There are two kinds of people in this world: those who make it through the year with a single diary, and those who find themselves, come June, squinting at a fraying January-to-December planner, wondering how it all went so sideways.
I, regrettably or proudly (depending on the day), fall into the latter camp. I love a physical diary — the tactile feel of crisp paper, the quiet satisfaction of crossing things off, the illusion of control. But I also tend to abandon them somewhere between Easter and high summer, only to re-emerge mid-year with a new pen and renewed optimism.
That’s where the mid-year diary comes in. Less an indulgence, more a lifeline for anyone whose calendar doesn’t neatly align with the Gregorian resolve of January 1st. These planners typically begin in July or August and run through the following summer, making them a natural fit for students, teachers, and anyone whose mental calendar has been permanently shaped by the academic year. But even if your school days are long behind you, there’s something refreshing, even liberating, about hitting reset mid-year.
A mid-year diary offers the same hopeful clean slate as a New Year’s resolution, but without the pressure of January self-improvement or the bleakness of setting goals during peak SAD. Instead, you get long summer evenings, a back-to-school energy that’s hardwired into our cultural psyche, and the general sense that you might just be able to stay on top of things this time.
@lindsseyhope very excited to plan my semester out now 🤎🧸 @Papier you’re my fav #planners #student #schooltok #papier #midyearplanner
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They’re also deeply practical. Mid-year diaries are perfect for the over-scheduled and perpetually multitasking — those juggling term times, internships or side hustles.
Whether you're planning essays, meetings, deadlines, or just trying to remember to water your plants, there's a mid-year diary out there designed to keep your chaos contained. Below, I’ve rounded up the best for 2025/26, so you can start fresh, no matter what your year looks like.
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Papier Blue Daisies Mid-Year Diary
Equal parts diary and dopamine hit, Papier’s Blue Daisies edition makes the simple act of jotting down your Thursday lunch plans feel like an aesthetic triumph. It has weekly, monthly and yearly overviews, and it runs from July 2025 to July 2026 - perfect if your mental year starts with September. The floral cover is delightfully cheery without veering into twee, and I particularly like the contrasting back cover.
Buy now £25.00, Papier
Busy B A5 Day Mid-Year Academic Diary
If your days are an elaborate game of logistical Tetris, this one’s for you. With a full page per day, this Busy B diary gives your schedule room to breathe — or, at the very least, somewhere to collapse. It’s a no-nonsense layout, complete with term timetables and tear-out lists (bliss), making it ideal for students, teachers, and the chronically overbooked.
Buy now £13.99, Amazon
Collins 'Essentials' 12 Month Mid/Academic Year Planner, July 2025-July 2026
No frills, no fluff, just pure planning. Collins’ ‘Essentials’ is the diary equivalent of a strong cup of builder’s tea: classic, affordable, and reliable. Inside, you’ll find a week-to-view layout, timetable sections, and just enough structure to keep you marginally less chaotic. It’s particularly good if you’re on a student budget or simply allergic to overly decorative stationery
Buy now £6.99, Amazon
Moleskine Classic Diary/Planner 2025/2026
he holy grail for stationery purists. Moleskine’s 18-month planner is everything you’d expect: smooth ivory paper, understated elegance, and that signature elastic band that somehow makes you feel like you have your life together. It’s a mid-year, weekly format (July to December of the following year), so perfect if you like a longer lead-in. Ideal for professionals, postgrads, or anyone whose diary must be taken seriously.
Buy now £21.69, Amazon
Waterstones Cute Floral Mid Year Diary 2025-2026
For the romantic planner with a packed schedule and a penchant for petals. This Waterstones exclusive is as sweet as its name suggests, but it’s more than just a pretty cover. The interior has a practical layout (week to view) with useful additions like goals pages and year-at-a-glance spreads.
Buy now £17.99, Waterstones
Burga Cherrybomb Infinity Planner
We adore the concept of an infinity planner, since it promotes the idea that you don’t have to wait for the new year to start organising. This cherry-clad option by Burga is crafted with sleek vegan saffiano leather and is secured with a magnetic clasp. Inside are 144 pages of 100 gsm, A5 ivory paper and an undated weekly planner. It comes with a brilliant metal time tag to clip on each week, which also works to save your spot.
Buy now £39.95, Burga
Filofax Domino Organiser Personal
Throw it back to the Nineties with Filofax’s week-to-view organiser which is complete with an A-Z address index, to-do pages, a world map and ruled paper for general notes. Even better, it features five credit card holders, a full-length stitched pocket, and a vertical pocket with a pen loop for optimum optimisation. It’s never out-of-date, because it can be perpetually refilled.
Buy now £41.88, Amazon
Rise and Shine Bullet Journal
The futuristic, sunbeam gradient on this hardback bullet journal by Papier is simply stunning. We just love the calming hues and minimalist text which – rather wonderfully – reads ‘rise and shine’. Though you can choose between lined, blank and dotted paper: we highly recommend purchasing the latter option for optimal bullet journaling.
The journal features 192 sides of paper and the inner pages are 85gsm. The hardback cover is 3mm thick with a 150gsm silk paper finish. Thanks to Papier’s sustainability promise, their paper is always sourced from Forest Steward Council (FSC) certified promise, and they also use plastic-free packaging. It’s a win-win.
Buy now £23.00, Papier
Week By Week Planner + Day Planner + Jotter
A three-in-one, non-committal option suitable for those who are prone to typos and smudges, keep track of your day-to-day tasks, movements, classes, and meetings and simply discard the page of your pretty planner once you’re done – as heartbreaking as it might feel to recycle some perfectly gorgeous stationery.
Working with disposable, yet aesthetically pleasing planners allows you to remain in the present without looking back on past mistakes, or even looking too far into the future.
Buy now £25.00, NOTHS
