Calendars and Planners - What do you use and what have you found useless?

[S_Colorado]

Every where I see a list of grad school supplies, someone mentions a planner. I've tried using paper planners before and ultimately I discarded them after a month or so in favor of my phone/computer and a giant wall calendar at home. But now I've been out of college for 6 years and I'm thinking maybe I really do need a planner if everyone says I do. 

 

What method do you find most useful for keeping track of class schedules, exams, due dates and appointments? What things have have you purchased, only to find useless to you?

[biotechie]

I use a paper planner and a digital one. I put all of my classes and events into a calendar that syncs on my computer and phone, but these are more to just remind me to go to them because I get the alerts. I also have a paper planner that I use for more specific things. That's where I plan out experiments and put important dates or events. If I want to know what I have coming up the next day, it might be easier to look in my phone, but if I'm trying to plan around experiments, it is easier to look in my paper planner. I just use one of those weekly planners that has about 10 lines per page. It is usually faster for me to write in there than it would be for me to type it into my phone, but usually I only have my phone with me, so I transpose it to paper, later.

 

It is also a ton easier to show my professor my paper planner than it is to show him my computer or my phone. I do send him a PDF of my digital schedule every couple of months, which he keeps on a board in his office.

 

Monthly planners are useless for most of the things I do, but I keep it for recurring things like mouse weanings. I don't think you're doing to have to worry about that, though.

[fuzzylogician]

I used to have everything in a moleskin, but at some point it became too small and besides I'd sometimes forget it, so a couple of years I switched to electronic calendars. I use google calendar, with several private calendars, color-coded to keep track of how much time a week I'm spending on teaching vs research vs  meetings and other work stuff vs free time, plus a couple of public calendars (my department has one for all its events, for example). My calendars sync between my computer and phone, so it's been useful. I put deadlines in my calendar just to make sure I don't miss anything, but for the past couple of years I've been using workflowy for lists. For example, I keep detailed to-do lists by day, month and year; I keep all of my meeting notes there; I have a list of upcoming conference deadlines, with links to the conference websites for details; during job market season, I have entries for each job I am applying to, with all the required documents and links to the dept website, ad, etc. I keep lists of ideas and ongoing projects. I also use it to keep track of teaching, with a basic plan of what I'm doing each week and what I need to prepare. You can share lists with others, and it's also searchable. This has been a great way of keeping track of what I've been up to recently. I've been using it long enough now that I can step back and search through my meeting notes to get perspective for how my projects have evolved. Workflowy has an app and syncs with my phone too, so it's also useful for shopping lists and other private stuff. So basically the combination calendars+online lists has been a great solution for me.

[maelia8]

Since I don't have a smartphone (and thus frequent access to an online calendar), I use a paper planner, the "August-to-August" one that's ideally suited to students. I write daily appointments as well as weekly and special events, and I write due dates and assignments in it, although I don't write in my whole schedule for each day, just anything "out of the ordinary." 

[Monochrome Spring]

I switched to my iPhone so that it syncs to my Macbook. I like the flexibility of having multiple reminder lists: courses, personal, research project 1, general research, grant proposal 1, etc. And I like that I can change the dates for assignments more quickly than a paper calendar. It's all color coded so I can see my daily list of things divided up by task. And anything I don't finish that day ends up carrying over to the next automatically, which is also pretty convenient.

[RunnerGrad]

I use a Moleskin planner.  I don't bring a laptop with me to class, as I prefer to take notes by hand.  I also hate typing on the small screen of my iPhone, so I don't like using an electronic calendar on that device.  My Moleskin planner goes everywhere with me.  Personally, I find it much easier to got down dates, notes, etc. on paper than electronically, but that's just me.  Unlike Monochrome Spring, I find it quicker and easier to change dates and track the amount of time I'm spending on various activities in a paper planner. 

 

I tried one semester to use an electronic calendar, and to sync it between my iPhone, iPad and Macbook.  I found I was always forgetting to put activities and dates into the electronic calendar (probably because I never brought my laptop to class, and, as I said, I don't like typing on the small screens of my iPhone or even my iPad). 

