebook, and I’d definitely recommend it, especially if you tend to use fountain pen or anything else inky that bleeds through paper (I tried a moleskine once and I could literally read my writing on the other side!).

otherwise you can probably find a suitable notebook in your local stationary shop, it just has to get the job done

And then just get started! Write the date, and write what you have to do that day, and go from there!

Decoration-wise, honestly do whatever the hell you want. My entire first bullet journal was entirely decorated with different coloured pens and a couple of strips of washi tape, and if I do say so myself, it looks cute. Take inspiration from the people on tumblr, but do what you want to and make your bullet journal your own. It doesn’t have to be covered with washi tape and aesthetic pictures to look good, but if you want to drown your pages in them, go for it. No one will stop you.

Other advice:

Please don’t stress too much about making it look nice, that will come with time and I promise you your first few spreads will be comical to you in a few years (mine are!)

The point of bullet journaling is functionality, and if you’re exhausting yourself trying to make it look nice all the time, you’ll get sick of it. No one else has to see it if you don’t want them to.

That said, if you want to spend time making it look pretty and you enjoy doing it, go ahead!

Work out how much time you’re willing to spend on your bullet journal and don’t force yourself to spend more.

For the first half of my first bullet journal I had a weekly spread every week with trackers for my water intake, exercise, and piano practice and it just grew exhausting. I ended up stopping bullet journaling altogether for a bit because I was sick of keeping up with the quota I’d set myself.

One way I’ve been able to keep up with it now is by not making myself fill a page per week. Instead of laying out my ‘weekly spread’ I just write down the days I need to write down and skip the days when I don’t feel like it. It’s made bullet journaling a lot less stressful so I’ve kept up with it for much longer.

Obviously different things work for different people so don’t avoid weekly spreads just because they didn’t work for me, but don’t force yourself to write something every day if you don’t want to.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up.

I’ve kinda got myself into the system of having a colour theme each spread, with only one main colour. And I’m a little scared to change it halfway through a book and start using more than one colour per spread. Don’t be like me. If you wanna do something a little different, do it! Allow your bullet journal to evolve with you.

If you don’t like the official system, don’t use it.

I’ve got little boxes to fill in and I find it much more satisfying that putting a cross through a dot. I also don’t like crossing out a whole line like it says to on the website, so I cross through the box instead. Do what you want to, the official system is only a starting point.

If you want inspiration, a lot of studyblrs will have a bullet journal/bujo tag (including me!) so go wild. However if you’re planning on uploading pictures of your spreads make sure they are either only loosely inspired and not obvious copies of other people’s, or that you credit the people whose spreads inspired you.

Some really great bullet journalists:

@emmastudies uses a staples arc notebook (which I use for my class notes), which is such a good idea if you want to be able to move stuff around, and her spreads are always really nice

@penandanotebook‘s spreads are so simple but so pretty I love them all

@journalsanctuary made a really useful video here which is great if you want to see how a bullet journal can evolve over time (also her spreads are super cute)

@eintsein, @studypetals, @obsidianstudy and @ttstudys all make really pretty artsy collage-y spreads

ooh and Vanessa made a really useful tutorial here if you want some advice on making weekly spreads.

@abiistudies‘ spreads are widely different each time I actually get whiplash she has been able to do what I am incapable of (the moon spread ahhh)

okay now I’m just gushing about all the people I follow I need to chill… I hope this helped! Feel free to ask me anything else :)

#asked #anon #bullet journal #tips #my posts

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gracespdf · 7 years

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~ starting a bullet journal ~

What is a bullet journal?

usually I describe a bullet journal to someone as a planner that you make completely on your own from a blank notebook. It can be a combination of a planner, to-do lists, sketchbooks, journal/diary, and so much more. Bullet journals can really be anything you want them to be.

What are the pros and cons to bullet journaling?

~ Pros: You can include anything you want/need with a customizable layout. It allows your creativity to come out, you’re not committed to a certain style, everything you need is in one place, and it’s just so much fun! Plus, the community is great. Seriously though, I just love how every bullet journal is unique and it’s whatever YOU make it! ~ Cons: Bullet journaling is very time consuming, but if you’re like me who likes to relax by writing/drawing, this will definitely be great for you. It can be a little difficult to plan ahead since you can’t just flip to that week like a normal planner, but with a future log spread this will be easier. On off-weeks where i don’t have too much going on, my spreads can look a little empty and boring, but i just find ways to fill my pages, with doodles or stickers or whatever i want.

