How to Plan Your Study Schedule

Studying might be boring and might be hard. But if you have the right approach and know how to plan your study sessions, you can significantly increase your productivity and even have fun during study hours. If you would like to know how to do that, you should definitely keep reading.

Why Is Study Schedule Important?

Whenever you need to get prepared for a test or do your complete your homework assignments, you might face the need to create a plan. This is the most efficient way to study and make the most out of your spare time. You surely would like to save a few hours a day, right? So, creating a study plan will help you do that.

A study schedule is a calendar with all your classes and study hours neatly placed in the right time frames so you have a steady plan on hand and remember when your deadlines are or when you have another exam. It allows you to have a convenient timetable that is always there for you to check on whenever you need it.

It is up to you to decide on how you want to organize it or what the format will be. Some students prefer scheduling using a paper daily planner or a wall calendar, while others go for digital planners and schedule apps or software – it allows you to receive notifications and reminders while also being a convenient way to add new or edit old information.

The Basics

So how do you create your study schedule? The first thing that you need to do is to pick the format of your schedule. Then you should take a look at your class schedule and put it in your daily plan. Make sure to mark the dates of exams, tests, assignment deadlines, etc. This will help you see how much time daily you have on hand and how much time you have left until you need to hand that paper in.

Make sure you analyze the way you usually study. Do you tend to have a productivity burst in the evening? Maybe you prefer to study as soon you get back after classes. Your study habits will help you plan your day the most effectively. Schedule the study sessions during the most productive hours of the day to have the best results.

How Much Time You Really Need

Averagely, a student tends to spend two hours studying for each one-hour class. It includes searching for material, rehearsing, note-taking, and writing assignments. If you feel like you need more time to get prepared for another class or know about a challenging assignment that will take much more than two hours to complete, you might want to break larger tasks into smaller parts in order to avoid cramming. 

Plan your week or even a month in a way when you can dedicate a few hours each day to studying or gradually finishing larger assignments. It takes some courage and self-discipline to start working on your papers early but it definitely is worth doing it. The amount of stress you can omit by not putting your tasks aside until the very last moment is pretty significant.

Plan Your Study Sessions at the Same Time

We all get used to something over time. And you can make your brain get used to working harder at specific hours. For example, when you are studying. So, if you want to help yourself be more focused and concentrated, you might want to plan your days in a way where you always get to your studies at the same time each day.

Just like the sleeping schedule that should be consistent for maximum effectiveness, your study schedule should be consistent too. You can analyze your daily routine or tailor it in order to get to your assignments at consistent times. 

For example, you might want to start your study session every day at 4:30 PM in order to be able to finish it at 8:30 and have some time to have dinner, work out, or go for an evening walk before you go to bed. Make sure you stick to your schedule and after some time of consistent studying you will see that it becomes much easier to cope with your academic assignments.

Plan Your Breaks

Breaks are crucial in order to stay productive during long study sessions, otherwise, you might lose concentration after an hour or so and spend the rest of your time with minimum effectiveness. 

When planning your study hours, make sure you leave some time for short breaks – around 10-15 minutes each hour to have the opportunity to snack or give your eyes some rest. Cramming is not a healthy option for a student but if you absolutely must do it, make sure you have your breaks too.