Short answer: a study plan answers "what do I study when?", a study timer answers "how do I keep going?". Spread your topics with the free generator lernplan-erstellen.de, then study one topic per focus round with the Pinkoa study timer and schedule spaced reviews. Both are free and work without signing up.
Key takeaways
- Plan: spread your topics over the days until the exam.
- Focus: study in fixed blocks, one topic per round.
- Review: test yourself and space out your reviews.
- Free: lernplan-erstellen.de and the Pinkoa timer need no account.
We prepared this post together with Nico from besser-lernen.blog. Nico writes about study methods there and built the study plan generator; we build the pink study timer with Koa. This is not a paid post: we simply introduce each other because the two tools work well together.
Step 1: How do you make a study plan with lernplan-erstellen.de?
lernplan-erstellen.de is a free study plan generator that works without signing up. You add subjects, topics and dates or start from a template, and get your own link to the plan. Open it on any device or share it with your study group. The site is in German; your browser can translate it.
- tick off topics and keep track of your progress
- export the plan as a PDF and print it
- protect it with a password if you like
How to split the last weeks before an exam is explained in Nico's (German) article study plan for an exam in 30 days. Short on time? Try our 14-day exam countdown plan.
Step 2: How do you study in fixed blocks with a study timer?
The plan is ready, now comes the real work. With the free Pinkoa study timer you study in focus rounds of 25, 50 or 90 minutes or your own length. Koa, a small pink koala, studies with you and takes a nap during the breaks.
No account, no ads, it runs in the browser on phones and laptops. Which length suits you? We compare them in 25/5, 52/17 or 90 minutes?
Koa's tip: give every focus round exactly one topic from your plan. Tick it off when the round ends, so you can see your progress every day.
What does a study afternoon with a plan and a timer look like?
An example with four rounds of 25 minutes. The topics come straight from your plan:
| Round | From the plan | After |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology: cell respiration, read the chapter | 5 min break, tick it off |
| 2 | Biology: cell respiration, write down what you remember | 5 min break, tick it off |
| 3 | Maths: 10 practice problems | 5 min break, tick it off |
| 4 | Review from two days ago: English vocabulary | longer break, look at tomorrow's plan |
Step 3: How do you keep distractions small and review the right way?
The best plan does not help much if your phone buzzes every two minutes. Nico collected 7 tips against distractions while studying (in German).
To keep what you learned until the exam, use spaced repetition: put the reviews into your study plan right away, for example after 2, 5 and 10 days. We show how in the forgetting curve: why reviewing on day 2, 5 and 10 beats cramming.
What does research say about planning, self-testing and reviewing?
Planning, studying in blocks and spacing your reviews is not just a hunch. Four papers, linked to the original source:
Spread it out instead of cramming: a review of 317 experiments found that material studied across several sessions is usually remembered better later than material studied in one go. Cepeda et al. (2006)
- Testing beats re-reading: students who wrote down a text from memory kept more after two days and after a week than those who read it again. Five minutes later, re-reading was still ahead. Roediger & Karpicke (2006)
- Which techniques pay off: of ten common study techniques, practice testing and spaced practice were rated highest, highlighting and re-reading low. Dunlosky et al. (2013)
- Short breaks: for breaks of up to ten minutes, a meta-analysis found only small and mixed effects on performance overall. Breaks don't hurt, but they are no magic trick. Albulescu et al. (2022)
The plan tells you what is next. The timer makes sure you actually start.
Koa says: plan first, then the ring. When it is full, you tick a topic off and I take a nap.
FAQ
Is lernplan-erstellen.de free?
Yes. You don't need to sign up and can start right away. Plans that are not opened or edited for 60 days are deleted automatically. The site is in German.
Do I need an account for the Pinkoa study timer?
No. The timer runs free in your browser, on phones and computers, with no account and no ads.
How long should a focus round be?
Many people start with 25 minutes and a 5-minute break. For longer tasks, 50 or 90 minutes may fit better. Try one length for a week.
How often should I review a topic?
Several short reviews spread out beat one long session. A simple start: quiz yourself after 2, 5 and 10 days and add those dates to your plan.
Read more: the forgetting curve, 10 small habits for exam study and Koa's free printables and wallpapers.
Ready for your first round?
The free study timer with Koa. No account, no ads.
Build your plan in a few minutes on lernplan-erstellen.de. More study methods, tools and templates (in German) are on Nico's blog besser-lernen.blog.
Pinkoa (Finnish): to run fast, and in student slang, to study hard. Study with Koa for free at pinkoa.com.
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Written by Laurens (Pinkoa, Berlin) together with Nico from besser-lernen.blog.