It’s no secret that college can be overwhelming. As a student, you might feel stress from an array of challenges, both in and out of the classroom. While there are plenty of good ways to help reduce your stress, journal writing can do more for your success beyond that.
Yes, you probably don’t have time for one more assignment, but think of this as a practice that will ultimately reduce your workload. It's like doing a little cleaning, every day, out of habit—instead of leaving things messy and dealing with the mess only when it gets out of hand.
The benefits of journaling can give you a competitive edge and increase productivity on classwork through better retention and understanding of new material. Ultimately, journal writing helps you become a stronger student.
How? Find out below, and get past that daunting first blank page.
Why is journaling a success tool for college students?
What do Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Bill Gates and Barack Obama have in common? Incredible success, yes. Also, they were known to keep a regular journal.
College students can use classroom journaling to collect information, process information, express emotions and jot down reminders. As a student, your brain and body need rest—journaling can be a helpful bridge to that state of recharging.
There is no prescribed or best format for journaling. You don't have to do it in any specific way. Your journaling process is about your goals and how you like to operate. A journal allows you to recognize your responses to everything from relationship difficulties to course material and understand them better.
What are the benefits of journaling?
Writing in a journal allows students to explore ideas. The practice will also bring overall mental health benefits such as...
1. Stress Relief
Journals help identify negative thoughts and organize your reactions and feelings; this helps ease anxiety and lets the mind rest.
2. Sharpened memory
A break in academic learning refreshes one’s mind and helps memory recall. Further, journaling encourages the processing of knowledge, improving problem-solving skills.
3. Increased self-awareness
By capturing thoughts and reactions to experiences or readings, you can find patterns in your thinking and behavior. Your journal writing reveals where ideas and even anxieties originate.
4. Improved self-confidence
Journaling about emotions can identify your strengths and recognize when you handled a situation well. This equips you to tackle similar events with more certainty.
5. Critical thinking skills
Students learn by applying classroom learning to real life. Journaling for students brings a stronger sense of how to process new ideas.
6. Writing skills
Consistent journaling benefits students through improved sentence structure, communication skills, and the ability to organize thoughts.
As you can see, the benefits of journaling go beyond a momentary relief from stress.
3 Types of journaling I recommend for college students
There are well over a dozen different journal forms, and while they all have their benefits, we’ll focus on three that are most applicable to college students.
1. Reflective journaling
This journal type is considered the classic style. Students can use reflective journals to examine their reactions to learning-related events.
You can reflect on a specific reading, ex: That perspective really rattled me, and I'm not sure why.
You could write about a project or assignment, ex: This seems so complicated. I don't know if I should break it into smaller pieces or reach out to someone for help.
You could reflect on a lecture, ex: Wow, people were really talkative when this topic came up, I wonder if...
Additionally, looking at how an event or idea impacts your career plans will build a stronger connection to that information. Plus, the increased relevance makes it more interesting and easier to recall.
Exploring concepts from classes and how they can transfer into your career strengthens the value of your academic journey.
There is no specific structure or format for reflective journaling. Choose short statements, long paragraphs, or even drawings to express yourself.
2. Gratitude journaling
You have probably heard about gratitude journals before. But if you haven't tried it yet, don't underestimate its power for your state of mind.
A standard method is to write about five things you are thankful for daily. You might explore whatever comes to mind, keeping an attitude of appreciation and thankfulness. Sometimes, being very specific helps. I'm thankful for the lilac bush I smell on my way to the coffee shop. Training your mind to recognize moments of joy will help those moments occur more often.
How does that work? Being grateful allows us to focus on positive things in life. A daily practice of gratitude lets you notice the progress in your life and builds positive self-talk. Appreciating opportunities can spur energy to address anxiety and improve mental health.
Writing in a gratitude journal can be bullet points or long lingering paragraphs.
3. Bullet journaling
Bullet journals are more similar to traditional diaries than other types of journals. Instead of starting with a blank page, a bullet journal begins with categories. Typically, it includes a place to write down your task list, school calendar, and short- and long-term goals.
As with all journaling, there are no rules. You can have any type of category you want here. As the name indicates, using short, bulleted thoughts is encouraged, but longer sections may be more useful at times.
The focus of bullet journaling for students is to boost productivity in daily life. A bullet journal can track assignment due dates, work schedules, budgets, and other mundane items.
You can also log sleep, moods, exercise, nutrition, and moments of gratitude in a bullet journal. Giving a specific place to talk about these personal areas can pull the information out of you consistently. If you have a creative streak, you could also have sections for songs you want to listen to, colors you are noticing, design plans for a garden, or great names for characters in a novel—there is no limit.
Over time, a bullet journal can also help to identify patterns. You might notice how a phone call to a family or friend energized you. Gleaning this data can help you tweak your activities and improve daily habits.
Unlike reflective and gratitude journals, bullet journals need some preparation to get started writing. Determining your topics can take time to develop and find what works for you, but don’t let that deter you.
The value of a bullet journal is in how it can encourage students to explore a variety of items. Since everything is listed or organized together, it also limits the inclination to ignore challenging areas.
How to get started writing in a journal
So, are you ready to begin? What do you need to get started on journaling? Consider these aspects of journal writing.
Choose between physical or digital formats
Journals can be handwritten or electronic. The benefits of journaling can be found in either method, so it's all down to your personal choice.
A digital method may fit better with a school schedule and allow time to jot down thoughts even in the classroom.
A physical notebook can give a creative feel to the expressions you want to share. It can help strengthen writing skills, and the physical act of writing can be soothing and reduce stress.
Either option can help with communication skills. Choose what will help you to feel confident and start journaling.
Choose your tools
To be clear, the only items needed to make a journal are pen and paper. But...What’s the fun in that?
Colored pens/pencils break up the monotony. They're a very affordable way to make things more appealing. You can find an array of interesting blank journals in stores or online. Stickers. Fancier pens. Go nuts.
Several apps are available in a range of prices. You can research apps to find which will provide the strongest benefits of journaling or which feel most intuitive to you.
Whatever you choose, consider what helps you create more confidence and progress in achieving goals.
Be careful not to get so caught up in the shopping that you delay getting started.
Choose a time
Sure, daily journaling is the target, but any level will benefit you. Select a time of day and set it aside for yourself. It might be first thing in the morning, before coffee. Or perhaps at the end of the day, instead of—gasp—screen time.
Build a daily habit. Start for a small chunk of time to write a brief journal entry.
Allow yourself grace if you miss an entry, but work to keep to your schedule. Consistency matters more than length.
Choose journal prompts
While bullet and gratitude journaling have some built-in writing prompts, the reflective style might sometimes leave you feeling stuck. Consider starting with a gratitude entry that day. Or simply begin with a summary of the day and let the reflective practice take over.
Adjust as you go
Over time, you might want to move from digital to paper, from reflective to bullet style, from writing at lunchtime to bedtime. Do what works for you, choosing where, when, and how you get the most out of it.
When you start to skip a habit, it’s a signal that you should adjust something. Make a change rather than quitting your journaling activities. The benefits of journaling come from the consistency of it.
Sustainable ways to take care of your mind
College students have a lot going on in their lives and in their minds. Journaling brings an outlet to process what often stays buried under the flow of information.
From time to time, go back and reread an entry. By rereading your journal entries, you can propel yourself to continue writing.
Don't even think about being perfect in your journal writing. No one is going to see this. Just. Start.
Today, tell yourself to write two thoughts. Let that simple journal entry be your accomplishment. Maybe tomorrow, you’ll aim for three. It’s never too late to start journaling. And it’s never too early to begin.