What supplies do i need?

~ For starting a bullet journal, seriously all you need is a blank notebook and a pen. Although, people usually use many different supplies. these include: markers, washi tape, highlighters, stickers, rulers, erasers, pencils, post-its, colored pencils, even paint! ~ When choosing your notebook these are some of the communities favorites: Moleskine, Leuchtturm 1917, Rhodia, and Muji notebooks. at first I had a little extra money to spend so I got myself a moleskine which I loved, but i got tired of the squared notebook quick and got myself a $5 no-brand notebook from an A.C. Moore which I absolutely love! You don’t have to spend $20+ on a notebook for your bullet journal. Have an unused notebook sitting around the house? Use it! ~ Notebooks come in squared, dotted grid, lined, or blank paper. Many people prefer the dotted grids, but any of these will work! this is personal preference :) ~ To see a list of my favorite stationery, click here.

What should my first few pages be?

Almost everyone I see starts off with their key. The key is composed of different symbols to use throughout your bullet journal for tasks, completed tasks, migrated tasks, appointments, notes, etc. My key is down below:

~ Usually what’s next is the index. This is where you write down what page your spreads/lists are. I’m really bad at keeping up with numbering all of my pages and I usually don’t stick to my index, but as my bullet journal keeps filling up that index would definitely come in handy. ~ For my bullet journal, what’s next is future planning so I can easily refer to this spread. I list every month and leave space for important dates and events. This is great for when I make an appointment or something is going on that’s months away and I have to save the date. ~ For me those are my beginning pages, what’s next is my monthly and weekly spreads! My monthly is always first followed by my highlights spread for the month (basically another monthly but instead I write down a highlight/what i did for the day with an occasional doodle). Following my monthly spread I just do my weekly spreads for the month. My bullet journal is very simple, I don’t keep a habit tracker because I simply did not keep up with it. Instead I have a water tracker for the week (this is hard enough for me to keep up with)! I have a couple of “lists” or “fun spreads” but not too many. I mainly use my bullet journal as my planner.

Now that i have the basics set up, what are some spreads i can include?

~ Of course you have your basic monthly, weekly, or even daily spreads, but with the fun of a bullet journal there is so much more to it!! ~ I have made a master post of a ton of bullet journal pages, to see that click here.

Other tips?

~ Just search the instagram and tumblr tags for bullet journaling, you will gain so many ideas and inspiration! Have fun now that you started your bullet journal (or are going to, don’t wait another day you won’t regret it)! ~ Don’t let all the pictures of “perfect bullet journals” discourage you. Bullet journals are unique, you don’t need the neatest handwriting or the most expensive supplies, as long as it works for you and you love it then it is a perfect bullet journal! :)

Have fun woo!! & please, message me if you have ANY questions ♡

#bujo #bullet journal #Bullet Journaling #bullet journal love #my bujo #how to #how to bullet journal #text #mine #studyblr #studyspo #inspiration #art

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thepeachystudies-blog · 7 years

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I’ve gotten a few asks recently on how to be productive and every time I recommended a bullet journal. My bullet journal has helped me tremendously and I recommend that everyone use one! This master post will be a guide on how to use a bullet journal, including some ideas for your bullet journal.

what is a bullet journal?

Bullet Journals are a way to basically organize your life.

The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above.

official website

how to bullet journal?

how to bullet journal (website)

how to bullet journal official video

how to bullet journal (video)

types of notebooks

There are 4 types of notebooks that are used for bullet journals:

Blank- this notebook is for people who don’t like writing on lines and like a bigger canvas. There is nothing in the notebook besides blank pages. If you are more on the artistic side, then this journal is for you.

Gridded- this notebook is my personal favorite. This notebook is also known as “squared”. This notebook makes drawing lines and writing a lot easier! If you are a perfectionist, this journal is for you.

Lined- this notebook is like a regular notebook, it looks like loose leaf paper in a journal form. If you want to do a lot of writing, then this journal type is for you.

