Study Mode vs Crunch Mode: Which One Should You Use?

Not every messy week needs the same fix. That's why Locked In doesn't just give you one generic plan — it has different modes depending on what's actually going on. Here's how to pick the right one instead of guessing.

Study Mode — for steady, ongoing work

Use this when you have real time on your side. Exams aren't tomorrow, deadlines aren't screaming at you, but things still feel scattered and you want structure.

Study Mode is built for:

• Regular weekly routines
• Balancing multiple subjects or assignments over time
• Building consistent habits, not just surviving one big moment
• When your actual problem is organization, not time pressure

Type something like "I have three assignments over the next two weeks and I keep putting them off" and Study Mode will spread the work out sensibly instead of cramming it.

Chill Mode — for resets, not emergencies

This one's less about deadlines and more about your baseline. Use it when you're not in crisis mode, but something about your daily rhythm feels off — sleep, screen time, general burnout.

Chill Mode is built for:

• Fixing sleep schedules
• Cutting down doomscrolling
• General "I feel behind on everything" resets
• Low-pressure, sustainable changes

This is the mode to use before things become an emergency, not after.

Crunch Mode — for when it's actually urgent

This is the one you reach for at 11pm the night before a test you haven't studied for. It's not about balance anymore — it's about triage. What actually matters most in the next few hours, and what can wait.

Crunch Mode is built for:

• Exams tomorrow (or today)
• Last-minute assignment deadlines
• Realistic "get through this" plans, not idealistic ones
• When you need something doable in the next few hours, not a two-week routine

How to actually decide

Ask yourself one question: is this an ongoing problem or a today problem?

• Ongoing, has time → Study Mode
• Ongoing, no deadline pressure, more about habits/wellbeing → Chill Mode
• Today, urgent, no time left → Crunch Mode

There's no wrong choice here — if you're not sure, just start typing your situation into Locked In and pick whichever mode matches the vibe. Worst case, you switch modes and regenerate. That's the whole point of it being fast.