2024-2025 Centered Student Planner Review: Best For College And Adhd?
What is the Centered Student Planner?
The Centered Student Planner is an innovative solution designed specifically for college students seeking to optimize their academic performance and emotional resilience. This comprehensive tool features a horizontal layout that divides each day into manageable time blocks from 7am to 9pm, accompanied by dedicated weekly task lists to maintain a sense of control and clarity.
Quality Design
As an avid user of academic planners, I’ve had the pleasure of testing numerous options over the past eight years. Among my top favorites is the Centered Student Planner, which I enthusiastically recommend to college students.What sets this planner apart is its exceptional quality, starting from the sturdy cover to the durable wire-o binding and premium paper. The elastic closure ensures a secure hold, making it easy to keep track of tasks and appointments. While the selection of cover choices might not be as extensive as larger brands, each design exudes a unique charm, with the Floral Bleu (featured above) being a stunning standout that sold out quickly last year.The Whimsy design, one of two special artist collaborations, adds a playful touch to an already impressive planner. For those preferring a more minimalist look, Centered Student also offers simple and sophisticated cover options.Beyond its visually appealing design, this planner is designed with practicality in mind. It’s an ideal choice for anyone seeking a reliable and attractive academic planner that can keep pace with their busy schedule.
Video Overview
Take a closer look at the college organizer’s capabilities by viewing the accompanying video, which showcases its key attributes.
Spacious Monthly Calendars
A monthly overview is an essential feature for any effective academic planner. The CSP excels in providing a spacious two-page layout for all 12 months, allowing users to visually plan their time and tasks. Each month includes a dedicated section for outlining big-picture goals, making it easy to stay focused on long-term objectives. In addition to its many strengths, the monthly spread also offers ample space for jotting down important dates such as birthdays, appointments, due dates, and weekend plans. What’s more, this year’s version boasts a game-changing feature: tabs! With these convenient tabs, users can quickly navigate to any month with ease, making it simpler than ever to stay organized and on track.
Functional Weekly Layouts
The weekly layout is the core of the Centered Student Planner’s functionality. Each component is carefully designed based on research-backed methods for improving organization and happiness. This ADHD-friendly planner breaks down each day into hourly time slots, accompanied by a weekly-do list on the right-hand side. The result is an ideal setup for utilizing time-blocking to organize your schedule.
The beauty of time-blocking lies in its ability to help you visually plan out your day. After filling in your commitments (classes, work, clubs, and appointments), you can quickly identify available time slots to tackle your to-do lists. With this system, organizing your workload becomes a seamless process.
As someone who tends to forget tasks if they’re out of sight, I find the weekly layout incredibly helpful. All my tasks are readily accessible when planning my schedule, making it easy to balance priorities. This strategy is particularly effective for college students, especially those with ADHD.
Don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with time-blocking – the Centered Student Planner includes detailed instructions on how to use this system effectively. I found these visuals and guidance super helpful.
This planner makes taking control of your day a breeze due to its supportive nature, offering guidance where students need it most. Every Centered Student Planner comes with 52 exclusive college success tips from an award-winning professor with over 30 years of experience, Virginia Horan. These tips are easily accessible via video format and can be accessed by scanning the QR code on the included bookmark.
Resource for Managing Stress
The 2024-2025 planner has undergone a significant update with the inclusion of two valuable pages dedicated to SOS Stress Management. The first page is designed to help users gauge their current stress level, categorizing it as slightly stressed, medium stressed, or very stressed. Additionally, this section empowers individuals to identify whether their stress stems from internal or external factors.
The second page offers actionable advice and recommendations tailored to each of the three stress levels. I found this bonus material to be a game-changer for students looking for effective stress management strategies, providing them with the tools they need to navigate academic pressures.
Class Schedule and Grade Tracker
This planner stands out from its competitors at big-box stores by featuring a dedicated section for recording both fall and spring semester class schedules, making it an invaluable resource for college students. For those who need to stay organized, this feature provides a clear overview of their academic commitments throughout the year.In addition to scheduling, the adjacent page offers ample space to track assignment grades across all classes. As the school year unfolds, monitoring one’s progress can be a powerful motivator, helping students stay on top of their work and feel a sense of accomplishment as they achieve their goals.
