As a student, you juggle a lot—classes, studying, assignments, chores, social events, and possibly a work schedule. Sometimes, a paper planner just doesn’t offer the flexibility or reminders you need to stay on top of it all. But Google Calendar does.
By utilizing time blocks in Google Calendar, you may designate specific time slots for each activity, allowing you to stay on top of your schedule and achieve your objectives.
How to Time Block in Google Calendar
First things first, you’ll want to create a secondary calendar to help you differentiate time blocking from your regular scheduling and appointments. To do so:
While keeping a separate calendar for time blocking is a matter of personal preference, it is a convenient method to differentiate between your scheduled events and the time you have reserved for studying. A separate time-blocking calendar also allows you to add different settings.
If there’s an item in your schedule that you really want to stand out, you canadd color coding to your Google Calendarto emphasize important events.
Single vs. Repeating Events in Google Calendar
If you know you want to block off the same study time each week, you can enter them all at once as a repeating event rather than manually entering single events. To do so:
The event will appear on the dates you entered indefinitely until you choose to remove it. When you delete or edit a block, Google Calendar will ask if you want to apply the change to that event, that event and all others going forward, or all of them. Remember, if you choose all, it will also affect previous time blocks.
Rather than time blocking your study sessions indefinitely, if you know the number of weeks you want to create study sessions for, you can set that up underCustomin step three of the instructions. You can also use these steps toadd your class schedule to Google Calendar.
Using Descriptions in Google Calendar to Get the Most of Your Session
It’s one thing to say you want to study for an hour. It’s another to plan what exactly you want to do during that session. Rather than taking five to ten minutes at the beginning of your session to decide, write out the specifics ahead of time. That way, you can make the most of your time block.
Google Calendar descriptions use rich text, so you can add formatting elements like bullet points, bolding, and links to help yourself stay organized. You can also add attachments to make finding notes and other documents a cinch.
Visibility in Google Calendar—Busy vs. Free
When time blocking your study sessions, another consideration is setting your entry toBusyorFree. You’ll find this option under your calendar name at the bottom of the event panel. When you set your event to Busy, you and anyone you share your calendar with won’t be able to double-book events.
With the Free option, you can still book items during that time. It’s much like penciling something into your calendar. That way, if you want to book a fifteen-minute call with a friend in the middle of your session, you can easily do so—or if something more pressing comes up, you can see you’re available during that time and reschedule your study session later.
Setting Reminders in Google Calendar to Help You Get in Study Mode
You can ask your Google Calendar to give you a heads-up before your study session begins. To add a reminder, find theAdd notificationoption by clicking the calendar name at the bottom of the event panel. Google Calendar lists many options. Think of how long you’ll need to wrap up what you may be doing beforehand.
It might take a bit of trial and error to figure out how much notice works for you. you may also add custom reminders if Google Calendar doesn’t list the option you want.
Once you have determined your preferred amount of notice and reminder settings, you’re able to set them as the default in your time-blocking calendar by adjusting your settings. To do this:
Pairing Tasks With Your Google Calendar Study Schedule
Google Tasks works seamlessly with Google Calendar to prevent important assignments from falling between the cracks. To schedule a task:
The assignment will appear in yellow on your calendar as a reminder. Plus, you can find a list of all your tasks by clicking the Google Tasks logo—a blue checkmark with a circle—in the right sidebar.
You can also add items without a date to lists in Google Tasks and create multiple lists to stay on top of things like chores or bills.
Hit the Books With Google Calendar
Google Calendar is an excellent tool to help you stay on top of your studies. Not only can you use it to time block your study sessions, but it can also help you stay on top of your class schedule, assignments, and appointments.
Google Calendar’s utility isn’t limited to time blocking your studies. By harnessing its features and customization options, you can achieve better organization, efficiency, and productivity in every aspect of your life.
