July 31, 2026
How to Use the Calendar on StudyInk
Learn how the StudyInk calendar turns your study plans into a month view, daily agenda, and reservable sessions you can join on the whiteboard.
The direct answer: the calendar at /calendar renders your study plan sessions as a month grid and a daily agenda. Sign in, pick a day, and reserve a spot in a live session, watch a video, or take an assessment. Reserved live sessions open on the whiteboard. This guide explains each part of the screen and how to use the calendar as a planning anchor.
Research on self regulated learning consistently points to planning as a core habit of students who manage their time well, and a visible schedule is the simplest form of that planning Self-regulated learning (Wikipedia overview).
The Calendar at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need to sign in? | Yes, the calendar shows a sign in prompt until you log in. |
| Where do sessions come from? | Your study plans, loaded from the study plans API. |
| What does a day show? | A daily agenda of that day's sessions, selectable from the grid. |
| What can I do with a session? | Reserve it, watch its video, take its assessment, or join the live whiteboard. |
| Can guests reserve? | Guests can reserve locally; signing in saves it to your account. |
Signing In
If you are not signed in, the calendar shows a prompt with a button to sign in. Once you log in, it loads your plans. Guests who are not signed in can still reserve sessions, and those reservations are stored in the browser so they persist on the same device.
Signing in matters for one practical reason: your reservations then follow you across devices. A guest reservation is locked to the browser where you made it.
The Month Grid and Agenda
The page has three parts. A header shows the title (which changes to a focus timeline or group schedule when filtered). The main column holds the action panel and the daily agenda. The side column holds the month grid.
The month grid shows one month at a time with previous and next arrows. Days that have sessions show small colored dots: red for video, amber for quiz, and green for lesson or live tutoring. Click a day to select it. The agenda below the action panel lists that day's sessions, each with a time, a course tag, and the session name. Click a session in the agenda to load it into the action panel.
The sidebar also lists a few upcoming sessions and a Browse All link to /resources.
The Action Panel
The action panel shows the selected session. It displays a type badge: live tutoring, video, assessment, or resource. It also shows the session time and host. The action button depends on the type:
- Video sessions have a Watch Video button that opens the source.
- Assessment sessions have a Take Assessment button that links to
/quizzeswith the quiz id and name. - Live tutoring sessions show a Reserve Spot button. After you reserve, it becomes a Join Live Session button that opens the whiteboard at
/whiteboard?canvas=[id], plus a Cancel Reservation button.
Reserving a Session
The reserve action posts to the lesson plan endpoint. If you are signed in, your reservation is saved to your account. If you are a guest, it is stored locally and a toast confirms it. Reserved sessions show a "Reserved" badge in the agenda and action panel.
At the top of the page there is also an Open Whiteboard link that jumps to /whiteboard, or to the booked session's whiteboard when one is selected.
Filters
The calendar can be opened with a plan or group query parameter. When present, the header changes and a Reset to Full link appears so you can return to your complete schedule.
Using the Calendar as a Planning Anchor
The calendar is most useful when you check it the same way each day. A simple routine:
- Open the month grid Sunday night and note which days have heavy sessions.
- Each morning, read the daily agenda before you start, so the plan is in your head.
- Reserve live sessions as soon as you see them, because spots can fill.
- Use the colored dots to balance the week: too many red video days in a row means you are watching more than you are doing.
A calendar that you never open is just a decoration. The value comes from the ten second glance that tells you what today asks of you.
Building a Balanced Week
The dots are only useful if you read them as a plan, not a verdict. A balanced week tends to look like this:
| Day type | Healthy mix |
|---|---|
| Light day | One green lesson, no pressure. |
| Practice day | An amber assessment plus a green lesson. |
| Live day | A reserved green tutoring session. |
| Review day | A red video you actually watch, then notes. |
If a single week is all red, you are watching more than doing. If it is all amber, you are testing without learning the material first. The calendar makes that imbalance visible, which is most of the battle.
What to Do When a Live Session Is Full
Live tutoring spots can fill, especially near exam season. When that happens:
- Reserve the next available session rather than waiting for a specific one.
- Use the same day's green lesson or amber assessment to cover the material on your own.
- Watch the red video for that topic so you arrive prepared for the next live slot.
The calendar is a scheduler, not a gatekeeper. A full session is a reason to study differently that day, not a reason to skip.
Common Misconceptions
- That the calendar creates content. It only displays sessions from your study plans.
- That guest reservations are permanent. They live in the browser until you sign in.
- That a day with no dots means nothing to do. It may mean your plan is thin, not that you are finished.
- That you must attend everything. Reserve what fits; the agenda is a menu, not a mandate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do calendar sessions come from?
They come from your study plans, fetched by the calendar from the study plans API. A group filter can load a study group's schedule instead.
What is the difference between video and live tutoring?
Video sessions link out to watch a recording. Live tutoring sessions can be reserved and then joined on the whiteboard.
Can I reserve as a guest?
Yes, but the reservation is saved in your browser only. Sign in to store it on your account.
How do I join a live session?
Reserve the session, then use the Join Live Session button, which opens the whiteboard for that session.
Why does the title say group schedule?
That happens when you open the calendar with a group parameter. Use Reset to Full to see your own plan.
What do the colored dots mean?
Red is video, amber is a quiz or assessment, and green is a lesson or live tutoring session.
Using the Group Filter
Opening the calendar with a group parameter changes the header to a group schedule and shows a Reset to Full link. This is how a study group or a class sees one shared plan instead of everyone's personal view.
The practical use is coordination. When the whole group looks at the same schedule, there is no confusion about which session is today. If you opened this view by accident, the Reset link returns you to your own plan in one click. Do not try to edit the group schedule from your personal view, that is not what the filter is for.
Reservations and Cancellations
Live tutoring sessions use a reserve then join model. After you reserve, the button changes to Join Live Session and a Cancel Reservation option appears. Cancel if you genuinely cannot make it, because a held spot blocks someone else.
Reserved sessions show a badge in both the agenda and the action panel, so you can confirm at a glance that you are booked. If you are a guest, that badge lives only in your browser, another reason to sign in before reserving something you care about.
About the author
Michael R. is a study skills coach with 12 years of experience and a learning specialist. He helps students develop effective study strategies and organizational systems.