Just in time for what may be an interesting academic year, the new Erin Condren Academic planner is here! The Academic planner is launching in two new formats, and all the details you need to know about customization options and launch details are here. Additionally, I am reviewing the new Erin Condren Monthly planner and some new accessories, which you can read about here.

I’d like to thank the Erin Condren team for sending me these products prior to launch to use and review! Additionally, this page contains affiliate links. If you choose to use these links, there is no additional cost to you and I will make a small commission that allows me to keep producing content. If you choose to use them: Thank You!

The Erin Condren Academic Planner

I am head over heels for this academic planner! It has my favorite pattern for guts and comes in coiled and softbound options. Truly, I wish I’d known about Erin Condren when I was in college. But school or no school, this planner is phenomenal for work, home-management, and many other options.

the details:

Format: Coiled and Softbound

The Coiled Academic Planner

Launching: June 11th, 2020

Price: Base Price $37 (Additional customizations will add to price)

Size: 7×9

Design: Mid Century Circles (YUP! You read that right)

Colorway Options: Colorful

Coil Options: Platinum, Gold, Rose Gold, or Black

Gut Options:

• Gut option 1: 12 month (August 2020 – July 2021)
• Gut option 2: 12 month (September 2020 – August 2021)
• Gut option 3: 12 month (January 2021 – December 2021)

Additional Pages That Can Be Added:

• 40 additional pages (lined only)

Planner Layout

You open up to the name page of the planner, where there is space for you to write your name and your school name. The “School of Hard Knocks” counts too if it’s been a while since you’ve seen the classroom!

Next is a year-at-a-glance page. While this page kicks off every Erin Condren planner, I love the look of the Mid Century Circles design at the top!

The schedule tab includes a class schedule page (which is front and back giving you two full and identical pages), and one full note page (2 pages if front and back).

Each month starts with a quote page. The pages are vibrant and the Mid Century Circles Designs just pops! (Can you tell I am in love )

We then jump into the Monthly Spread which just has this faded Mid Centuries Circles detailing right at the top and a notes column to the right of the spread.

There is a very unique spread at the start of the month. To the left, there is a dashboard page which has room for goals, events, and notes. To the right — a dedicated projects and exams page.

We then move into the weekly layout. It is a horizontal spread with three sections: two blank sections to the right and a to-do spread to the left. While I don’t normally care for horizontal spreads, this spread here is my favorite thing about the planner. The built-in to-do section of the planner is my favorite little detail!

After a month full of weekly spreads you are given two full pages (four pages front and pack) of lined notes[In the coiled version, there are no notes in between months in the softbound version]. You are also given the back page of the previous weeks spread as a lined page. So in total, there are five lined pages of notes that can be used.

This is then repeated until the end of the planner. In the back of the planner, there is a page full of school-related stickers.

Observations:

The $37 base price is incredible. You are getting a full Erin Condren planner with all the customization options and details (such as that 80lb mohawk paper) that we love at such an affordable price. However, there are a couple of things I wanted to mention that you don’t receive with this planner.

• No vellum or quotes page in the front
• No pocket holder

These aren’t major deal breakers for me and don’t take away substantially from the value of the planner!

The Softbound Academic Planner

I am no stranger to the softbound line. I have been using a softbound planner since January 2020 and love it. See how I plan in it here, and here. It’s sleek, portable, and there is just something I love about a bound planner. Though I constantly change planners, I always find ways to incorporate a softbound into my lineup.

I love that there is a softbound Academic Planner. I think it is great for students and professionals, honestly anyone. The Erin Condren team introduced a softbound Teacher Planner this year, and I hope that they continue to add more softbound versions of their planners to their line-up. Bonus points: My boyfriend is a huge fan of the softbound academic planner, and will be moving in to the focused softbound in August as his main planner!

