So. Have you heard about the Uncalendar?
Uncalendar: the most helpful, life-changing, user-conscious weekly/monthly planner known to man.
These little gems, while not ascetically appealing, come in two styles (Lifestyle and Lifestyle Pro) and two sizes for each style (8.5' x 11" and 5.5" x 8.5", or paper and half-paper). There are three simple cover colors (black, blue and red) and the planners can only be purchased online.
But it's not the numerical details that matter. What really counts is
how user-conscious the Uncalendar is. There are four tabs to the
planner:
Day-Week, Month-Goals, Notes-Tech, Data. Day-Week is the regular, most frequently used
section. Each week is allotted a two-page spread, the right displaying
the vertical days with a header of boxes and the left a variety of
different boxes.
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| Side Tabs |
On the right page, each day has the number left blank...I LOVE THIS.
Over the summer, when I don't need so much structure to my life, I can
simply stop using the planner and start back up in the fall. The daily
columns are a little narrow, especially for my wide handwriting, but
that's one of my few complaints.
 |
| Header of Right Page |
The left-page "boxes" are a variety of sizes and
include a
Scratch Box (blank),
List Boxes (numbered and lined), a
Graph Box (for "weekly goal tracking") and a few
Isolation Boxes
(for key items). The idea is that you can keep all reminder notes,
lists, and scribbled ideas in one place. And that's why I love it. Depending
on the semester, I usually assign one box to a major event in my life.
What's pictured is from a particularly busy Philanthropy week last year.
So I'll have a list of things to do for our Philanthropy dinner and of
the weekly required Blackboard discussion posts or quizzes. I used to
leave an isolated box for the housecode or people to call or text
throughout the week. One box I use for a grocery list and the other for
the week's assignments. If I have a particularly stressful day coming
up, then I take a box to list out my TO DOs.
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| Day-Week Page Layout |
I hope I'm accurately describing the incredible convenience of the Uncalendar?
The next tab declares
Month-Goals. I don't use this section as much, perhaps I lack the "big-picture skills", but it was helpful from time to time. Often, I used this section for summer months.
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| Month-Goals Page Layout |
The Notes-Techs section is also less popular in my user experience, but helpful all the same. The right page is a large box, numbered and lined for notes, while the left page offers a variety of smaller boxes. I use this section for more elaborate, long-term lists, such as: Blog Topic Ideas, Recruitment Outfit Requirements, Movies to See, Halloween Costume Ideas, Phone Numbers to Know and the Columbia Bar Specials.
 |
| Notes-Tech Page Layout |
The final Data tab just has a few more random boxes and the months for the next three years.
Did I mention that before every tab there is a brief user guide? Because that is the case. There are tips for color-coding, goal-setting, organizing and ideas for lists you should be keeping. The Uncalendar is everything you could want in a calendar/planner and it's been changing my life since the day I bought it. I hope it can do the same for you if you're will to invest $19.95 for the 8.5" x 11" or $14.95 for the 5.5" x 8.5".
Seriously.
Get after it.
