WeekDate 2015-2016 Academic year planner: new features!

The new 2015-2016 Academic year planners from WeekDate have lots of great new features!

One of the new features is the new chipboard covers that I will go on and on about in a minute.

First I want to show you the weekly layout. The whole concept of WeekDate planners is Only Write It Once: you write your recurring weekly events in the space at the bottom, and as you turn the weekly pages your recurring events always stay visible so you don't have to write them over and over each week.

I love the new, clean-looking font and timed daily columns!

At the right side of the page under the name of the month, there is a lined area to write tasks and reminders for that week. You could also list daily goals there and check them off each day as you complete them. There is a fold-out flap that is a great space to use as a dashboard to stick notes for more task lists or other things you need to keep in view all the time.

That flap folds in to mark your current week's page. There is a handy reference calendar for the school year there.

The weekly pages have US holidays printed on the day spaces. Week numbers are indicated, which I'll refer back to in a minute.

The space down below the week pages stays visible all the time. The daily columns are divided into threes so you can add times for morning/ afternoon/ evening, or different categories like school/ work/ home. This is where I can write my kids' afterschool activities, and even which weeks are garbage pickup or recycling. (Even weeks garbage, odd weeks recycling.) You write scheduled recurring events in pencil so you can easily change them seasonally. At the right is a lined space to write tasks to do each week like cleaning schedules, or to list things that happen every month like dates bills are due, to keep these always visible.

Embedded in the weeks are monthly calendars! Hooray! The page opposite the month is lined for notes, reminders, tasks and goals. The month calendars have a highlighted label at the right of the page so it's easy to find the month calendars within the weeks.

The day spaces have plenty of space to write in and have holidays printed in the day spaces. These calendars are great for overviews of due dates, deadlines and holidays.

Another new feature I love is shown below: the Time Tracker. I haven't quite decided yet how I'll use this, because there are several ways it can be used. I might circle holidays and deadlines in red, then fill in the circles as the days progress to have an easy visual as the days get closer. Or I might fill in the circles with color codes to indicate when I do cardio or strength exercises, for a quick overview on my exercise. You could use this page to track goals, progress, or as a countdown.

The paper is spectacular, nice and smooth with no show-through on the back side of the page even with my rollerball pens.

Now, the new chipboard covers: they are fantastic. They are firm so you can have a solid writing surface while holding the book in your hand. They have rounded corners so they won't catch in your bag, and a wire binding so the book lies flat and can be folded back on itself to save space. There is a peekaboo window that shows the design of the cover inside. Creative folks could decorate the outside of the chipboard using markers, stencils and/ or stickers to personalize it.

Here is the chipboard cover open showing the inside cover design. This one is the "Adventurista" design, there are several designs to choose from. The inside surface of the chipboard cover is a great place to put sticky notes, write quotes, or anything else you want to keep handy.

Here is a closer look at the Adventurista design!

Here is the inside of the back cover. I might stick one of those clear plastic pockets in there to hold papers and cards.

Here is the back of the chipboard cover, hand stamped with the WeekDate logo.

WeekDate planners are entirely made in the USA. And even with all these detail upgrades, they have stayed the same price as last year.

The planner is very lightweight, on my scale it's only 233g/ 8.3 ounces so it's easy to carry everywhere. The book is approximately A5 size, the cover is 6 1/2 inches wide (6 3/4 including the spiral binding) and 8 3/4 inches tall. It's a great size with lots of writing space and it's still easy to carry in your bag.

Thanks very much to WeekDate for sending me this planner to review! My daughter immediately wanted one when she saw it, so I ordered one up for her too. WeekDate ships worldwide, and I have to say $13.95 to ship to the UK is really good.

The WeekDate academic-year planners go from the beginning of August to the end of July. They are now shipping! WeekDate also makes January to December planners in a slightly different format that incorporates monthly recurring events too. The 2016's will be ready to ship soon so keep your eye on WeekDate.com for those!

WeekDate planners are great for people with ADD/ ADHD, those juggling work/ school/ family, and anyone who is busy because they keep everything visible all the time so nothing slips through the cracks. I'm all for a planner that makes my life easier with minimal effort!