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Author: Krystal Li, IB Senior
Author: Krystal Li, IB Senior
As an IB student, it can get very difficult managing homework, tests, and clubs among all of the other things going on in our lives. One way you might find helpful in balancing these things and finding organization in your hectic schedule is bullet journaling!
What is a bullet journal?
A bullet journal, or ‘bujo’ for short, is a notebook where you write things such as:
tasks you need to get done
monthly trackers
planned meetings
daily reflections
events you want to remember
things you’d like to do in the future
You might be thinking, how is this different from keeping a regular calendar or diary? Well, a bullet journal is a nice combination of both and many people find it more helpful to keep up with since your bullet journal is customized to you! For example, many people find excitement in decorating the pages of their journals with stickers or washi tape to make using their journal more enjoyable. If this artsy type of journaling isn’t for you, that’s totally fine! There are also people who take a more minimalistic approach to journaling with simple, black and white spreads.
Here are some examples!
(courtesy of former Coral Reef student Julie Kim)
Minimalist Spread:
Artsy Spread:
How do you start a bullet journal?
While many people keep a plethora of stationery on hand to fill the pages of their bullet journal, the only true essentials are a pen or pencil and a notebook! Anything can work for a bullet journal since all journals are different and completely up to the person who uses them. Please don’t feel the need to attempt really complicated spreads (pages in your journal) if all it will do is make you put off journaling. Remember, the goal is to create a journal you really love and want to continue!
Some materials you might find useful to your journaling are:
Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dotted Notebook (standard size notebook with a dot grid useful for drawing lines and decorating)
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens (highly recommended pens that don’t bleed)
Zebra Mildliners (quality highlighters with many color options)
Tombow Brush Pens (calligraphy pens that are useful for stand out titles)
All of these are available on Amazon!
Why use a bullet journal?
While some people find that having an agenda or calendar is useful to them, not everyone is able to get into the habit of using one. If that describes you, then this alternative method of keeping organized could be more effective for you! Realistically, no one wants to address the meetings they have next week or look at a long list of the things they have to do, but this creative way of scheduling will hopefully make you want to come back to your journal and keep using it, improving your organization each time you do so.
Extra resources for those who want to start their own journal:
A comprehensive written guide to bullet journaling:
https://littlecoffeefox.com/ultimate-bullet-journal-cheat-sheet/
A video guide to starting your journal:
https://youtu.be/ZEWPEpFuaoAA guide to setting up your journal mid-year:
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