Dotted- this notebook is personally my least favorite, but others like this type very much. This notebook has dots instead of full grid. If you like doodling and more free space than gridded, then this notebook is for you.

notebooks

my notebook

moleskine

official bullet journal notebook

supplies

sharpie pen

papermate inkjoy gel pens

staedtler triplus fineliners

stabilo pens

pilot juice pens

crayola supertip markers

zebra midliners

some spread ideas

yearly overview

monthly spread

weekly spread

tv show tracker

books to read

birthday tracker

sleep tracker

(i will do a separate masterpost on bullet journal spread ideas)

inspiration

my weekly spread

@studyberri ‘s weekly spread

@allcutified ‘s weekly spread

my monthly spread

@studyfulltime ‘s monthly spread

@studyatmidnight ‘s yearly overview

@emmastudies bullet journal

tips for bullet journal

start in pencil before using pen, just in case you mess up. I always use pencil in my bullet journal before using pen to prevent mistakes.

be creative with your bullet journal. this is your journal, so use it as you like. make it as aesthetically pleasing as you like.

however, don’t be pressured to have your bullet journal look “aesthetically pleasing”. your bullet journal does not have to be perfect by any means. it is yours, so you can use it however you like. don’t be pressured to have your bullet journal look all pretty and perfect. also, don’t compare your bullet journal to anyone else's. some people are more artistically talented, so don’t get yourself down if it doesn’t look as nice as others. your bullet journal is perfect the way it is!

you by no means have to spend a lot of money on your bullet journals and supplies. there are many cheap and low price supplies that you can buy to use. you do not have to buy expensive pens or markers to have a quality bullet journal.

have fun with your bullet journal and don’t forget to tag me to show me your bullet journal! (#thepeachystudies)

my masterposts

how to survive finals

how to wake up early

tips for doing well on exams

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emmastudies · 7 years

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As you probably already know, many studyblrs rely on bullet journaling to organise their day-to-day lives. I have received numerous questions about bulleting journaling ranging from how to start one to whether there is a limit of who can use it. In an attempt to summarise everything to do with bullet journals, I’ve created this post! I’m hoping to outline each possible question you could have and provide some answers.

What is bullet journaling? Bullet journalling is a customisable organisational tool which uses indicators to map out and prioritise your monthly, weekly and/or daily tasks. It can be a planner, a to-do list, a sketchbook, and a notebook. There is no limit to what it can be. You are in total control. Bulletjournal.com is a great place to start if you’re looking to find out more!

How is it better than a planner? This is very dependent on you as a person and what organisational tools you find to be most effective. If you find planners restricting in terms of customisation or layout, then bullet journaling is perhaps a good alternative. Many people enjoy the freedom and creative outlet which it gives.

Can anyone do it? Yes, absolutely. I’ve received messages from people saying they aren’t artistically talented and therefore don’t think they can be a bullet journalist but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Using a bullet journal doesn’t require you to be an artist. I certainly am not and still use it! I choose very simple spreads without the fancy calligraphy, doodles or complicated designs. The important thing to remember is that it is usefulness over aesthetics!!

What notebook do I need? Any notebook is perfect - that choice is yours to make. Most bullet journalists use either grid or dotted paged notebooks. However, others choose to use blank or lined ones. I personally use grid notebooks - I find this easiest to write. Whilst the brand of your notebook doesn’t matter, popular ones include Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917 or Rhodia. I use the Arc Customisable Notebook by Staples in A5 for my bullet journal. I find it offers everything other notebooks would but, instead, uses a discbound system which means you can add and remove paper. The refill paper is also thicker than other brands so bleeding or ghosting aren’t a problem. Here are some pictures of my bullet journal in case you don’t know what a discbound notebook looks like!

Everyone differs in the notebook they prefer so do some research and figure out one that might work for you. A couple of tips for choosing would be, find a design that lays flat (I seriously hate when notebooks don’t!) and find one which doesn’t have really thick/dark lines. If they are dark it can sometimes be difficult to see your writing at a quick glance, especially if you use a black pen.

What supplies do I need? Again, there is no set supplies. You can use anything you fancy. I tend to stick with using a black Pilot G2 in 0.38 and Zebra Mildliners. Other people will use coloured pens to differentiate between subjects or special brush pens for headers. Some people also choose to decorate their spreads with stickers, washi tape and post it notes. Your choice of supplies is totally up to you - again there is no set requirement!! It is also worth noting that you shouldn’t feel pressured into buying anything just because it is popular!

