How to Make a Study Schedule

Learning is an important part of success in education. However, sometimes it is difficult to determine the time for each subject that we need to study. One way to ensure academic success is to create a fixed schedule. Although creating a study schedule can be more difficult than we think. Not only do you have to prioritize the subjects and courses you need to study, but you also have to juggle other responsibilities like family, friends, and entertainment. In the end, though with a little thought and a little work, you should have no problem creating a schedule and achieving all of your study goals.

Table of Contents

Create a timetable

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Make a list of all the subjects you need to study. Perhaps the first step in creating a study schedule is to make a list of all the subjects and courses you need to study. Writing tasks down on paper will help you get a better idea of what to actually do. If you study for an important test, list these instead of courses. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Determine what you need to do for each subject or exam. Now that you’ve written down all the subjects you need to study, you need to figure out what you need to do for each semester. While the time constraints and other duties for a given class may change weekly, there is a chance you will find that over a long period of time you will need a certain amount of time to each subject.

If you have a manual or textbook with a review section, use it to narrow down what you put on your list.
Make time for reading.
Take time to review your notes.
Take the time to create exam study guides, if you need them later. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Prioritize your list. After making a list of all the subjects or exams you need to study and determining what to do for each subject, prioritize the list. Ranking the importance of each will help you determine which subjects need the most time and which might be appropriate between time periods.

Set the sequence number, starting with number one, then with all subjects or exams. If you need to spend the most time on math, put it at 1. If you need the least time on history (and you have 5 subjects to study), put it at 5.
Pay attention to the difficulty of the subject or exam.
Pay attention to how much you will need to read.
Pay attention to the number of lessons to be studied. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Divide the available time of the week into learning blocks. Before proceeding, you need to divide the available time of the week into study blocks. After doing this, you can go ahead and split the learning block in a subject.

The trick to creating a study schedule is to plan to study at the same time each day so you’ll actually have a timetable that you can remember without constantly checking. By creating a roadmap, you will build positive study habits.
Check if there are times or days of the week you can study regularly. For example, you may be free from 3 to 4 pm every Tuesday and Thursday. If possible, try to schedule your studies, as setting a regular schedule can help you get used to a learning mindset and start learning faster.
Schedule a session for about 30-45 minutes. Short time blocks are often easier to identify and organize than long time blocks.
Create blocks for all your available time.
If you have a certain amount of time before the exam, create a reserve schedule instead of a weekly one. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Make time for fun activities. While fixing time for each subject, you also need to make sure to make time for family, friends, and rest. This is because you will not be able to succeed in your studies without creating a healthy balance between your personal life and your studies.

Make time for events you can’t reschedule, grandma’s birthday, family gathering, or vet appointment.
Stick all the time you have with other activities like swimming lessons, family time, or going to church.
Take plenty of time to rest, sleep, and exercise.
If you only have a short time before an important exam, consider postponing or canceling regular social or extracurricular activities. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Fill the learning blocks. Once you’ve outlined your schedule and you know what you need to schedule, fill your schedule up. Write down the subject you are studying for each term. This will help you stick to your plan, mark your check points in your materials, and allow you to prepare books and materials before class.

Buy a daily planner or something similar. You can also use notebooks.
Install a timetable on your smartphone if you have one.
At first, just plan for a week, until you figure out how your schedule works.
Prioritize studying for the upcoming exam. Divide all your lessons into limited time periods and divide up the materials by the time that you have before the test.
Prioritize courses in which you are weak or want to be at the top. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Consider your schedule and personality

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Evaluate the current timetable. The first step in creating a study schedule is to evaluate your current schedule and how you use it. Evaluating your current schedule will give you a better look at how you spend your time and help determine where you study more effectively and which activities you can eliminate.

Determine how many hours a week you currently study.
Determine how many hours a week you currently spend on leisure.
Determine how many hours a week you currently spend with friends and family.
Do some quick tests to see what you can cut. People often realize they spend a lot of time on entertainment, let’s start there.
Make sure you create a study schedule around your work schedule, if you work. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Pay attention to your learning style. While understanding how you spend your time is one of the important parts of creating a schedule, you also need to realize how you actually study. Realizing how you learn can help you determine if you’re overlapping activities. It will also help you realize how you can use the time you don’t use. Ask yourself some questions.

Are you a person who likes to listen to lectures? Perhaps listen to a recorded lecture or audio study material while driving or working out in the gym.
Are you an observer? Can you use pictures or watch videos to learn? Try watching videos as a way to learn and have fun. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Think about your work ethic. While you may have designed a great timetable yourself, your schedule will mean relatively little if you don’t commit to self-study. So you need to take some time to think about your work ethic. After doing so:

Plan your schedule based on how you think you will work. If you are easily distracted and take a long time to rest, create extra time in your schedule.
If you know you’re procrastinating, create extra time ahead of any deadline. This will act as a stepping stone so you won’t have to rush to meet deadlines.
If you know you have a strong work ethic, give yourself the ability to get things done early. You can do this by creating extra “bonus” points in your timetable that you can use to get ahead in whatever subject you want. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Follow the timetable

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Make the most of the time off in your schedule. One of the biggest challenges in making a schedule is that it’s so easy to ignore it and instead do something relaxing, fun, or enjoyable. However, you need to resist this temptation and make the most of your scheduled break.

Look forward to the time off as a reward for learning.
Use time off as a way to recover. A little eye-popping can help. Going for a walk or doing some yoga can make you more relaxed and focused when you come back to the lesson.
Make sure you leave the house too. Use your breaks to get out of the study space. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Rest and follow them closely. Make sure you take breaks during each class period. However, this can present problems. One of the most important elements of sticking to a schedule is making sure you stick to it and include only one period of rest. Taking too many breaks or taking long breaks can and will ruin your schedule and ruin your successful study plan.

Take a break every 5-10 minutes during class hours. Do not rest for more than 5-10 minutes.
At the start of a break, set an alarm clock to ring when the break is over.
Use your time off wisely. Make sure to use breaks to help you stay awake. Stretch, go for a walk, have a snack, or get motivated by listening to music.
Avoid distractions that can prolong your break. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Follow the timetable. One immutable rule of making sure your schedule works is that you have to stick to your schedule. Creating a timetable is useless if you don’t stick to it.

Try to make it a habit to look at your calendar/planner regularly, basically, every day. This will help you stay away from the “far away from your heart” trap.
Once you’ve established a routine, you can start certain activities that have a connection in your head, like opening a textbook or sitting down at a desk with a study mode. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Tell others about your schedule. Sometimes it’s hard to stick to a schedule because important people in our lives distract us from our goals. This is not intentional, just because people who care about you want to spend time with you. To avoid this, tell your loved one about your schedule. This way, if they want to do something, they can plan around the timetable.

Stick a copy of the study guide on the fridge at home so your family can watch it.
Email a copy to your friends so they can know when you’re free.
If someone has plans to coincide with class, politely ask them if you can reschedule at another time. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Advice

Be honest with yourself, make a schedule of what you can do, not what you want to do.

Steps

Create a timetable

Consider your schedule and personality

Follow the timetable

Advice

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