Keep reading to learn how I adapted the level ten life bullet journal spread to fit college students. This post includes questions to get you started on evaluating yourself and creating goals for improvement.
In the bullet journaling world, level ten life spreads are quite popular. I can’t even count how many times I’ve used this model now. For example, here are just two ways I’ve incorporated this in my bullet journal in the last two years:
But when I sat down to create another level ten life spread before my first college semester, the categories were so unaligned from my life. I’m not married, I suddenly didn’t have a job anymore, and all my priorities were shifting. I was an independent high schooler who worked, had established relationships with peers and adults, drove herself everywhere, and was in charge of her own schedule, money, and time. Suddenly I was a jobless student living with another human being in a tiny room, having to eat all my meals in a cafeteria, relying on strangers for rides anywhere out of these cornfields, and having next to no say on what happened in my life. Needless to say, I felt like I lost freedom of going to college. So I adapted this spread to fit my new lifestyle.
I was reeling with all of the goals and desires I had for my first semester at college. I used this spread to evaluate my current state
Family and Friends
My people shifted from my
What to evaluate:
- How have I been communicating with my roommate?
- How have I invested in the other people on my dorm floor, wing, or serority?
- How much am I involved in the activities they offer?
- How many people can I recognize and greet by name?
Personal Enjoyment
I’m studying English and Professional Writing
What to evaluate:
- What habits would foster development in my major/course of study?
- What habits benefited me in high school that I want to carry over to college? What
habits do I wish I built in high school? - What’s one weakness that often sets me back internally or externally? What actionable step can I take to working through this?
- What does a responsible adult do with
their time? How can I implement one of these tasks or attitudes now, in college?
Spirituality
I attend a Christian university; however, I’ve always struggled with church and God. This was a source of anxiety to me as I moved into this next season of life. Maybe you’re religious and attending a secular university, or attending a religious college because it’s what your parents expected. Maybe there’s no component of religion as you transition. Whatever your situation is, spiritual
What to evaluate:
- Do I make time for medication and/or prayer? How can I incorporate this into my daily routine?
- Do I have a mentor who
is further along than me, who can advise and direct me? - Do I mentor any younger people? Am I a positive influence to my peers or younger people who see me?
- Do my values or morals guide my actions?
- Am I allowing past negative experiences to seep into my new experiences here?
Finances
I always had a job in high school, and I was working over fifty hours at two jobs the summer before college. Needless to say, I always had money for what I wanted. I bought clothes, food, bullet journal supplies, makeup, toiletries, and books whenever I needed. Because my one job paid well over minimum wage and my other was waitressing, where I could make over $200 a shift, it twisted my output view. In college, I’m working a minimum wage job a few times a week while all my money is funneling back into the school.
What to evaluate:
- Am I doing anything to earn money right now?
- Am I maintaining a budget, or have I created spending restrictions for myself?
- Do I use my money wisely? Where am I spending more than I should, and where can that money be better invested?
- Am I selfish with my money? Does
fear of spending keep me from participating in anything? - Am I starting to save now? Am I prepared to live in the “real world” with my money skills?
Education
School is never something that’s been a struggle for me. I’m organized, self-motivated, and since I can read/write/type quickly, I can complete assignemnts in great time. But I’m not a great studyer. I often tend to doodle and get distracted during lectures. I often tend to skim when I read textbooks.
What to evaluate:
- Do my grades often reflect the work I put into class?
- How easy has it been to form relationships with teachers and/or professors so far?
- How can I start to form relationships with my professors?
- What organizational strategies work best for me? How can I organize my
assignments and important dates so I always know what’s coming up? - Am I doing everything within my capabilities to be a successful student? What am I doing well? What needs improvement?
- What resources does my school provide for help? How can I utilize them?
Mental and Emotional Health
This is so important as you enter college for the first time, or for a new semester. Your mental and emotional health feeds into all of the other areas of this evaluation. Defend this as fiercely as you can.