Once I’ve gathered everything, where do I start? The best way to start is by planning a few pages to go at the front of your notebook. Some people choose to start with a contents page and therefore will number each page throughout their journal. Usually, they will begin with a yearly overview or yearly breakdown. Followed by an index page where you write out the key that you’ll follow. It can be a comprehensive list or just a couple of symbols, your choice. Here are some examples. Other popular pages include yearly goals, a to-read or to-watch list, habit trackers (e.g. for mood, sleep, grades, exercise, etc), expenses lists. Here are some photos of my 2017 bullet journal and a run-down of all the pages I’ve included and plan to include during the year. Once you’ve done the initial set-up, you can get onto making either your monthly, weekly and/or daily spreads!

What other pages can I include? This is a really limitless question. You can make absolutely anything you desire. Here are a few more ideas:

pages for habit tracking:

sleeping on time; chores; exercise; spending (e.g. under $10); mood; skin care routine; water intake; updated your social media; eat fruit/something healthy; complimenting someone; did an act of kindness; using a new word; did over the recommended 10,000 steps; read at least one chapter; practiced your hobby; ‘don’t break the chain’; 100 days of productivity;

pages to log:

movie review; music reviews; book reviews; travel; dreams; future goals; expenses; gratitude log; sentence-a-day log; tv series episode tracker; weight gain/loss/maintain; follower count; savings; accomplishments; upcoming releases; self-care practice;

pages for fun:

pen swatches; washi tape samples; doodles/sketchbook; movie tickets; flower press; photographs/polaroids; stickers; quotes; recipes; playlists; bucket list; favourite lyrics; ‘fuck it’ page (rant about things that annoy you); jokes/puns; diary; concert ticket pages; outfit inspiration/ideas; handwriting samples; six word stories; writing prompts;

pages of use:

contact information for family/friends; birthdays; gift ideas; wishlist; important events; emails/passwords (don’t write your full passwords! just easy hints); discount codes/coupons; random reflections; self-care tips; mental health tracker;

pages for planning:

monthly overviews; monthly goals; monthly reflections; weekly spread; weekly goals; weekly reflections; daily spread; daily goals; daily reflections; (just to clarify I wouldn’t suggest doing all of them but maybe a monthly overview + review and then weekly or daily spreads)

pages for students:

exam dates; semester dates; semester information (e.g. course info/teacher/rooms/etc); revision checklist; homework tracker; colour code; assessment due dates; grade tracker; definitions; achievements;

Where can I find inspiration? Here, there and everywhere! Tumblr is full of it, Pinterest has loads of boards dedicated to spreads and Instagram has the entire bullet journal community to look at (and join!!). Below are a few places to look at:

my bullet journal tag

my bullet journal pinterest board

bullet journals on pinterest

bullet journals on instagram

Any final tips for beginners? Just give it a go! Test it out, see how you like it. Play around with different layouts and spreads. Find out what works for you and what doesn’t. It is all about improving your own organisation and productivity. If it turns out you don’t like it, try another method of organisation!

Hopefully, this post has answered a few questions if you’ve been thinking about starting a bullet journal. It’s a great way to organise yourself whilst customising it exactly to your needs! If you want to, you can share your own spreads! Remember to use the #bulletjournal or #bujo tags!

Thank you so much for reading! If you’ve started a bullet journal that you’d like me to reblog, tag #emmastudies in the post!

Other masterposts by me:

how to create a study schedule

how to improve your handwriting

how to deal with moving schools or university

how to create a colour code

how to take notes from a textbook

how to take effective in class/lecture notes

popular apps for students

step-by-step guide to writing a five-paragraph essay

10 small tips to improve your productivity

60 stationery brands to check out

school and university related tv shows and movies

microsoft oneone tutorial

my note taking system

#bullet journal #bujo #studyblr #studyspo #studyinspo #my post

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lifesinterest · 7 years

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How to Start a Journal for Cheapos

I’ve always wanted to write this little (life changing) tip.

I’ve been looking at journals/bullet journals/planners on tumblr, instagram and pinterest for quite a while because they’re so aesthetically pleasing! I follow like 20+ blogs because they are sooo nice to look at. The color schemes, the handwriting, the stickers, the washi tape, their clean white backgrounds - it makes everyone so jealous. BUT AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!

