Planning6 min read·

Time Blocking, the 80/20 Rule and Parkinson’s Law: Plan Your Study Week Like a Pro

Three simple ideas from productivity circles that turn a vague to-do list into a study week you can actually finish.

Time Blocking

Instead of a to-do list, time blocking gives every task a slot in your calendar. "Tuesday 6:00 to 7:30pm: chapter 5 practice questions."

  • It forces realistic plans. You quickly see that ten tasks do not fit into one evening.
  • It removes daily decisions. When the block starts, you already know what to do.
  • It protects study time from everything else that wants it.

    • How to start: each Sunday, block your fixed commitments first (school, work, travel), then add study blocks of 60 to 90 minutes, with breaks between them. Keep one buffer block each week for catch-up.

    The 80/20 Rule

    The Pareto principle says that roughly 80 percent of results often come from about 20 percent of the effort. It is a rule of thumb, not a law of nature, but it is useful for studying.

  • Find the high-yield topics. Look at the syllabus weightage and past papers. Which topics come up most and carry the most marks?
  • Find your biggest gaps. A topic you score 30 percent on has more room to grow than one you already score 85 percent on.
  • Spend your best hours there. Polishing what you already know feels good but adds little.

    • Parkinson’s Law

    "Work expands to fill the time available for its completion." Give yourself all evening to write one summary and it will take all evening.

    Use it: set tight but realistic deadlines for each block, such as "finish 20 questions in 40 minutes". A short deadline creates focus.

    Putting It Together

  • List the syllabus and mark high-weight topics and weak topics.
  • Block the week, putting high-yield, weak topics in your highest-energy slots.
  • Give each block a clear finish line with a time limit.
  • Review on Sunday: what got done, what slipped, and adjust.

    • myExamRoutine's study planner does the first part for you: enter your exam date, days per week and hours per day, and it spreads your syllabus into a day-by-day schedule with a revision phase at the end.

    Turn your syllabus into a tracker

    myExamRoutine tracks every topic of your syllabus, plans your study days and shows your weak areas. Try it free for 15 minutes.

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