 

With a paper planner, I also like that I can stick the appointment reminders for my doctor's visits, physiotherapy visits, etc., right in my planner.  My doctor and my physiotherapist both issue appointment reminders that are stickers, so it's nice to stick them right in my planner at the correct day and time.

 

In addition to my Moleskin planner, I have a four-month calendar on the wall next to my desk.  It's one of those white-board type calendars so you reuse it every semester.  I've had mine for years.  I put all my major due dates and important events on that wall calendar.

 

So what kind of planner you use really depends on what you, as an individual, prefer.  Some people do great with electronic calendars.  Some prefer paper and pen.

[Maleficent999]

I use Google Calendar on my computer and phone for basic scheduling like classes and appointments. I use a physical planner (July-August oriented) for daily to-do lists, essentially. I don't write my classes on each day of the planner but I do write tasks I hope to get done by the end of the day with circles next to them that I can fill-in once I've completed the task. I color code (purple for school-related, blue for personal, pink for social) the tasks and it sort of coincides with levels of importance. I even write super basic stuff like "do laundry" or "paint fingernails" so that I can remember I want to do those things, as silly as that is. I also recommend using eraseable pens or pencil if you're using a physical planner. Like I mentioned, some things are less important so if I can't do laundry today I could erase it and move it to tomorrow.

[WriteAndKnit]

I have google calendar for the big stuff (mostly because it syncs to my phone and it's set up to silence notifications when I'm "busy", based on said calendar). I also use a paper planner (http://www.amazon.com/AT-A-GLANCE%C2%AEHollyhock-Academic-Monthly-2014-2015-883-905A/dp/B00J4Y5I9Q/ref=pd_sim_sbs_op_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PY0GH8CQ9J84S5ZGADD) to keep up with little things.

 

Classes are on google calendar only, other appointments are on both, big due dates on both, individual assignments/daily task lists are paper planner only. This is subject to modification as I need to do so.

[St Andrews Lynx]

I have a very handsome moleskine calendar/planner that I carry around with me all the time. 

But I'm also a person who really likes handwritten stuff (I've kept a daily diary for ~14 years!). If electronic calendars are what works best for the OP...I wouldn't force the paper planner. The advantage of the e-planners is that you don't have to worry about losing them: I left my moleskine planner at the supermarket once, and was panicking that if I couldn't get it back then my schedule would fall to pieces.

 

The Evernote program is a good way of organising lists, 'To Do' notes and uploading useful files into one place. I would recommend it.

[theophany]

In addition to my Google calendar synced with my iPhone, I use iStudiez Pro which I find excellent in bridging the gap between the flexibility of a paper planner and the ease of remembering/constantly having with you of the digital. It allows you to put in classes, to schedule breaks, to input exams and assignments, to keep professors' contact information, office hours, etc. Some of it (like grade tracking) is much more intended for undergrads than for grads, but it fits my needs well. It also syncs between all my devices, so I can easily look at it on whatever I happen to have with me at that moment.

[Threeboysmom]

Trying Outlook because it syncs with my phone calendar. I also purchased a paper planner to see which I prefer this time around.  I've been out of school for thirteen years, so I'm not sure if I will gravitate to more of a paper planner once school starts or if I will be fine with just the online calendar.

[Dianali]

I use to love my physical planner.I decided to try and reduce the amount of paper I use this school year. I've started using Google calendar for the big things and Wunderlist for my tasks. On Wunderlist I have a folder for my job, home errands, funding opportunities, and each course. So far I like it because I can write as long a list as I want and its still organized. And I can quickly set a reminder, change a due date, add/remove from my checklist without using an eraser or whiteout. I feel more organized and I feel that it will be a perfect set up once school starts.

[music]

I use the Mac Calendars on my iPhone and MacBook Air. There's less of a chance I'll ever find myself without my phone than there is finding myself without a paper planner  I like the colour coding too, so I can see where I have university commitments, sports events, social plans etc. There's also the ability to view by day/week/month/year, which I find helpful when trying to visualise longer term plans like holidays or travel. I miss the coolness of Moleskin, but they always ended up so messy since schedule is constantly changing.

