Admittedly, this advice was given to me from a female, however, it makes a lot of sense. Facebook may be the easiest way to remember birthdays, but it is not always the most reliable. Not everyone is on Facebook and those that are don’t always put their birthday information on the social networking site. Plus, unless your parents and other relatives have a Facebook account (in which case that’s unfortunate for you), you won’t be able to keep track of their special days. Other dates (parent’s anniversary, Mother’s/Father’s Day, etc.) are smart to keep track of. Your family thinks you’ve forgotten about them when you’re away at college. A phone call on their birthday will be a pleasant surprise.

And unless you want Sara to totally not speak to you because you forgot her birthday, a detailed calendar might be necessary.