It is worth making a study schedule at the beginning of the semester so you know whether you have enough time available to study without burning out. Keep in mind that you should consider your schedule a general guideline, not law.
In today’s world, I often find scheduling apps like google calendar are often the most convenient method of creating and maintaining your study schedule. That way your schedule is a living document you can change when necessary. You can also set up a calendar app to remind you to study and track deadlines.
Start by putting in all of your obligations. This includes, but is not limited to: classes, work schedules, office hours, doctor appointments, team sports, and mandatory family functions. Anything you have committed to that requires you to be there at a specific time. Be sure to include buffers for travel time. Color-coding different types of obligations or appointments can prove helpful in understanding how you have blocked out your time at a glance.
Next, add in bodily functions that shouldn’t be ignored, specifically sleep and food times. You need to make sure you have time to eat and you definitely need to prioritize your beauty sleep. Anything less than 7-8 hours of sleep a night is unsustainable.
After that, schedule time for fun! I know we are making a study schedule, but fun comes first when making a sustainable schedule. Once you know you have time to relax, unwind, and hang out with your friends, you will be more likely to stick to the schedule. Just make sure not to schedule all your time as fun. Reserve at least one day a week where you have no obligations, studying or otherwise.
Finally, schedule study time. Remember, you need time for a minimum of 30 minutes of studying for each class every two days beyond doing homework. This time can be split up into 30-minute sessions scheduled throughout the day.
Once you have your calendar set up, be sure to set reminders, so you remember to study regularly throughout the day.
Here are the steps again for easy reference:
- Enter all your obligations with travel time
- Block off meal times and sleeping time
- Schedule time for fun
- Reserve one day a week so that it is free of obligations
- Schedule study sessions (15- 30 minutes per session, at least one hour total)
Of course you can build a study schedule on paper and reference it throughout the day. I often do both: setting a paper study schedule in my work area, while setting alarms on my phone to remind me to switch tasks. Do what makes you most comfortable.
Tips for building a study schedule that works
If your study schedule is going to actually work, you need to be honest with yourself about your time commitments. Take the patterns of your life into account. That means if Yoga is scheduled from 2-3 PM on Fridays, but you tend to stick around a while longer and rarely leave before 3:15, then it should be in your calendar as being from 1:45-3:20 PM.
Think of your study time as an obligation. You need to study and this is the time set aside for it. Only move your study time if something truly important comes up. That means if your friends want to go out to eat during your study time, let them know you will be a few minutes late. However, if a job interview pops up during that time, move the study session.
One way to keep your study times sacred is to commit to only moving one per day on average. This gives you freedom to move things around to do things you want or need to do, but prevents you from accidentally having a 6 hour study session.
Try to build your study times into natural lulls in your daily rhythm. For example, I used to leave a stack of textbooks next to my bed and would often read the chapters for the next week when I got up on Saturday. I wouldn’t even leave the bed. It was nice to wake up slowly, roll over and read all my chapters for the next week.
I also like to build study sessions into solo eating activities. If I am eating breakfast alone, you can bet I’m doing it with a book.
Finally, be forgiving. If you have a day that goes completely off the rails, don’t beat yourself up.
Once, I was on my way to an exam and someone jumped in front of my train. I didn’t make it to the exam, and I got home at almost 11 at night, with an 8 AM class in the morning. There was no studying that night when I got home, even though I had planned to read the book for my morning class. Some days are just bad.
Study schedules are important
I recommend you make a study schedule at the beginning of every semester so you know if you have created a balanced schedule. Even if you don’t use it to dictate when you study, it can help keep you from over-scheduling yourself.
I also recommend making a different study schedule before finals or weeks when you have a lot of tests. A test week study schedule is not sustainable long term, so make your normal study schedule something you can maintain without getting burned out.
What are your favorite study schedule tips? Let me know in the comments below.