50 Journal Prompts for Teens

Updated 2026-09-29 · By the Journal for iPad team

A journal is one of the few places where you don't have to perform for anyone. These 50 prompts are about the stuff that actually fills your days: school, friends, figuring out who you are, what comes next and how you feel about all of it.

How to use these prompts

Pick whatever looks interesting today. There are no right answers, and you don't have to write a lot; a few sentences is fine. You can also draw, make a list or stick in a photo instead.

Journal prompts about school

School takes up most of your week, so it's worth writing about more than just grades.

1. Which class do you actually look forward to? What's good about it?
2. What did you learn this week that surprised you?
3. Which teacher gets you? What do they do differently?
4. Which subject is hard for you? What part exactly trips you up?
5. Describe your school day as if it were a scene in a movie.
6. What's the best project or assignment you've ever done? Why that one?
7. If you ran your school for a day, what would you change?
8. How do you study best: with music or in silence, alone or with friends, in the afternoon or late at night?
9. What's stressing you out about school right now? What's one step that would help?
10. What do you usually do at lunch? Would you change anything about it?

Journal prompts about friends

Friendships change a lot during these years. Writing about them helps you figure out which ones matter.

1. Who is the easiest friend to be around? What makes it easy?
2. Describe the best day you've ever had with friends.
3. What makes someone a good friend, in your opinion?
4. Have you ever grown apart from a friend? What happened?
5. What's an inside joke you share with someone? How did it start?
6. When do you feel left out? What helps when that happens?
7. What do you like about yourself as a friend?
8. Is there someone you'd like to get to know better? What's a first step?
9. How do your group chats make you feel? Which one would you leave if you could?
10. Write about a time a friend stood up for you, or you stood up for a friend.

Journal prompts about who you are

You're allowed to change your mind about who you are. These prompts are a snapshot of right now.

1. Describe yourself in five words. Would your best friend pick the same five?
2. What are you good at that doesn't get graded?
3. What are you really into right now: a show, a game, an artist, a sport? What do you like about it?
4. What do people get wrong about you?
5. Where do you feel most like yourself: your room, a practice, a friend's house, online?
6. Which rule at home do you disagree with? Write the other side's reasons too.
7. What makes you laugh the hardest?
8. What have you changed your mind about this year?
9. How is the online you different from the offline you?
10. If you could redesign your room however you wanted, what would it look like?

Journal prompts about the future

You don't need a plan yet. These are for daydreaming with a pen.

1. What do you picture yourself doing at 25?
2. Which job sounds interesting that you know almost nothing about? How could you find out more?
3. What skill would you like to learn this year, just for fun?
4. What's one goal for this semester, and what's the first step?
5. Where in the world would you like to live someday? Why there?
6. Which adult you know has a life that looks interesting? What do they do?
7. What are you worried about when you think about the future? What are you excited about?
8. Write a short letter to your future self to open on your next birthday.
9. What would you do with a completely free summer?
10. What does “being successful” mean to you, not to your parents or your school?

Journal prompts about feelings

Getting a feeling onto paper can make it easier to understand, and easier to talk about.

1. How was today, from 1 to 10? What made it that number?
2. What annoyed you this week? Write it all out; you don't have to be fair.
3. What helps when you're in a bad mood: music, a walk, sleep, talking to someone?
4. What's something you worry about that you haven't told anyone?
5. What made you feel proud recently?
6. When did you last feel really calm? Where were you?
7. What do you wish adults understood about being your age?
8. How do you feel right after you close social media?
9. Who can you talk to when things are hard?
10. What's something nice you could do for yourself this week?

If something is really weighing on you, you don't have to handle it alone. Talk to a parent, a teacher, a school counselor or another adult you trust. If you ever feel like you might hurt yourself, you can call or text 988 any time to talk to someone.

Keeping a journal as a teen

A journal works best when it feels like yours. Use a notebook you like, or an app that locks. Journal for iPad locks with Face ID or a passcode and lets you write by hand with Apple Pencil or type with the keyboard. For more ideas, check out journal ideas or the full list of journal prompts.

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