FREE TOOL · PRINTABLE
Study schedule maker with built-in review days
Make a study schedule in two minutes: add subjects, pick your days, and get sessions with recall questions and spaced review dates. Print or export it.
Your study schedule
The short answer
A good study schedule gives each session one specific topic, starts with recalling what you remember before opening notes, and brings every topic back for short reviews after about 1, 3 and 7 days. Choose realistic days and session lengths, then keep the same time and place so starting becomes easier.
How the schedule works
Each session has two parts. First, review: close your notes and write what you remember about topics from earlier sessions, then check and correct. Second, learn: work on one new topic and finish by writing one question you will try to answer next time. Every topic comes back for short reviews about 1, 3 and 7 days after you first study it, which is how the schedule spaces your practice.
An example week
| Day | Review first (10 min) | Then learn (35 min) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | – | Biology: cell division |
| Tuesday | Biology (1-day review) | Spanish: past tense |
| Wednesday | Spanish (1-day review) | Math: fractions |
| Thursday | Biology (3-day), Math (1-day) | Biology: next section |
Make each session specific
- Name the exact question for the session, not just the subject: “What happens in each stage of mitosis?”
- Recall before you reread. Writing what you remember is the practice.
- End by writing tomorrow's first question so the next session starts itself.
- Keep your phone in another room for the session.
Want a daily plan and reminders for studying? Try the 30-day study habit plan or read how to make a study session specific.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a study schedule?
List your subjects, choose the days and session length you can really keep, and give each session one topic. Add short review blocks a few days later. This tool does the spacing for you.
What is spaced repetition in a study plan?
Returning to material after growing gaps, such as one day, three days and a week. Research reviews rate spaced practice and practice testing among the most useful study techniques.
How long should a study session be?
Long enough to recall, check and practice one topic: often 25 to 45 minutes. Short sessions you actually start beat long sessions you postpone.
Should I reread my notes?
Rereading feels productive but helps less than trying to recall first. Close your notes, write what you remember, then check and correct.
Sources and evidence
- Dunlosky et al. (2013): Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques — Practice testing and distributed practice rated high utility; rereading rated low.
- Cepeda et al. (2006): Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks — Spacing study sessions improves later recall; the best gap grows with how long you need to remember.
- Karpicke and Roediger (2008): The critical importance of retrieval for learning — Repeated retrieval improved delayed recall more than repeated study.