5 Free Study Planner Apps I Personally Used in College (Pros & Cons)

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Finding the right study planner app in college felt like trying to pick a major—there were just too many options, and not all of them actually helped.

I’ve personally tried a dozen free productivity tools over my 4 years in university. Some worked great, others looked good but didn’t fit my study habits.

Here are 5 free study planner apps I personally used, along with the real pros and cons I experienced.

1. Notion

How I used it:
I created a weekly class planner, to-do lists, and a dashboard with all assignment deadlines.

Pros:

  • Fully customizable layout

  • Combines notes, tasks, and calendars in one place

  • Aesthetically pleasing and motivating to use

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve at first

  • Easy to spend too much time “designing” instead of actually studying

Verdict:
Once I got used to it, Notion became my digital brain. I still use it to this day.

2. Google Calendar

How I used it:
I used it to block out study sessions, class times, and assignment deadlines.

Pros:

  • Syncs across all devices

  • Simple interface

  • Useful reminders and alerts

Cons:

  • Not built specifically for students

  • Doesn’t support detailed task tracking

Verdict:
Perfect for time-blocking, but I needed to pair it with a to-do list app for full productivity.

3. MyStudyLife

How I used it:
This app was built for students. I used it mostly to track exam schedules and rotating class timetables.

Pros:

  • Designed specifically for academic use

  • Easy to set recurring class schedules

  • Works offline

Cons:

  • UI feels a bit outdated

  • Limited customization

Verdict:
Great for freshmen or high school students. I eventually outgrew it, but it was helpful in my early semesters.

4. Todoist

How I used it:
I used it to manage personal tasks, daily goals, and study checklists.

Pros:

  • Very fast and responsive

  • Smart scheduling features (e.g., “every Monday”)

  • Simple but powerful

Cons:

  • Project structure can feel too “corporate”

  • Some advanced features are locked in paid version

Verdict:
Ideal for daily task management. I kept it separate from academic planning.

5. Trello

How I used it:
I set up boards for group projects, thesis planning, and subject-wise task tracking.

Pros:

  • Visual and drag-and-drop friendly

  • Great for collaboration

  • Easy to use templates

Cons:

  • Can get messy if not well organized

  • Not optimized for solo study planning

Verdict:
Best when working with classmates or managing large academic projects.

Final Thoughts

There’s no “perfect” study planner app. What works for someone else might not work for you.
For me, the winning combo was:

  • Notion for centralized study planning

  • Google Calendar for time-blocking

  • Todoist for day-to-day tasks

My advice? Try a few, use each one for a week, and see how it fits into your life.
The best productivity app is the one you’ll actually use—consistently.

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