Planners vs. digital calendars
The best planning system is the system that works for you. Some DRS students use planners. Others use digital calendars. Some don’t use either. This page will cover the pros and cons of planners and digital calendars. If you prefer not to use either, you will need to create a system for tracking major deadlines/events as well as a system for figuring out what needs to be done right away. We recommend that you check out our pages on creating a quarter plan and on creating a short-term plan so you can determine the strategies that works for you.
Planners
So what’s the big deal with planners? Why do they always get suggested when planning and time management come up? Well, one reason is that they were designed to include all the components you need for the big picture, weekly, and daily plan in one place. They are also portable so you always have them available as a reference and they’re easy to update when your plan changes.
Planners
Pros
- Many people find them intuitive to use.
- Easier to jot down a note quickly.
- Research suggests that physically writing things down helps many people remember them better.
- Easier to see the overview of what you need to do.
- Little to no distractions.
Cons
- Making changes requires erasing or crossing out… it can get messy.
- You cannot set up repeating events.
- If forgotten at home, there’s no other way to access the information.
- You cannot set up alarms within the planner.
- Costs money.
Planners work best when used effectively. For more, visit our tips on how to use a paper planner.
Digital Calendars
Digital calendars such as Google calendar or Outlook are accessible on multiple devices. They were primarily designed for scheduling purposes rather than organization so they are set up differently than planners. However, features have been added to increase their organizational functioning.
Pros
- Free and cheaper options.
- Accessible from multiple devices so there are workarounds to forgetting your primary device at home.
- Ability to set up recurring events can make weekly planning less tedious.
- Alarms are integrated into the calendar.
- Calendar sharing options make it easier to coordinate with others.
- Appointments, flight info, etc. may be automatically added.
Cons
- Many different types… can be overwhelming to choose.
- More distractions while using it (text messages, notifications, web browsing, etc.)
- Important items are more frequently missed if calendar is accessed only on a phone (too small visually).
- Entering things into the calendar can be more annoying than using paper and pen.
- Crossing things off your to-do-list is way less satisfying digitally.
- Most people feel less emotionally attached to their digital calendar.
For more tips on how to use a digital calendar effectively, visit our page Using a digital calendar.