Discover the best version of yourself this academic year with our mid-year planners, undated diaries and desktop pads for the ultimate educational organisation.
If you're looking for 2024 - 2025 planners go to our new blog here.
As someone who had infinite stationery collections at university, I couldn't resist creating this list of planners for you. After endlessly browsing through our academic planners and getting excited by our new arrivals, I discovered they each had their own personalities. I’m fascinated by how our aesthetic preferences and practical needs draw us to different diaries. Inspired by the various characters I encountered, loved and befriended during university, I decided to create the ultimate planning guide for students.
Scroll on to browse our essential academic planners for every student.
The Social Butterfly
Every sociable person needs a planner so they never double book. If you're the life of the party, you'll need a diary that's just as outgoing and confident as you are. The planners below are perfect for plenty of plans in bold colours to match your personality
1. Weekly A5 Planner - Stockholm No. 2 | The Completist | Shop now
This brightly patterned design comes in a bag friendly size. These weekly planners may be compact, but the minimal interior leaves plenty of space to fill with plans.
Start the academic year afresh with this sleek calendar. It’s the perfect match for you with its bold and happy colours. Its A4 size will sit stylishly on the back of your door so you won’t miss those all important reminders on your way out.
3. Academic Daily Pocket Diary | Moleskine | Shop now
Colourful like your social life and suitably small. You could even bring this one to the party with you! This pocket size Moleskine diary doubles up as a notebook with a weekly page for notes too.
The Star Student
Are you looking to cram in as many extracurricular activities as possible? Is not being at the top of the class unthinkable to you? Juggle countless tasks with these planners.
1. The Day Pad | Crispin Finn | Shop now
An essential performance tool. When it all seems too much, separate and prioritise your day’s tasks with this handy box format.
2. The Academic Year Wall Planner | Crispin Finn | Shop now
This planner lets you see your entire academic year at a glance. The design is clear, practical and easy on the eye. An ideal wall feature to see you through the year.
3. The Academic Year Task Planner | Appointed | Shop now
Optimise your daily study duties with monthly goals, tick boxes and daily notes pages. Laminated monthly tabs allow for easy navigation in this popular planner. The slim format also slips neatly into a book bag when zipping between classes. What’s not to love?
The No-Fuss Minimalist
These academic planners were selected with graphic design students in mind. They’re the classics for those that want a fuss-free, minimalist design - allowing your thoughts and ideas to flourish.
1. Desktop Notepad - Pale Blue | Before Breakfast | Shop now
A lightly structured format makes it easy peasy to organise your commitments. Jot down what you need to do over the week then tear off each page as you go. It’s available in a salmon colourway too.
2. Monthly Desk Pad | MiGoals | Shop Now
A supersized, A3 desk pad to help you plan the month. Visualise your key tasks, get into good habits and block out important engagements. It’s super satisfying to start on a fresh page each month.
3. Weekly Academic Planner | Appointed | Shop now
It’s all about the details when it comes to minimalist design. This luxurious planner features a water-resistant book cloth cover, brass wire-o binding and a subtly foil-stamped cover. Luxury!
The Ambitious Adventurer
Oh, the places you will go together! These compact diaries are perfect for those who are always out and about.
1. Geometric Academic A6 Diary | Mark’s | Shop now
Running to class from yoga with a rock climbing lesson straight after? No problem, the Mark’s diary in A6 is compact, so it can tag along no matter where your adventures take you. It's suitable for a small bag or even a back pocket.
2. The Daily Planner Undated - Andalucia No. 2 | The Completist | Shop now
The cover pattern reminds us of old school map drawings, but this one’s much easier to navigate! It’s undated, meaning you can pause and pick it up again without missing any pages. Separate boxes for to-do lists, notes and more are on each page to structure your day into organised lists.
3. Storage.it Academic A5 Diary | Mark’s | Shop now
If you're looking for something with a bit more space, the Storage.it diary is roomy with dedicated areas for your schedule and notes. It fits into a backpack and its light weight means it won’t weigh you down... Storage.it also conveniently has a zippy cover, making it ideal for those who are always outdoors. No one wants their notes going soggy!
The Mindful Student
Are you on a path of self-discovery? An important part of the university experience is about self-growth. Practise mindfulness whilst you learn with these picks. Record the encounters and events you’re grateful for and explore why they mattered.
1. Sleep Journal | MiGoals | Shop now
The Sleep Journal has dedicated sections to reflect on dreams, rate your day, and record what you're thankful for. It's the ideal tool for understanding your mind. Clear your mind and be ready to learn new information each day.
2. Notebook | Papersmiths | Shop now
Pick up our blank notebook for freedom of expression. Available in a range of colours, you can pick a hue that connects with you. Create your own layouts, jot down your thoughts as they come, and guide yourself towards a flourishing year of self-awareness and growth.
3. Gratitude Journal | MiGoals | Shop now
This one's a brilliant tool to teach you how to be present. Appreciate memorable times with daily gratitude exercises and worksheets. What a joy it will be to look back on! I wish I'd had one of these at university.
The Creative Student
Are you someone who loves to scribble designs around your notes? Does a playful design and a burst of colour leave you inspired? These planners will fill you with creativity, helping you blossom on your course.
1. Monthly Planner A4 | Red Fries | Shop now
A personal favourite, this monthly desktop planner is perfect if you're looking for a canvas to express yourself. There’s space for you to doodle illustrations around your plans. Tear off the pages as you go for a fresh start each month.
2. Undated Diary | The Completist | Shop now
This undated weekly planner features an artsy print with a contrasting inside cover. Structured boxes for lists help to organise and structure each day. Enjoy the freedom of no dates with this diary - perfect for creatives who run on their own schedule.
3. Wall Calendar | Once Upon a Tuesday | Shop now
This wall calendar is designed by Once Upon a Tuesday, a small design studio in Cornwall. It makes for a colourful feature when stuck to your wall and it’ll see you through the academic year. Express that inner child's need to scribble on the wall - it’ll save you some of that deposit too!
Our Top Student Stationery Picks at Papersmiths HQ
Many of the team at Papersmiths are graduates and stationery addicts. This makes them the perfect people to ask about which planning tools to choose for university. After much deliberation, we’ve picked out our top planning companions. We treasure these tools for their simplicity, aesthetics and functionality.
The Werk Pad | Papersmiths | Shop now
It's always beneficial to give your mind some non-digital space. When creating lists or processing new information, it can be cathartic to jot them down on paper. The Werk Pad is an effective tool for quick note-taking, away from distractions of notifications. The flexible grid allows you to create to-do lists for your week or a cohesive agenda for the day. Plus it wins bonus points for sustainability, too. This one’s made in Bristol.
The Notebook, Pen and Band Trio | Papersmiths | Shop now
We all have these notebooks here at the Papersmiths HQ. Perhaps you're studying graphic design and need a dot grid. Maybe you're a literature student and need ruled lines to write. Are you an artist, architect or painter? Illustrations can flow onto pages, too, with our plain notebooks. You can't go wrong with picking out a design from this collection.
The Weekly Undated Planner Tokyo No. 1 | The Completist | Shop now
We adore these undated diaries from The Completist. They have so much character with their printed colours and patterns. The dateless format allows you the freedom to pop back home for a break without wasting any pages. The Tokyo No.1 cover is our current favourite.
I hope this guide helps you discover the best academic planning tools to help you excel at university. You can also check out our pens, pencil cases and stationery to stock up on other essentials or have a browse through our full undated and academic diary collections.
