Live demo → ghoststudy-aritrapal.vercel.app
A concept prototype from my Design Thinking course at Great Lakes Institute of Management.
MBA students are told to upskill (certifications, courses, side projects), but the timetable leaves no obvious room for it. The time does exist. It's scattered across 40- and 90-minute gaps between classes, and those gaps get eaten by scrolling, snacks and "I'll start after lunch."
The problem isn't motivation. Nobody plans a 50-minute gap, so it never gets used.
GhostStudy reads your calendar, finds the usable gaps, and ghost-blocks them with the next module of the certification you're working towards. When a block is about to start, it nudges you once with the exact module to open.
- Loads a sample PGPM week with classes and club commitments
- Finds usable gaps with a threshold you set (30/45/60 min). It keeps a 10-minute buffer after each class and protects lunch.
- Books the longest gaps first, capped per day, so the plan doesn't turn into a second timetable
- Assigns modules in order for PL-300, Google Advanced Data Analytics or Tableau Desktop Specialist
- Tracks progress: tap a block to mark it done and watch the minutes add up
| Decision | Why |
|---|---|
| Daily cap on ghost blocks | A tool that fills every gap stops being a nudge and becomes pressure. Users ignore that fast. |
| Longest gaps first | A 90-minute gap is a real study session. A 45-minute one is a revision slot. |
| Buffer after class | Back-to-back scheduling looks efficient on paper and fails in real life. |
| One nudge, not reminders | The goal is to lower the activation cost of starting, not to nag. |
- Connect to Google Calendar / Outlook with read-only access
- Learn which gaps a student actually uses and stop booking the ones they always skip
- Point nudges at the exact lesson URL in the course platform
Concept prototype: a sample schedule and rule-based scheduling in plain HTML/JS, with no real calendar connection. Built to test the interaction, not as production code.