Respect to those who make their journals/notes and their edits so pretty because they’re honestly eye candy. But their community is so small, you know? Not everyone can post pretty pics of their notes and actually have time for other important stuff (like actually study and not take 50 pics and spend 10+ minutes on each pic to edit, in addition to liking everything from other studyblrs).

That’s why I’m gonna give you some life hacks(?) for those who want to start a journal that's aesthetically pleasing without having to empty your wallet to buy the exact same materials they use. Please note, this is more of a Canadian hack because the US dollar is killing us.

The Book

The most important part of this hack is the book. Many people use the Happy Planner, Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917 (I had to Google the spelling), or any journal that’s dotted/grid. That’s too expensive for me ($20-30+) and other dotted journals are like…$15 CAD for 60 pages. Where’s the bargain there? I mean, sure dotted journals are cool but do you really need the dotted journal? I went down that route at first so I printed out my own dotted journal using my computer and printer. At first I was pretty excited, but when I started to write across the page, I just felt like the dots were confining me to where and how big I could write. I placed my dots so that it matched the measurements of any regular dotted notebook (so I could feel cool) but it didn’t work out like I wanted to. Keep in mind that there are days where my handwriting is excellent and others times where it just looks like my younger brother decided to scribble in it. You need small handwriting and if you write outside the dotted box, your inner perfectionist comes out and you just feel like your whole life is ruined because you couldn’t keep yourself inside the line dot.

I’ve made my own notebooks (which I still use) and bought a couple others to find which works for me. I find that a blank pages work best. I have two DIY notebooks and the one without the any lines/dots is basically at the end of its use. I can sketch, write notes - basically anything and it doesn’t look bad. The other one on the other hand, I have to keep myself inside the box and it just drives me crazy when one stroke goes over the line. I also bought a Muji 2017 planner at the end of December. It was ~$12 + tax and it was on sale. It was a smart buy for a simple weekly planner but you know what would be a smarter buy? The same planner layout from Dollarama for $4+tax. Why did I buy something from Muji you ask? Because the pens are cheapish and good quality and there was a sale on planners (duh). I think Muji stores have sales at the end of the year or around a large holiday where notebooks are on sale. I haven’t bought one so I can’t say for sure about the quality but I know for sure the quantity does not match with the expensive price (for Canadians). The planner I bought is not recycled paper and is of good quality.

(http://empfire.info/my-favourite-planner-from-muji/)

My other notebook is one I just bought and I’m in love. Guess where I bought it from? Dollarama! For $3.50 + tax. I’ve been eyeing it for a month and when I tried to look for it at a different Dollarama, it wasn’t there! I freaked out so I went back where I first saw it and there was only one left (phew)! It’s labeled as a sketchbook but I originally planned for it to be a journal. Also, if you do decide to buy a blank journal, I recommend sketchbooks because they come in different color, thickness and texture of paper; it all depends on what you want.

This is what it looks like. And obviously, I didn’t edit it because AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT (with my dusty ass table). I don’t know if the paper is recycled or not because it doesn’t say but it sure is recyclable! There’s no coils or anything, just a piece of fabric and a wad of glue that basically holds everything together. The cover is chipboard. And I love it! It’s got that recyclable paper look so I can be cool and say I’m saving the world. The paper quality is pretty thick. I tested the paper with a Sharpie and it didn’t bleed through though you could see it from the other side. I’m not too sure it will hold a watercolor portrait but it does feel like it won’t bleed through if you use it sparsely. So for those in Canada, I highly recommend this book as something on your To Buy list - good quality and quantity for a cheap price.