Budget/Spending Tracker
The budget/spending tracker page is another valuable feature in this planner. It’s essential for college students to develop strong financial skills, as managing one’s spending habits is crucial for success. While I appreciate the simplicity of the budgeting tool, I do think it could benefit from an additional page or even a yearly habit tracker. However, if you prefer tracking your expenses by hand, there’s always the option to supplement with a printable budget template at any point during the school year.
Stickers
The Centered Student Planner comes with not one, but two sets of colorful and vibrant sticker sheets! You’ll discover them tucked away in the pocket on the back cover, adding a delightful burst of fun to your planner. In addition to these complimentary stickers, you can also opt for more by purchasing additional packs from Centered Student. This year, they’ve really outdone themselves with two exciting options: the Jenna O’Brien Stickers and the 24/7 Academic Sticker Set. Both sets are not only practical and adorable but also reasonably priced, making them a great value for any planner enthusiast.
Accessories
The Centered Student store boasts an impressive assortment of planner accessories, two of which I’m particularly excited about. The Sticky Note Success Folio stands out as a convenient, compact companion for tackling projects on-the-go. Measuring slightly larger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, this folio features tear pads for project planning and to-do lists, along with removable tabs in two colors. Each pad contains 100 sheets, making it an excellent resource for staying organized.Breaking down large assignments into smaller, manageable tasks is a tried-and-true approach for overcoming procrastination. By doing so, I’m able to transform what initially feels like an insurmountable challenge into a series of bite-sized objectives that don’t leave me feeling overwhelmed.While the Sticky Note Success Folio could benefit from some refinement – the pads do shift slightly when in use – its concept remains an excellent asset for anyone seeking a portable planning solution. I highly recommend it to those who find value in its design.In addition to the folio, Centered Student has introduced a new line of notebooks that offer more than just blank pages. These unique notebooks guide users on effective notetaking techniques through three distinct approaches: The Cornell Method, The Graphic Organization Method, and The Centered Student Combo Method. By exploring these different methods, individuals can discover their preferred approach or adapt various techniques to suit specific subjects.As an added bonus, each notebook includes a stencil for creating custom shapes to organize notes. I find this feature particularly valuable in establishing strong notetaking habits and laying the groundwork for long-term learning success.
What’s New/Changes
This marks my fourth review of the Centered Student Planner, having previously examined the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 editions. Over time, the planner has undergone significant transformations to become the polished product it is today. For those interested in tracing its metamorphosis – as well as my own photography skills – I encourage you to revisit previous reviews.The 2024-2025 edition boasts several new features and improvements. Key additions include cover options in Ivy Green, Whimsy, Tranquility, and Raven Black, a Stress Management tool (SOS), Grade Tracker, laminated tabs for easy month navigation, and additional year-at-a-glance planning pages.In terms of changes from the previous edition, the weekly layout has been refined to enhance functionality. The Smarter Sticky Note has also doubled in size, providing increased utility. Furthermore, this year’s planner introduces new offerings: a Limited Edition Sticker Pack, Sticky Note Success Folio, and The Happy Highlighters.
Specs
The Centered Student Planner boasts a range of impressive specifications, including a sizeable 7” x 9” (B5) format that accommodates the entire academic year from August to July. The planner is printed on high-quality 120 GSN paper and comes in six different cover styles for users to choose their preferred design. A wire-o binding allows the pages to lay flat when open, making it easy to plan and organize without any obstructions. Additionally, an elastic band closure keeps everything securely in place. To further enhance the user experience, the planner includes a pen loop for convenient note-taking and writing. Some of the notable features include sturdy monthly tabs that provide at-a-glance overviews, as well as guided instructions with illustrations and examples to help users stay on track. The planner also provides various layout options, including monthly and weekly spreads with hourly time slots, making it easy to prioritize tasks and manage stress. Furthermore, the planner includes a range of tools and trackers, such as a class schedule for both semesters, grade tracker for both semesters, budget tracker, and 15 note pages that provide ample space for jotting down thoughts and ideas. To top it all off, the planner comes with two sheets of stickers, a clip-in bookmark, and exclusive access to 52 college success tip videos from an award-winning professor.