Size: All A5

Price: $30

Colors:

• Rose Gold, Peacock, Camel (Focused), Grey (Focused)

Gut Options:

• Rose Gold and Peacock share the same guts
• Camel and Grey share the same guts
• Dated (Aug 2020-July2021)

Additional Information

• Can be personalized
• 6 Lined Notes Pages in the back 

Planner Layout

The softbound planners take almost identical layouts ( minus the Mid-Centuries-Circle design) to the coiled version, but here are some of the differences.

It starts with a year-at-a-glance page with areas for notes.

Then, it moves into a class schedule page similar to the coiled version.

Then, there’s a major difference between the coiled and the softbound version. Because the softbound planner is bound, it does not have the same capacity for pages as the coiled planner. So there are no notes pages in between the months. Instead, there is this dashboard page that has a large note section and a section for dates to remember in the month.

This layout is repeated for the duration of the academic year and it ends in July of 2021

At the end of the planner, there are three full pages of notes (six pages front and back)

Some Additional Uses for the Academic Planner

While the planner is focused and themed for the education industry, it can easily be used for multiple purposes. I could see myself using this for work and pretty much using it except for the schedule page.

Teacher Planner – While Erin Condren does make a fabulous teacher planner, it may include too much for certain teachers or teaching positions. The academic planner is still tailored to the learning community, just a little smaller and more manageable. Kristin over at the Gold Project has a great video here showing how she uses it!

Work Planner – I think this a wonderful format for a work planner, and I may even spend a month or two trying this first hand. As I mentioned above, my boyfriend is in Sales and he loves the Academic Planner is functional and modular enough to track calls, tasks, and projects all in one place. He’s even promised to do a plan with me for y’all! While many companies use digital scheduling, I personally believe the to-do section works perfect for organizing and outlining work goals and priorities.

Virtual Learning Planner – Who knows what schools will look like next year. The academic planner could be the perfect thing to help you navigate virtual and distance learning with your student. See below for all my thoughts and some advice from a teacher.

With the built in to-do section and the portability of the A5 size I can imagine so many different ways to use this planner!

Thoughts from a teacher

I’m not a teacher, but my soul sister Caroline is. I asked for her input about parents needing a planner to keep up with their students, especially if schools opt for more virtual and distance learning in the future. Here is what she said:

“Yes. Parents Absolutely need a planner when learning looks different, especially for the different styles and formats of virtual and distance learning”

In Caroline’s school, they attempt to provide parents with weekly resources with lesson objectives, links, resources, and provides them with optional activities and assignments for students to turn in. After talking with Caroline, my understanding is that once a week teachers are sending out a week-long guide for the parents and students which contains all the school information for the week. She says “If I was a parent trying to schedule multiple children around my own work, I would need something very specific, like an academic planner, to keep it all straight”.

She broke it down into three reasons why parents should use some sort of planner or guide when helping children:

1 – The assignments. I think this one is self-explanatory. To help parents know what resources to use when things are due, and the expectations the teachers and schools have for the parents.

2 – Individual meetings. At Caroline’s school, students can have up to 6 individual weekly meetings with their teachers, on top of other optional one-on-one activities the students may participate in. That is a packed schedule! I can only imagine how hard distance learning is, and having to navigate all those meetings may seem impossible. According to Caroline, having a place to keep track of that as a parent helps teachers out so much. They don’t have to stay-on-top of families to ensure their kids are prepared and actively participating.

3 – Time Management. It is important to use plan with kids to help teach them time management. Caroline explained that starting Pre-K, you can ask for your student’s input on what and when they want to learn. “We as teachers do this at the start of your year,” Caroline added, and “one way to effectively engage them in their own learning, and get them to take more responsibility and ownership in their own learning, is to engage them in the schedule making themselves a planner — especially this one— is an incredible tool to use to co-plan!”

So there we have it: all the information on the new Erin Condren Academic Planners launching June 11th! As I mentioned earlier, the New Monthly Planner is launching June 4th and you can find out more information here. I will be posting additional pre-launch on my Instagram and Youtube channel. Make sure to subscribe to follow along!

If you are new to Erin Condren click here for $10 off your first order!

As more information becomes available and more accounts start sharing content I will link additional information and product reviews down below!