Study & Learning Calculators

The study tools here translate research on attention, spaced repetition, and the forgetting curve into defaults you can override. Pomodoro's 25-minute block and its classic 5-minute break sit near the median of the research on sustained attention, but the right number varies by task and by person. Vocabulary drilling and flashcard work fit 25-minute intervals cleanly; dense mathematical derivations often need longer. SM-2 — the spaced-repetition algorithm running under most flashcard apps — uses an ease factor that adjusts each review based on how well you recalled the card, which is why intervals compound rather than repeat. None of these methods is a productivity guarantee. They are heuristics with published parameters, and the calculators expose those parameters so you can see what each default assumes before you trust the output.

How to use these tools

Pomodoro intervals work best for bounded, task-switchable work; for extended problem sets, planning a fifty to ninety minute block is often a better default.
The credit-hour rule — two to three hours of study per credit per week — is a century-old heuristic from the Carnegie Foundation; modern surveys show students typically log about half that.
SM-2 intervals compound quickly: a card you remember easily on day one will return on roughly day six, then day sixteen, then day forty-two.
A five-minute break that becomes a social-media break is not a break in the sense these tools mean; the point is to let directed attention recover.

Assignment Deadline Prioritizer

Rank your assignments by a priority score that combines weight in the grade and days remaining. Priority = weight percent divided by days until due.

Flashcard Review Date Calculator

Given today's review, compute the next review date for a flashcard and forecast the following three stages using the SM-2 ease factor.

Pomodoro Session Planner

Plan study time with the Pomodoro Technique. Enter the minutes you have and see how many 25-minute focus cycles plus breaks fit the window.

Reading Time Estimator

Estimate how long a reading assignment will take. Enter pages or words and a reading speed in words per minute.

Spaced Repetition Interval Calculator (SM-2)

Compute the next review interval and ease factor using the SuperMemo SM-2 algorithm. Enter your current state and recall quality (0–5).

Study Break Duration Calculator

Estimate how long a study break should be for a session of a given length, using Pomodoro-style guidance: short breaks per block, longer break at the end.

Study Hours per Credit Calculator

Estimate weekly and total semester study time using the standard "2–3 hours per credit hour per week" academic guideline.

Weekly Study Load Calculator

Estimate your total weekly study hours across all courses, weighted by credit hours and course difficulty.

Guides & articles

Apr 10, 2026

The Pomodoro technique: what the research actually says about 25-minute blocks

Timed work intervals can improve focus, but the optimal interval length depends on task type and individual working memory. Here is what the evidence supports.

Apr 8, 2026

Spaced repetition: the forgetting-curve math that makes flashcards work

Ebbinghaus's 1885 retention data still drives the interval formulas in every flashcard app. A plain walk through how SM-2 picks your next review date.

Mar 30, 2026

How many hours should you actually study? The credit-hour rule, examined

The "two to three hours per credit hour per week" guideline has been around for a century. What does the evidence say about whether it is still right?

A reminder on how to read these tools honestly. Pomodoro, SM-2, and the credit-hour study rule are heuristics built on averaged research, and they work well for average cases. They work less well for individual brains, particular task types, or unusually demanding courses. Use the calculators as a starting baseline, adjust upward or downward based on how the first two weeks of term actually go, and don't mistake hitting the default for doing the work. The right number of study hours is the one that produces the grades you want on the assessments that matter.