Centered Student Planner Customer Reviews
The Centered Student Planner boasts an impressive 101 reviews on its website, which I thoroughly combed through. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with numerous customers praising the brand’s exceptional customer service and the planner’s versatility. It wasn’t uncommon to see reviews from repeat customers who had used it throughout their academic journey, from high school to college and even graduate school. What’s more impressive is that nearly all reviewers gave it a perfect 5-star rating, with only a few opting for 4 stars. The enthusiasm was palpable, particularly among parents – and even some grandparents! – who left glowing reviews. But what really stood out were the testimonials from students themselves, who enthusiastically endorsed the planner’s effectiveness in helping them stay organized and focused.
FAQs
What Comes With The Centered Student Planner?
The Centered Student Planner offers a range of innovative features, including two pages of stickers to help you stay organized and express yourself. Additionally, the planner comes equipped with an elastic closure that doubles as a pen loop, allowing you to keep your writing utensils secure and within reach. Furthermore, it features a snap-in bookmark with a scannable QR code that provides access to exclusive video content featuring 52 college success tips – giving you valuable insights and strategies to help you thrive in your academic pursuits.
Where to Get The Centered Student Planner?
The Centered Student Planner is now available for the 2024-2025 academic year! You can order yours directly from TheCenteredStudentPlanner.com or find it on Amazon, although availability may be limited without accessories at this time. Notably, the Floral Bleu cover design was so well-received that it sold out by May last year, making it a priority to grab if you’re interested. For the ultimate organizational experience, consider the Ultimate Bundle, which includes top-tier accessories like highlighters and sticky notes perfect for studying and note-taking.
Should I Buy The Centered Student Planner at Their Website or Amazon?
While the Centered Student Planner is available on Amazon, you may find limited options. However, ordering directly from TheCenteredStudent.com offers several benefits. You can browse their full collection, including accessories, and take advantage of sales. Plus, shipping is free on orders over $70.
I suggest checking TheCenteredStudent.com first to catch any sales or promotions. Be aware that their entire stock of individual planners typically sells out quickly, as it did by mid-July in 2024.
The Bottom Line
The Centered Student Planner stands out as a top performer due to its exceptional functionality and ability to teach effective time management skills. Its research-backed weekly layout is carefully designed to prioritize essential tasks, making it an ideal tool for college students seeking to streamline their hectic schedules. This planner excels in providing a structured framework that helps users organize their daily activities and achieve academic success.Furthermore, the Centered Student Planner is particularly well-suited for visual learners who benefit from the hourly time slots and students requiring assistance with managing their time effectively. By using this planner, individuals can expect to boost not only their academic performance but also their emotional well-being.The planner has received widespread acclaim, boasting a 4.8-star rating and featuring high-quality materials that are built to last. While it may lack a dedicated budget tracking space, its exclusive video training and structured weekly layout make it an invaluable resource for any college student seeking to get the most out of their time.
This post was all about the 2024-2025 Centered Student Planner Review.
As a seasoned college insider and blogger, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Lake is dedicated to helping students navigate the ups and downs of campus life. A 2015 graduate herself, Charlie has first-hand experience with the challenges and opportunities that come with higher education. In addition to being the author of the book ‘175+ Things to Do Before You Graduate College,’ Charlie co-founded College Life Made Easy, a student lifestyle site focused on making the college experience less stressful and more successful. With a strong background in writing about college tips, organization strategies, scholarships, dorm room ideas, and DIY craft projects like Halloween costumes and care packages, Charlie has been featured in major publications such as Redfin and College Ave Student Loans. As your go-to guide for all things college-related, Charlie is committed to providing valuable insights and expert advice to help students make the most of their time on campus.