[ProfLorax]

For anyone in a long-term, committed relationship, I want to throw in a plug for any electronic calendar that allows you to share calendars with someone else. Since my schedule changes every semester, and random meetings, reading groups, and study sessions pop in throughout the semester, my husband can never when I'm at campus and when I'm not. Having a shared calendar has helped us immensely in planning travel, doctor's and vet appointments, and social outings. As someone with a nontraditional work schedule (like all grad students), having a shared calendar is a lifesaver. 

[bsharpe269]

I have a big dry erase calender in my kitchen that I use for organizing things between my and my fiance's schedules. For dates far in the future, like a fellowship application or something, I put them on my computer calander. Other than that, I dont really use planners.

[RunnerGrad]

For anyone in a long-term, committed relationship, I want to throw in a plug for any electronic calendar that allows you to share calendars with someone else. Since my schedule changes every semester, and random meetings, reading groups, and study sessions pop in throughout the semester, my husband can never when I'm at campus and when I'm not. Having a shared calendar has helped us immensely in planning travel, doctor's and vet appointments, and social outings. As someone with a nontraditional work schedule (like all grad students), having a shared calendar is a lifesaver. 

 

That sort of thing doesn't work for my husband and I, so it just goes to show that every couple is different.  We have a large, common, calendar in the house, and we each put important dates for the other individual in our individual paper planners.  My husband is an army officer, so there are many times when he is out in the field, with no computer, blackberry or other electronic device on him.  So an electronic calendar is totally useless to him.  So we both do paper planners.  My husband also has a paper copy of my class schedule, along with other regular commitments (i.e. the group fitness classes I regularly teach).  If something unusual comes up, I let him know, and he puts it in his paper planner (i.e. if I'm subbing a class for someone else, if a special event is occurring at the university, etc.)  He does the same for me.  I have his regular schedule with the regiment, I know which days he works later because of meetings like his weekly O-group, and he lets me know of any changes to his schedule, due to having to be in the field, being away on course, having a special event, etc., and I put those in my paper planner.  Vet appointments, etc., go on our common calendar at home and our individual planners.  It works for us, but I realize it wouldn't work for other couples.  We just both prefer the ease of dealing with hard copy calendars, instead of having to pull out an electronic device and try to type on small screens with large fingers.

[ProfLorax]

That sort of thing doesn't work for my husband and I, so it just goes to show that every couple is different.  We have a large, common, calendar in the house, and we each put important dates for the other individual in our individual paper planners.  My husband is an army officer, so there are many times when he is out in the field, with no computer, blackberry or other electronic device on him.  So an electronic calendar is totally useless to him.  So we both do paper planners.  My husband also has a paper copy of my class schedule, along with other regular commitments (i.e. the group fitness classes I regularly teach).  If something unusual comes up, I let him know, and he puts it in his paper planner (i.e. if I'm subbing a class for someone else, if a special event is occurring at the university, etc.)  He does the same for me.  I have his regular schedule with the regiment, I know which days he works later because of meetings like his weekly O-group, and he lets me know of any changes to his schedule, due to having to be in the field, being away on course, having a special event, etc., and I put those in my paper planner.  Vet appointments, etc., go on our common calendar at home and our individual planners.  It works for us, but I realize it wouldn't work for other couples.  We just both prefer the ease of dealing with hard copy calendars, instead of having to pull out an electronic device and try to type on small screens with large fingers.

Oh, absolutely! I think this whole thread speaks to how different strategies work for different people. That's why I only speak in terms of my own experience with the shared electronic calendar. It has been a lifesaver for me; YMMV! Sounds like you and your husband have a great strategy that works for you! 

[wildviolet]

I used a basic planner for my first semester of graduate school.

