Create a reading schedule

Multiple modules means multiple reading lists! Using AI to manage large and diverse reading lists can add structure and variety to keep your learning on track.

Example Prompt

"Hello! I'm a third-year student at a UK university studying for a BA in Politics and International Relations. I've got a lot of reading to do over the next few weeks for two modules ahead of final assessments for the year. Would you be able to help me establish a reading schedule? For "Module A", I have to read "Global Political Economy" by Erin Ravenhill (536 pages). For "Module B", I have to read "Authoritarianism" by Erica Frantz (200 pages). Could you come up with a schedule that allows me to finish both texts in around two weeks if I have four hours a day to commit to this on weekdays? I need to absorb these for final assessments so a deeper understanding of the key topics is important. Thank you!"

AI response  

Thanks for the clear details — that really helps! Since you’ve got two books of different lengths and you want to read for deep understanding, we’ll structure a two-week weekday plan that balances progress with active engagement (summaries, questions, and reflections).

Plan Overview

• Timeline: 10 weekdays (2 weeks)
• Total Pages: 736 (536 Ravenhill + 200 Frantz)
• Daily Goal: ~74 pages/day
• Approach:
• Prioritise Global Political Economy (longer and usually more conceptually dense).
• Integrate Authoritarianism steadily to keep both texts moving.
• Build in active reading tasks (chapter notes, reflections) to support assessment prep.

Daily Structure (4 hours/day)

Morning (2 hours): Global Political Economy (≈40–45 pages)
Afternoon (2 hours): Authoritarianism (≈20 pages) + 20 minutes note-making

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1 (Days 1–5):

• Global Political Economy: Read pp. 1–225 (~45 pages/day).
• Authoritarianism: Read pp. 1–100 (~20 pages/day).
• End of each day: Write a 5-bullet summary for each session: 
• Key concept(s)
• Main arguments or evidence
• Example (if given)
• Criticism/question you have
• How it connects to your assessment themes

Week 2 (Days 6–10):

• Global Political Economy: Finish pp. 226–536 (~62 pages/day across 5 days).
• Authoritarianism: Finish pp. 101–200 (~20 pages/day across 5 days).
• Last day (Day 10): Use the afternoon session for synthesis:
  • Compare key arguments across both books.
  • Draft a 1-page “cheat sheet” for each text (main themes, author’s position, key criticisms).
  
  

Extra Tips

• Chunk reading: If a chapter is very dense, break it into smaller 20–25 page sessions.
• Weekend option: If you want, you could use 1–2 weekend hours for review/flashcards — but not required.
• Assessment focus: As you read, keep your final essay/exam questions in mind — highlight anything that feels like it could be directly cited or critiqued.

Would you like me to also provide an example template for those 5-bullet daily notes, so you have a ready-made structure to follow while reading?