Build a Study Timer!

A study timer is a great project to do with an Arduino Nano and an LCD screen!

Components

What you need:

An Arduino (preferably a Nano or Uno)
An LCD Screen
An I2C converter
A breadboard
Push Buttons
Jumper wires
Buzzer (optional)

General Steps to follow when making your Study Timer

Purchase your components
- I recommend using eBay and AliExpress as they are the most affordable
- Make sure you buy an LCD screen with an I2C adapter already attached, as it will make the wiring far easier.
Use TinkerCAD to test the basic LCD functionality
- TinkerCAD supports LCDs with and without the I2C module. Try wiring up the basic “Hello World” display before moving to your actual project.
- Don’t forget to use the LiquidCrystal_I2C library in your code. Follow the tutorial 👉 How to Connect I2C Lcd Display to Arduino Uno
Wire up your components
- Connect the LCD using four pins: GND, VCC, SDA, and SCL. These connect to the corresponding analog pins (usually A4 and A5 on the Uno). (Follow the image below for guidance)
- Wire each button to a digital pin, and connect the buzzer to one of the PWM digital pins.
  Study Timer Diagram
Write the code for the timer
- Use ChatGPT to speed things up! Ask it to generate a simple Arduino countdown timer using an LCD and buttons.
- Try breaking the project into parts:
  - First get the display working
  - Then show a static timer (like 25:00)
  - Add the logic to count down each second
  - Add buttons to start, stop and reset
  - Add buzzer functionality when time reaches 0
  - Test and adjust timings
  - Timers can be a bit tricky—delay() can mess things up. Use millis() instead for accurate timekeeping.
Add finishing touches
- A cardboard or 3D printed case to make it look like a finished product
- A toggle for “Study Mode” vs “Break Mode”
- LED indicators to show current status

How to develop your project

Add a Break Timer
- Make the project Pomodoro-style: 25 minutes of study followed by 5 minutes of break. Add a toggle switch or a mode button to switch between timers.
Add RGB LEDs
- Visual indicators can make your project much more interactive. A green light during study, red during break, and blue when idle.
Make it Portable
- Add a 9V battery or LiPo battery and switch to make your timer portable and wireless.
- Follow this tutorial 👉 Power any Arduino Project