Creator of the month June '21 - plan with Jae

Do you ever feel intimidated by journaling? Like everything you see on social media is just too artistically perfect? We talk to our Creator of the Month for June, @PlanWithJae on journaling when you’re not an artist, the Studygram community, a reading tracker and how to create a memory journal.

You can follow Jae on:

Instagram: @planwithjae

One of @planwithjae's Studygram spreads

Y&T: Hi Jae, how did you get into journaling?

Jae: Bullet journaling is something that I’ve always had an interest in but I was also sometimes intimidated by. While scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest I would see such beautiful spreads created by wonderful artists. I sometimes felt that I lacked the artistic ability to create such stunning spreads. It wasn’t until I found the studygram community, when I realized that I did not have to be an artist to start a bullet journal. I began to see a lot more habit trackers, assignment trackers, daily/weekly routine spreads and I realized that I too could create similar spreads. 

Y&T: What do you mainly use your journal for?

Jae: I love to use my bullet journal to keep track of my assignments in school, create to do lists and plan my week. My bullet journal has quickly become my very own personalized planner. I love to plan, that’s actually where my name @PlanWithJae came from. Not only do I feel like it helps me stay on top of due dates, meetings and important events, but I also feel like I am much more productive when I know exactly what to expect. 

What is the Studygram community? 

Studygram, is a word made from "study" and "Instagram" and is a supportive community of students on Instagram. They typically share goals, studying tips and act as a form of accountability for each other.  

What should I share on a Studygram account?

What you post on your Studygram Instagram account is up to you but popular posts include images of your journal that could include notes, studying tips, habit trackers, quotes etc.Remember, this is a supportive community so be positive when you are commenting on other people's posts.

Where to find the Studygram community?

Most commonly, the Studygram community exists on Instagram. You can easily find out people you may want by searching for the hashtags #studygram, #studyinspiration, or similar hashtags.

More recently I have been using it as a Reading Tracker! During my last semester of college one of my professors challenged us to do something productive consecutively for 100 days. On January 1, 2021, I decided that I would challenge myself to read for 100 days!

Reading has always been something that I enjoyed but unfortunately I felt I didn’t have enough time to read for enjoyment. I had what seemed like a never ending list of books I wanted to read and I finally decided to do something about it! There was no better time to start this challenge than during my gap year in between undergrad and grad school. This was when I created my very first habit tracker, a reading tracker!

Although I am in a gap year, I still hold a full-time job and my time is still limited but finding time to enjoy a good book was much more manageable. I must admit, at first it was a bit hard to set aside a few minutes to read since it was not something I typically did in my daily routine. But soon it became something that I looked forward to every night and before I knew it I surpassed 100 days! I am currently 182 days strong and I hope to keep this up for as long as possible! 

Y&T What do you use your Yop & Tom dot grid journal for?

Jae: My current Yop & Top bullet journal is being used as a memory journal for me and my college roommate. Although we are no longer roommates we still remain great friends but unfortunately we live in different states. We both hold full-time jobs and finding the time to see each other has been more difficult than expected. For her 24th birthday I decided that I would create a memory journal for us.

A page from Jae's memory journal, showing her playlist spread.

Y&T: How do you create a memory journal between you?

Jae: One of us keeps the journal for a few weeks and we share current life events, song recommendations or plans we have for the future. We started this memory journal around the time I started my studygram account, so I have been sharing and documenting my account growth and experience in our journal as well. We’ve been doing this for the past three months and have been loving it! It’s our unique way of staying in touch and I can’t wait to see what memories we create and share with one another in the months to come! Below is an example of a playlist I created in our memory journal.

What is a memory journal?

A memory journal is a notebook, or journal, where you keep track of any stories, life events or anything you want to remember. Some people use them as scrap books, cutting and sticking in tickets, receipts or other memorable items. They can be a fun and interesting way to log events and look back at them in the future.

You can use a dot grid, lined, or even plain journal for your memory journal.

Why not use a Yop & Tom journal for your memory journal?