# How to Make a Study Schedule for Exams (and Stick to It)

> Build a study schedule for exams that fits the days you have: list every topic, count your sessions, space the reviews and leave buffer days for slip-ups.

Source: https://www.getmindie.app/blog/study-schedule-for-exams (published 2026-10-29)

Exams are four weeks away. That feels like plenty of time.

Then it's two weeks, and you've reread one chapter and made a colour-coded timetable you haven't looked at since.

A study schedule only helps if it matches the time you have and the topics you need to cover. Here's how to build one in about an hour, and how to keep following it once the novelty wears off.

## Step 1: List every topic for every exam

Start with what you need to know, not with the calendar. For each exam, write out every topic that could come up. Use the syllabus, the course outline, past papers and your lecture notes.

Be specific. "Biology" is not a topic. "Cell respiration", "photosynthesis" and "enzyme kinetics" are.

Next to each topic, rate how well you know it:

- **Green:** you could explain it to a friend right now.
- **Amber:** you've seen it and half remember it.
- **Red:** you'd struggle to answer a basic question.

This takes twenty minutes and saves hours. Most people spend their revision rereading the green topics, because it feels good. The red ones are where the marks are.

## Step 2: Count the time you have

Now look at the calendar. Count the days until each exam and how many study sessions you can realistically fit into each day.

Be honest about the days you already have plans: shifts at work, classes, sports, a family dinner. A schedule that assumes six hours of study every day falls apart by day three.

A rough rule: one focused session is 45 to 60 minutes with a short break after. Most people can manage two to four of these on a normal day and five or six on a clear day.

Multiply it out. If you have 20 days and average three sessions a day, you have about 60 sessions. That's your budget.

## Step 3: Share out the sessions

Divide your sessions between exams and topics. Some guidelines:

- **Weight by difficulty and value.** A red topic in an exam worth 40% of your grade gets more time than a green topic in a 10% quiz.
- **Give every topic at least two sessions.** One to learn or relearn, one to test yourself later.
- **Keep the last two or three days before each exam for review only.** No new material.
- **Leave one buffer day a week.** Something will go wrong. You'll get ill, a session will run long or a topic will take twice as long as planned. The buffer absorbs it without wrecking the whole plan.

## Step 4: Space your reviews

Studying a topic once and moving on doesn't stick. Coming back to it after a gap does. This is called spaced repetition, and it's one of the most reliable study methods there is.

A simple pattern for each topic:

1. **Day 1:** learn or relearn it.
2. **Day 3 or so:** test yourself on it without notes.
3. **About a week later:** test yourself again.
4. **Final review:** in the last few days before the exam.

You don't need software for this. When you finish a session, write the topic's next review date on your plan.

### Test yourself, don't reread

Rereading notes feels productive but doesn't show you what you've forgotten. Better options:

- Close your notes and write down everything you remember about a topic.
- Do past paper questions under timed conditions.
- Make flashcards and only keep the ones you get wrong.
- Explain the topic out loud as if teaching it.

If you get stuck, that's the useful part. It tells you exactly what to go back to.

## Step 5: Turn the plan into a daily schedule

A plan on paper only works if each day tells you what to do. For each day, write:

- **When** each session starts
- **Which topic** it covers
- **What kind** of session it is (learn, test, past paper)

For example, a Tuesday might look like this:

- 9:00 Chemistry: organic reactions (learn)
- 10:15 Chemistry: past paper section B (test)
- 14:00 History: causes of the First World War (test, no notes)
- 19:30 Maths: integration practice set

Pick one slot each day as your fixed "anchor" session, the one that happens whatever else does. Most people find a morning anchor easiest to protect. If you like planning in blocks, [time blocking for busy people](/blog/time-blocking-for-busy-people) goes into more detail.

## Step 6: Check in every few days

Every three or four days, spend ten minutes looking at your topic list. Recolour anything that's moved from red to amber or amber to green. Move sessions from topics you've nailed to ones still lagging behind.

Expect to fall behind somewhere. That's what buffer days are for. Use them, and don't try to cram the missed session into an already full day.

## Common mistakes

- **Making the timetable too pretty.** An hour spent with highlighters is an hour not studying.
- **Starting with the easiest subject.** Do the hardest topic in your best hours, usually the morning.
- **No breaks.** Five to ten minutes between sessions keeps your focus up. A longer break every few hours helps too.
- **Skipping sleep.** Memory consolidates while you sleep. An all-nighter before an exam usually costs more than it gains.

## Keeping the schedule with Mindie

The hardest part of a study schedule is starting each session on time. Mindie works inside WhatsApp and sends you a message when it's time to begin.

For a daily anchor session until the exam:

"Every day at 9am until 12 December remind me to start my first study session"

For a spaced review of a topic:

"Remind me Thursday at 4pm to test myself on enzyme kinetics without notes"

For the exam itself, with a heads-up:

"Remind me 2 weeks before my chemistry final on 15 December to switch to past papers only"

You can track study as a habit too, so Mindie keeps a streak of the days you hit your anchor session. Keep a list of topics still in the red:

"Add to my red topics list: enzyme kinetics, Krebs cycle, integration by parts"

Ask for it before each check-in and cross things off as they turn green. The [exam preparation reminder](/reminders/exam-prep) page has more examples, and [how to keep track of assignments in college](/blog/track-assignments-in-college) covers the coursework side.

## Reminders worth setting

- [Exam preparation reminder](/reminders/exam-prep): daily study nudges and an exam countdown, so revision starts early.
- [Bedtime reminder](/reminders/sleep-routine): a nightly nudge to wind down, so late revision doesn't eat your sleep.
- [Screen break reminder](/reminders/screen-break): short breaks between long sessions at the desk.

## FAQ

### How many hours a day should I study for exams?

It depends on how much time you have and how many exams there are, but most students do well with two to four focused sessions of 45 to 60 minutes on a normal day. Quality matters more than hours. Testing yourself for one hour beats rereading for three.

### How far in advance should I start studying for finals?

Three to four weeks is a good target for a full set of finals. That leaves time to learn the weak topics, test yourself at least twice on each, and keep the last few days for review.

### What should I do if I fall behind on my study schedule?

Use your buffer day, then drop or shorten sessions on topics you already know well. Don't try to fit the missed sessions into one long day. Look at your topic list and move time to whatever is still red.