What to evaluate:
- Am I
refuled by time with friends, or by time alone? How can I prioritize this? - How can I practice small acts of self care throughout the week? (Check out this giant list of self care ideas)
- What resources does my school offer for mental and emotional health? (Such as therapy dogs, counseling sessions, massage sessions, emotional support groups, etc)
- Who are some people who care about my emotional well being? What is the best way to confide in them?
- How do I process emotion? What habits can I develop to unwind or process my feelings? (Journaling, going for runs/walks, meditating, listening to ASMR videos, calling a parent or mentor, etc).
- What are some dark areas
of my past experiences that I haven’t taken care of yet? How can I begin to process this? - Where are some private places on campus I can go to escape?
Fun and Recreation
Funnily enough, this is an area I struggle with the most. If you haven’t found a hobby (besides Netflix) that you enjoy, college is a great time to start!
What to evaluate:
- What’s one topic, idea, langauge, or time period that’s always intrigued me? How can I learn more about it?
- Who’s one person I enjoy spending time with the most? How can I spend intentional time with them?
- Do I have a good balance of work and fun? Do I neglect my school work, or do I spend all my free time working
on school? - Do I have any hobbies that don’t involve screens? (Crocheting/knitting, drawing, reading, bullet journaling, etc.)
- Am I using my free time productively? Do I have hobbies that are both beneficial and enjoyable?
Giving and Contributing
As you move into a completely new city, giving and contributing changes quite a bit. I used to have a laundry list of volunteer work and contribution to my community, and now I’m in a strange new town that I haven’t plugged into yet.
What to evaluate:
- Am I a good person to live with? Am I considerate of my roommate’s time, space, and needs? How can I be a better roommate?
- How do I use my skills to improve the university or community? What ways can I get involved?
- What are resources other than money that I can give?
- How often do I observe others and selflessly do something that they need?
- How am I with sharing? Am I selfless with my time, space, money, or skills?
Physical Environment
My physical environment is one aspect that directly affects my happiness and productivity. Dorm rooms can quickly turn into prison cells. It’s vital to continually evaluate how you’re using this space that you likely share intimately with another person.
What to evaluate:
- Does my dorm room spark joy? When I walk into the room, does it make me feel happy after a long day?
- Do I keep my space clean and tidy? Do I take out the trash, dust, and vaccum often enough?
- Do I keep up with laundry? Do I change my sheets often enough?
- Do I have deocrations or posesstions that make my room feel more like home?
- Do I infringe on my roommate? Do I borrow their things without asking, or allow my mess to invade their space? Am I considerate with friends/boyfriends coming over, or while playing music/TV?
Health and Fitness
This is the area that scared me the most coming into college. Gaining weight is practically expected. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Also, there are more components of physical health than purely nutrition and exercise.
What to evaluate:
- What does my ideal breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like? How often can I stray from this? How am I at sticking to this plan?
- What does a practical exercise routine look like to me? How do I do at sticking to this routine, or moving my body intentionally every day?
- How’s my personal hygenie? Do I shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, comb my hair, and wear deoderant as much as I should? Are there any areas I should monitor?
- Do I look presentable when I attend class? Am I making a positive impression on my peers and professors?
- Where can I seek help if I struggle with nutrition or exercise? Are there resources at my school, or do I know anyone who can help guide me or keep me accountable?
I evaluate myself based on how I’m perforing within my capabilities, in regard to my strenghts and weaknesses. School comes easier for me, so I have to be working diligently to merit a high score. That being said, diet and exercise are difficult for me. If I’m able to exercise twice a week and eat vegetables with lunch and dinner, that does merit a high score for me, even if someone else may have stricter expectations for themselves.
Final Reflection
Nothing motivates me like a bar graph and a quanitifable score. I created this graph and rated each area from 1-10. At the bottom, I wrote what was my “best” category, and which one needed the most improvement. I then added up my points out of a possible 100. The goal is to have a higher score than my original by the end of the semester.
Do you have any experience with level ten life? How have you adjusted it as a student?