 

But, I switched to Google calendar on my laptop (not synced to anything else, even though I have an iPad and an iPhone) because: (1) I always have my laptop with me for research meetings and class; (2) events kept getting changed, which meant my book planner was full of scratched out events because I used pen instead of pencil; and (3) I can color code events in Google calendar and document how I spent my time.

[kyjin]

I keep trying to make the switch to digital, but haven't quite made the jump yet. I used a paper planner from high school through my MA and the first year of my PhD. Last semester I started putting things in the calendar on my iPad since it syncs between that and my phone (and I tend to bring my iPad to classes in lieu of my laptop), but after a summer away from it and using my paper planner exclusively again, I don't know if the transition will happen. Perhaps I need to get into the habit of logging things at the end of the day into my digital calendar after I've written it down... it's a work in progress.

[danieleWrites]

I've ended up using three different google accounts for a planner because I have to make my schedule clear to a "let's go out and do something" restless extrovert that I'm married to. I use google calendar (from my academic email account) to schedule appointments with students for conferences, so I don't put personal things there that I don't want them to see. I use my personal gmail account for that. I have a household gmail account for things that involve household things.

I use tasks lists on the google calendar to manage my to do lists and stuff, in conjunction with scheduling time on the calendar itself.

I used to do this all on a combination of paper and outlook, but it's sooooo much handier to have my guy sync all three of my calendars so I don't have to constantly tell him what I'm doing.

[TakeruK]

I've ended up using three different google accounts for a planner because I have to make my schedule clear to a "let's go out and do something" restless extrovert that I'm married to. I use google calendar (from my academic email account) to schedule appointments with students for conferences, so I don't put personal things there that I don't want them to see. I use my personal gmail account for that. I have a household gmail account for things that involve household things.

I use tasks lists on the google calendar to manage my to do lists and stuff, in conjunction with scheduling time on the calendar itself.

I used to do this all on a combination of paper and outlook, but it's sooooo much handier to have my guy sync all three of my calendars so I don't have to constantly tell him what I'm doing.

 

I love that gmail allows you to make multiple calendars (with different sharing options) per account though, so I don't have to make multiple gmail accounts to have multiple calendars! I might be taking the multi-calendar thing a bit far because I have like a half dozen active Calendars (but it's so pretty when there's all these different colours for different categories!). 

 

I have a personal appointments calendar (e.g. doctors) and travel calendar that I share with my spouse. But I also have work related appointments in a different calendar (e.g. classes, office hours, seminars) that I don't share with my spouse since they take place during regular work hours and it would just clog up her calendar! 

[jhefflol]

Every year I buy myself a nice planner. I use it for about a week, then just make lists with due dates in my journal. I bought myself a nice Moleskine this year since I'm going to have a bajillion more deadlines with grad apps so hopefully I'll start using it.

[juilletmercredi]

Every year I buy a pretty paper planner and every year, I stop using it around the end of September.  It's just so much more convenient for me to keep track of things electronically.  I use Cal on my Mac and it syncs across all of my devices (one of the reasons I asked for a Mac at work).  I stick everything on Calendar in different colors for different types of appointments and I make it remind me if it's something that doesn't happen at the same time every week.  Womp.

 

I did, once again, buy a pretty paper planner this year.  My goal is to use it to jot down notes about journal article progress, but I'm not sure if I'll actually do it.  I agree with the note that I know I always have my phone on me, which is more than I can say about my paper planner.

[Broken_Bottle]

Same here, I buy a pretty diary because, well, I love stationary   - but then give up using it half-way through first term. I use google calendar, or at least I used to. The lab I worked in used it to book specific rooms, so moving my e-calendar to google made life a whole lot easier. I just have to accept that all those beautiful paper diaries are not for me.

I do, however, use note pads when I meet supervisors, go to seminars etc. Amazon kindly informed me that there is something called conference organizer (e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/585101-Conference-Organiser-Elegance-Mechanism/dp/B001F5Q87I) and now I consider getting something like that as a compromise. Especially since my paper diaries were usually full with random stuff I collected over time and the organizers seem as if they could hold quite a bit. Anyone used one before?