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How to Make a Timetable on Notion?

Published in Notion Timetable 5 mins read

Creating a timetable on Notion is an excellent way to organize your schedule, manage tasks, and stay productive. Notion's flexibility allows you to build anything from a simple daily agenda to a comprehensive academic or project planner using pages and databases.

Getting Started with a Notion Page

For a quick and straightforward timetable, you can simply start with a new Notion page.

  1. Create a New Page: In your Notion workspace, click on + New page in the sidebar or + Add a page at the bottom. Give your page a descriptive title, like "My Weekly Timetable" or "Project Schedule."

  2. Add Your Schedule Items: You can begin typing directly on the page to list your schedule. To add new entries, you can click on the + icon that appears to Add an item when you hover over an empty line. This creates a new block where you can enter a task, meeting, or study block. Each new "item" also functions similar to a page and can even be expanded into a full page, allowing you to include more details, notes, or related information for that specific schedule entry.

  3. Utilize To-Do Lists: A highly effective method for tracking tasks within your timetable is by utilizing Notion's To-do List. Within any page or block, you can easily use the slash command (/todo) to insert them. This creates a checkbox item, perfect for marking tasks as complete once they're done, adding a layer of interactivity to your simple timetable.

    • Example:
      • 8:00 AM - Morning Routine /todo
      • 9:00 AM - Team Meeting (expand into page for notes)
      • 11:00 AM - Work on Project X /todo
      • 1:00 PM - Lunch

Building a Powerful Timetable with Databases

For more complex, filterable, and customizable timetables (like academic schedules, project timelines, or recurring event planners), Notion databases are incredibly powerful.

Step-by-Step Database Setup

  1. Create a New Database:
    • Start a new page in Notion.
    • Select Table (or Calendar) from the database options. This will create an inline database on your page.
    • Name your database something clear, like "Academic Timetable" or "Project Deadlines."
  2. Define Essential Properties: Databases use "properties" to categorize and organize your information. For a timetable, these are crucial:
    • Name (default): Rename this to Event Name, Task, or Subject. This will be the title of your scheduled item.
    • Date Property: Click on the + to add a new property, choose Date. This is vital for scheduling. You can include time and an end date here.
    • Select/Multi-select Property (Type/Category): Add a Select or Multi-select property called Type (e.g., Lecture, Meeting, Study, Gym) or Subject (e.g., Math, History). This helps categorize your events.
    • Status Property: Add a Status property (default options like Not started, In progress, Done are great for tasks).
    • Checkbox Property (Completed): Add a Checkbox property named Completed for a simple done/not-done indicator.
    • Text/URL Property (Location/Link): Add a Text property for Location or a URL property for Zoom Link if applicable.
  3. Adding Entries to Your Database:
    • To add a new scheduled item, click the + New button at the bottom of your database or hover over a row and click the + icon.
    • Each new entry functions as its own Notion page. Click on the OPEN button next to an entry to expand it into a full page.
    • Within these individual entry pages, you can effectively use the slash command (/todo) to insert Notion's To-do List for sub-tasks or specific actions related to that scheduled event. This helps break down larger blocks of time into manageable actions.

Essential Properties for Your Timetable

Property Type Purpose Example Values
Name The title of your scheduled event or task Math Lecture, Gym Session, Report Draft
Date Specifies the date and time of the event 2023-10-26 10:00 AM, Oct 27
Type Categorizes the event (e.g., Lecture, Meeting, Study) Lecture, Meeting, Personal
Status Tracks the progress of a task To-do, Doing, Done
Checkbox Simple completed/not completed indicator (checked) / ` ` (unchecked)
URL Link to online meeting rooms or resources https://zoom.us/my-meeting

Optimizing Your Timetable Views

Notion databases allow multiple views of the same data, perfect for a timetable:

  • Table View: Excellent for seeing all your events in a structured list, easy to sort and filter.
  • Calendar View: Ideal for visualizing your schedule chronologically. You can drag and drop events to reschedule them.
  • List View: A cleaner, simpler list format, great for a minimalist look.
  • Board View: Organize by Status or Type (e.g., "To-do," "Doing," "Done" columns for tasks).

To add a new view, click + Add view at the top left of your database and select your preferred layout.

Advanced Tips for Timetable Management

  • Templates: Create reusable templates for common events (e.g., "Weekly Meeting Template," "Class Schedule Template"). Within your database, click the dropdown next to New and select + New template.
  • Filters and Sorts: Use filters to show only events for a specific day, week, or type. Use sorts to order events by Date (ascending) or Status.
  • Reminders: Set reminders for date properties to get notifications before important events. Click on the date property and select Remind.
  • Linked Databases: Create linked databases on other Notion pages to display specific filtered views of your master timetable (e.g., a "Today's Agenda" on your dashboard).

Example Timetable Structure

Here’s a simple example of how a database-driven timetable might look:

Event Name Date & Time Type Status Completed Location
Math Lecture Oct 26, 2023 10:00 AM Class Done Building A, Room 1
Team Stand-up Oct 26, 2023 1:00 PM Meeting Done Zoom Call
Project X Work Oct 26, 2023 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Study/Work In progress Home Office
Gym Session Oct 26, 2023 6:00 PM Personal Not started Local Gym
History Reading Oct 27, 2023 9:00 AM Study To-do Library

By combining Notion's page and database functionalities with strategic property use and the helpful /todo command, you can create an effective and personalized timetable that fits your needs perfectly.