Writing Utensils

The second most important must have for a journal because what’s the point of a notebook if you can’t write in it? There are many out there that your favorite studyblrs use: Mildliners, Muji pens, Staedler Fineliners, Microns, etc… But hey, guess what? You don’t need any of those! Those are all just over hyped. You can totally go old school and use Crayola!. I recently bought a pack of 25 Crayola Supertips for $3 + tax. And that my friends, is a steal. They usually retail for ~$7. I once saw a pack of 50 for $3 in a flyer which is twice the deal. And honestly, with Mildliners, I don’t understand what the hype is all about except for the fact that everyone uses them…because everyone else uses them (y’know what I’m sayin’?). It’s basically a double ended marker retailing for $7-8 for a pack of 5. Where’s the bargain? As for Muji pens…I have no complaints. I’m lucky enough to discover it and live close to a Muji store. Their gel pens are the only ones that don’t stop writing in the middle of a word. Don’t you hate that? I only go for the dark blue color though because I feel like regular ballpoint pens do such an amazing job at…you know…writing! I go to college, and as all you college students know, there are free pens everywhere and some of them are really good with pigment and the smooth flow. ATM, I’m using a Paper Mate pen I got from Tylenol (I swear). The only complaint I have for Muji Pens is that it smudges real easily. I currently use a dark blue color in 0.7 if you were wondering. I feel like that smaller the size of the pen is, the more unstable my hand writing is. I write quite big.

I also see the Pilot erasable highlighter around in pastel. I was tricked into buying these suckers and honestly…I may or may not regret it. I regret it because they don’t function very well. I looked into reviews and everything and they all say they’re amazing with a 5 star rating but I would say so otherwise. I bought it for the functionality of it during school instead of just journal use. I highlight a sentence I wrote but then I go a bit too far and when I do this cool pen twirl thing to use the other end to erase it…the ink smudges. It freaking smudges and guess what? The ink is NOT erasable. The highlighter basically erases its pigment but leaves a nasty ink smudge on my paper. Why…did nobody talk about this? I’m pretty darn sure it’s not only me. The only reason I bought it was because I don’t like the neon colors (I also bought it because it looked cute). This highlighter didn’t work very well (it died on me the first month) so I started looking at other highlighters and found something called a gel highlighter usually sold and on sale by Sharpie. When I did some research though, I found that it had the exact same look as a pencil crayon or even a crayon. It was just a neon color. So, I pulled out my 64 pack of Crayola crayons I didn’t use since grade 5 and used it to highlight my notes and can I tell you how pretty it looks? Since your paper have different grains, the crayon looks different when drawn on the paper (how much white space is covered). So my recommendations are Crayola Supertips and crayons. I don’t have a recommendation for fineliners but there are many alternatives that do not cost $7-10.

Stickers and Washi Tape Decoration

Ohh the glory. Don’t they look so nice when they’re color coordinated? Well, honestly though, AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!!!! How do you find the time in your schedule to sit down for an hour (or more?) and plan your week with stickers and washi tape? And I’ve seen videos of planners who “switch” to the bullet journal because they don’t have time to plan their life with stickers and washi tape anymore. I mean, for sure it’s nice to look at but do you really want to spend your time doing it? For you creative people out there, could you plan your week in one day and not touch your stickers again for the entire week? I don’t think so. I know I would be rearranging stickers, and adding additional ones throughout the week because my hands won’t sit still. Plus, the nice stickers are expensive (especially from Etsy). Sorry but I don’t have any sticker alternatives. If I did, I wouldn’t share them because I wouldn’t even use it anyway. I’m a sticker hoarder so there is no way I’m using any stickers in my books. As for washi tape, you can’t go wrong especially if you buy it on ebay. The only thing that can go wrong is being a washi tape hoarder. Some have drawers and drawers of washi tape and I’m like…really, girl? Really? I only have 2 tubes from Michaels because it was BOGO free and I feel that it’s plenty. So, as for decoration, I recommend you skip the stickers and just use the washi tape. The tape can go a long way and it has multiple creative uses.

The Cheapest Alternative

Almost everyone has a phone or tablet. Well, guess what? There are a bunch of free apps that allow you to write down journal entries. If you just want to look at a bunch studyblrs, studygrams and Pinterest posts like me, just write your entry on your phone before you decide whether or not you’ll actually be able to continuously write in your journal. Again, this is a beginner’s guide to journaling, planning, etc. So, there is no need to go expensive right away - you may never know if you like it or not and if you’ve found your own writing style. Just buy a cheap notebook first before heading out to buy a $30 notebook from Moleskine. You have all the time in the world, so be patient and find out what works for you!

#studyblr #journals #bullet journal #cheap monday #guide for cheapos #stationary review #journaling for beginners #mypost

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tellmesomethingnew-shiverpass · 6 years

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Bullet Journal for Beginners 2: Journals