Study Schedules For Different Moods

Kind of like we say in every post, studying isn’t always fun. Nor is it energizing, exciting, or something you want to do after a long day of school. But, of course, it’s unavoidable, and as AP Exams inch nearer and nearer, it’s turning into a necessity. So, we’ve compiled a collection of ideas and timelines for how you should study depending on your mood, whether you’re burnt out and exhausted or ready to get locked in.

Feeling productive

First we’ll start with if you’re feeling productive. This readiness to study is relatively rare, so you’re going to want to make the most of every minute. Here’s the process you should follow:

• Start with the hardest subject. Conquer the most taxing thing first, and then go from there.

• Take a 15-30 minute break.

• Move to the second hardest thing. Spend ~1 hour working/reviewing.

• Take another break, around 10-20 minutes.

• Spend 45 minutes doing practice questions on whatever you just reviewed. It can be for only one class or for moth.

• Take a 30-45 minute break. Don’t just scroll on your phone, go do another activity.

• Take a practice exam. If you’re studying for an AP Exam, do a full practice test. If you’re just reviewing for a regular class, look online for tests on the topic or have an AI platform make one based on your study materials.

• Review what you got right or wrong and finish for the day!

Feeling tired

Conversely, if you’re feeling tired, just take it easy. A little studying is better than none; it doesn’t all have to be the hardest class or most labor-intensive work.

• Skim notes, make flashcards, and take out key ideas. This is just warming your brain up.

• Take a 10-15 minute break. Maybe have a snack or walk around your house.

• Dedicate an hour to your main studying. Remember to try to use active recall, not just inefficient study methods.

• Take a 20 minute break.

• Spend incriments of 15 minutes doing practice questions. Take as long or as little as you see fit.

• Review the questions you missed more frequently and look over that content once again.

Feeling busy

Most likely, though, is that you’re just plain busy. And, that’s okay, because there’s still a lot you can do in a little bit of time.

• Do the biggest block of review. Check over all important content and get it into your brain, spending only as long as you see fit.

• Take a 10-15 minute break. If there’s a quick assignment that you have, do that in this time frame.

• Spend 20-30 minutes on review questions. Make sure you can pinpoint what you’re struggling with, but don’t waste time on things you already know.

• Look over harder topics and questions and try to create a longer block to improve on those things.

• The following morning, review the more difficult info before your test. If you’re studying for an AP Exam, do not wait until the morning of to study. Make sure you’re confident in everything the night before.

Feeling distracted

Maybe, you just can’t focus. You’re some combination of the three feelings above, but you aren’t super devoted to getting everything done right away.

• Spend 25 minutes on a single, clear task. Don’t start doing other things, just study one piece of content or complete one task.

• Take a 10 minute break that involves moving around, not sitting and scrolling.

• Spend another 25 minutes on another single task. Stay with the same subject, but move to a different content area and focus on that.

• Just like before, take a 10 minute break to move around.

• Do practice questions in sets of 5. After every 5 questions, get up for a minute or two and stretch out. Do this until you feel like you studied and practiced enough.

• Just like all the other study plans, review the questions you got wrong while practicing.

• Take a 30 minute break and go do something unrelated to studying.

• Review flashcards or notes for a quick 15 minutes and finish!

It’s pretty likely that you fall into at least one of these categories, but there are ways to study nonetheless. Whether it be a complete focus session or just a few minutes reviewing, you can make the most of your time and keep it compatible with your mood. And, if you liked this, check out our other posts below or in the Blog page.