FREE TOOL · EXCEL TEMPLATE · PRINTABLE
Study schedule template and maker with built-in review days
Free study schedule maker: spaced review dates in two minutes, then print it, add every session to your calendar or download the Excel template.
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.
Need help staying on task inside each session? Use the Pomodoro timer with 25 or 50-minute rounds. For day-to-day assignments and test dates across all your subjects, keep a weekly homework planner next to this schedule.
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.
Can I add my study schedule to Google Calendar?
Yes. Choose a study time, make your schedule and tap Add to calendar. You get one .ics file with every session as its own event, with what to review and learn in the notes. Open it to add the sessions to Google, Apple or Outlook Calendar.
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.
Is there a study schedule template I can edit?
Yes. Download the free Excel template: a weekly timetable, a topics sheet that fills in review dates 1, 3 and 7 days after you first study a topic, and an exams sheet that counts the days left. It opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
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.