For many of us, each new year brings a new planner.

I’m a firm believer in the power of a well-thought out planner. I’ve tried everything from Mambi’s elaborate “Happy Planner” to pocket-sized Target brand agendas. I’ve even tried iPhone apps and digital calendars in an attempt to be modern and efficient, but nothing is as effective as physically writing out my schedule with a pen and paper.

There are hundreds of planners in the universe, designed to fit all kinds of people, and I’ve tried many over the years. Nothing has suited me quite like my Day Designer. 

I was hesitant to purchase the Day Designer due to the sticker price of $59, plus shipping fees. At the time, my $12 weekly planner from Target was working just fine, and I still had six more months left. But Day Designers have something that most ordinary planners lack, and it’s right there in the name – it designs your day.

Each page is dedicated to an entire day, with strategic ways of optimizing your time. The main focus of this agenda are the two central columns on the page. Aligned to the left is a “today” column, where you can map out your day starting at 5AM and ending at 9PM. On the right side is a to-do list, where you can jot down everything from a workout routine to your homework for the night. 

The Day Designer also features smaller, useful fill-ins, such as “Today’s Top Three,” where you can write down the three most important things to get done that day. This planner even has an outline for “dinner, due, dollars,” and “don’t forget,” which can be useful for meal planning, budgeting, and important reminders. The bottom of each page has a small box for notes – a useful space for whatever comes to mind – and a daily gratitude.

But what about yearly/monthly views? Having a day per page is a great system to maximize your 24 hours, but sometimes it can be essential to look at the bigger picture. Fear not, for the Day Designer comes with a 12-month overview as well as a monthly view on each new tab. This ensures that you won’t lose track of important dates.

If you’re still not convinced, consider the overall quality and presentation of a Day Designer. You get what you pay for, and in this case you are paying for sturdy binding with gold-hardware protected edges and strong, easy-to-clean covers. Each agenda arrives comes in its own white storage box, complete with a guide on how to care for your planner.

There is a downside. Because the Day Designer fits a singular day onto a single sheet of paper, that’s a lot of paper for one year. As a result, this planner is quite heavy and bulky. As a senior, this doesn’t particularly bother me since my backpack has withered in weight over the years. But freshman, beware.

The Verdict: The Day Designer was created for the entrepreneurial, Type A woman. Those who pack their day with classes, meetings, practices, appointments, and more will truly appreciate a planner that has a spot for everything. This agenda is fully functional and aesthetically-pleasing, if you can handle the bulk.

If you’re a diligent student who crams their daily life into a weekly agenda, or scrap paper “to-do” lists, the Day Designer might be for you. Try out a free printable before your purchase.