Studying for two exams in one week: how would you split time

With exams four days apart, make the earlier exam the primary focus until it happens, about 70 percent of study time, then pivot the same ratio to the second. If history comes first, flip the subjects in what follows. On work days, aim for two focused blocks and one light block: morning 90 minutes before class or work for the first exam subject, evening 90 minutes at the library 8:00 to 9:30 pm for the second, plus the 30 minute commute as audio flashcards or verbal recall without looking at notes. On non work days, do three 90 minute blocks with a long break midday and stop by 9:45 pm to exit the library before 10. Keep subjects in separate parts of the day and use 50 to 10 focus cycles with five minute stretch breaks so you do not mix integrals with monarchs.

Four and three days before the first exam, for calculus do 25 to 30 mixed problems across derivatives, integrals, and applications with two timed mini sets of 20 minutes each, and for history do 45 minutes of outline recall on two themes plus 15 minutes on dates and names, for example outline causes of the 1848 revolutions and write a thesis and two topic sentences from memory. Two days before the first exam run a half length timed practice for that subject under test conditions and a light 60 minute review for the other. The day before the first exam do one full timed practice if stamina allows, then only error review and a formula or key facts sheet, and cap total study at three hours to protect sleep. On the evening after exam one, switch 70 percent of time to the second subject and do a 60 to 90 minute debrief of weak areas you flagged earlier. Three and two days before the second exam do one full timed practice on one day and on the other day do retrieval practice without notes, target two essay outlines for history or 25 problems for calculus, and keep the night study 7:30 to 9:30 pm at the library. The day before the second exam keep it light with one 45 minute confidence round where you only do problems or prompts you got wrong this week and then a 20 minute formula or timeline write out from memory, aiming for a total of two to three hours and at least seven hours of sleep.

Fix sleep at midnight to 6:30 so your brain stays predictable. On work days do 30 minutes active recall at 7:00 before commute, then 7:00 to 9:30 at the library with a 10 minute break at 8:00. On off days run two blocks, 1:30 to 3:30 and 7:00 to 9:00. Until the earlier exam, bias study about 60 percent to that subject and 40 percent to the other. Use 50 minute focus sprints, then 10 minutes to stretch and refill water. Commute time is for history audio notes or flashcards and not new calculus.

Daily targets help. For calculus aim for 20 to 30 problems, split between new and mixed review, and end with 5 minutes of formula recall. For history aim for two chapters or themes, build a one page outline from memory, and do ten quick dates or names from flashcards. Three days before the first exam do a full practice run at 7:00 to 9:00 and spend the next day building an error log and rewriting outlines from memory. The day before that exam is light recall, one hour per subject, then sleep by midnight. After you finish exam one flip the ratio to 80 percent for the remaining subject, do another practice test three days out, then review and taper the night before.

Split evenly and but honestly you'll sacrifice depth on one.

Back in college, I tried cramming physics and lit once, ended up dreaming about Shakespeare deriving equations - total chaos. Alternate mornings for calc to build that math muscle, evenings for history tales to wind down. Throw in funny mnemonics like kings doing integrals to keep it light, and don't forget snack breaks or you'll crash like I did face-first into my notes.

Every semester I'd turn into this obsessive planner, making color-coded spreadsheets that ended up stressing me out more than helping. But here's what worked after a few failures: alternate subjects daily to keep your brain from mixing them up. Day 1, focus three hours on calculus in the morning before work, then two on history after dinner. Day 2, switch it - history first, calculus later, and throw in a 30-minute review quiz for each.

By day 3, mix in practice tests. aim for one full calc exam in the evening since the library's open till 10. Day 4, same for history, but keep sessions under two hours to avoid frying. Sleep's non-negotiable, so end by 11 p.m. sharp. I always added buffer time for commutes and which saved me from panicking.

Final two days before exams, lighten up - quick reviews and rest. This kept me sane, even if my spreadsheets looked like goblin scribbles.

I feel your pain with that tight schedule, but honestly, you're probably going to burn out no matter what.

Easy win here. Lock in two daily 90 minute blocks on weekdays and one extra 90 on the weekend, and split 60 to 40 toward the earlier exam until it is done. Run calc as problem reps with timed sets and finish with a five minute formula dump, run history as outline from memory then source check. Put a full practice test for each exam at T minus 3 days at night, then spend the next evening correcting and logging misses. Protect sleep and move your commute to audio flashcards for history or proof ideas for calc. You have enough time if you keep the structure simple.

Been there. I once labeled Napoleon d/dx on a bluebook and the grader drew a tiny bicorne on the integral sign. Mornings are for monarchs with coffee, nights are for calc problem sets, and the commute is me whispering flashcards at traffic lights. Two days before each exam, do a full run and mark every oops in bright pen.

Stop overthinking and guard sleep like it is the last snack in the house. Weight the subject that comes first at 60 to 70 percent until two days out and then flip after that exam. Record yourself reading the history outlines and play them during the commute while you let calculus rest. The night before each exam, only light review and bed on time.

Plan forward from exam dates, not vibes. Three study blocks a day is fantasy for most, so hit one short morning recall and one solid evening grind, then stop. Until exam one, 60 percent to that subject with a practice test at T minus 3 and a light taper the day before. After it, flip to 80 percent on the remaining subject and repeat the same cadence. If you are mixing topics, a five minute reset walk between subjects saves you from turning Louis XIV into a limit problem.