In our world, we are constantly on the go, while trying to manage to get everything accomplished within our fast-paced world. Staying organized and on top of everything can feel very overwhelming. With all of the constant tasks we are assigned, we tend to lose track of our goals, priorities, and personal responsibilities. This is where NeuroNotes comes into the picture. We believe that when creating NeuroNotes, it’s not just a tool for keeping a tighter schedule, it will also help college students boost their productivity, reduce stress, and make them feel in control.
Our decision to create this planner is based on our own experiences as college students and our desire to help support other students in managing the balance between their personal life and school life. We recognize that every student has their own unique schedule and different time management from their peers. But with that in mind, NeuroNotes will be a planner that will be inclusive to everyone's needs and will be easily adaptable to every college student's lifestyle. NeuroNotes aims to help college students feel successful within their academics through clear organization, a thoughtful reflection of their progress, and setting meaningful goals for themselves. With NeuroNotes, we believe that every college student will have the potential to take better charge of their time and make meaningful progress towards a better academic lifestyle.
This February, the NeuroNotes calendar is a fun and visually engaging way to stay organized and boost your study habits. By planning out deadlines, exams, and daily study goals, students can effectively manage their time and reduce stress. The playful design makes scheduling feel less overwhelming, encouraging consistent use, helping turn planning into a healthy academic habit!
This September, the NeuroNotes calendar combines structure with creativity to help students stay on top of their studies. With plenty of space to jot down assignments, test dates, and study sessions, it encourages daily planning and accountability. The calming colors and cheerful animal illustrations bring a sense of comfort and fun to what can be a stressful start to the academic year, making it easier to stay motivated and organized.
This planner page uses creativity and neuroscience to support better study habits. Featuring a crocheted brain model, it visually reinforces brain regions and their functions, helping students connect what they’re learning to real-life visuals. By setting monthly goals, tracking habits, and pairing it with mood-boosting music, students stay organized, motivated, and mindful of how their brain works best. It’s not just a planner—it’s a tool for smarter, science-backed studying.
This planner blends structure and creativity to boost academic success. The calming turtle doodle invites mindful breaks, which can improve focus and reduce stress. With space for monthly goals, notes, and a vibrant playlist, students can organize tasks, reflect on progress, and use music to create a study-friendly atmosphere. It turns planning into a soothing ritual that keeps motivation high and study burnout low.
Our NeuroNotes planner is designed with the Self Memory System in mind, a theory that explains how long-term autobiographical memories—our personal life narratives—are shaped by and reinforce our evolving sense of self. By helping users reflect on meaningful events, emotions, and goals, the planner taps into how the brain, particularly areas such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, stores and organizes life experiences. Through intentional journaling and self-guided prompts, NeuroNotes supports the neural processes that strengthen memory recall, promote identity coherence, and foster personal growth over time.
All the different aspects of memory are related to NeuroNotes because with a planner, you are able to utilize all different parts of the brain. This allows students to be able to encode, store, and retrieve more efficiently, helping with organization, and better mental health and academic success. All of the aspects listed are incorporated in NeuroNotes.
Hello everyone, we are so excited to introduce our NeuroNotes podcast to you guys. The idea of this project was developed to find a better, new, creative tool to stay organized while also supporting college students' mental health and productivity.
In our NeuroNotes podcast, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at how we designed our planner. This podcast dives into what traditional planners often miss, and how our planner utilizes applied memory models and learning theory, and why NeuroNotes is about more than just productivity — it’s about empowerment. Our goal? To help students genuinely improve their study habits, manage stress, and feel more in control of their academic journey.
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Crochet Patterns:
Maggie Rossi
I am currently a junior majoring in psychology at Pacific University. As I have worked through this project I have realized there are more ways to connect creativity to psychology. We created NeuroNotes as a way to help students get more creative with their study habits. I am so incredibly excited to see where life takes me!
Maeve Kamerling
I am currently a junior and am majoring in psychology. As I have worked through this research project I have become more educated on the aspects of memory and how we can utilize tools such as NeuroNotes to help boost our memory and make college more fun. I am so excited to share this new creative planner with you!
Makena Tsuye
I am currently a sophomore and am majoring in psychology with a minor in Psychological Health and Well-Being. As I have worked through this research project, I have gained deeper insight into the ways psychological tools can support mental wellness and academic success. I am excited to share what I’ve learned and how it can help others thrive both in and out of the classroom!
