Set the timer to 33 minutes

How to use the online timer

A study session of 33 minutes sits in a decent range for reading a chapter or working through a problem set before your concentration starts to slip. Start the timer, put your phone somewhere you can't see it, and commit to staying on the one task until it finishes rather than switching between subjects every few minutes. Ending on time makes it easier to judge how many blocks a subject needs.

It runs the moment you hit Start, no extra steps needed before the numbers begin moving. Because everything happens inside this browser tab, it needs to remain open while the clock runs; switching tabs is fine, but closing the page or turning off your screen partway through will stop the countdown. A sound marks the finish, so you'll know the moment it's done without having to watch it count down.

A kitchen timer only works in the kitchen, and a phone timer competes with texts, calls, and every other app fighting for your attention. Keeping the countdown in a browser tab sidesteps both problems: it goes wherever your laptop or phone goes, and it isn't trying to notify you about anything else. Minimise it, work on something else, and it'll be counting when you check back. People type this as set timer 33 minutes or timer for 33 minutes; both land here and start the same count.