DEV Community

Cover image for I Built a Study Timer Competitor That Converted My Procrastination into a Game
Sadman Abid
Sadman Abid

Posted on

I Built a Study Timer Competitor That Converted My Procrastination into a Game

#productivity #webdev #learning

Study Alone, compete together.

Sensing myself and many students underperform in focus during late-night programming, I developed CompStudy — a completely free online study timer software with real-time competition in productivity.

The Issue

We've all found ourselves in this situation: you sit down to get some studying done, boot up that laptop, and before you know it, it's 3 hours later and you're now learning the soothing sounds of "10 Hours of Coding Rain Sounds" on YouTube. While a standard Pomodoro timer is great, it can get pretty lonely and dull.

The Solution: Turn Focus Into Competition

CompStudy integrates the effective Pomodoro technique with multiplayer rooms that feature real-time competition, as well as leader boards. Instead of learning alone, you will be competing with thousands of learners across the globe.

🔥 KEY FEATURES

  1. Live study rooms
    Join topic-specific forums (MCAT Prep, Quantum Mechanics, Law School, etc.).
    View real-time activity of students learning with you
    See the world map illuminated with individuals connecting to sessions

  2. Competitive Leaderboards
    Daily, Weekly, and All-Time Rankings
    XP system for completed sessions
    In XP, the Streak tracking (Don’t break the chain!)

  3. Deep Focus Analytics
    Graphic representation of your productivity patterns
    Record total study hours
    Session history and objectives accomplished: Putting It All Together

  4. Strict Mode
    “Lock yourself into sessions (with penalties for leaving early)”
    Purrfect for defeating your inner procrastinator.

Tech Stack (For the Devs 👨‍💻Using the latest web technology for optimal performance:
Technologies: Next.js 16 with App Router
Styling: Tailwind CSS with custom glassmorphism effects.
Backend: AppWrite (Real-time Subscriptions for Live Updates)
Fonts: Use custom timer fonts such as Orbitron and Quantico
SEO: Full structured data, Dynamic OG images, Sitemap generation
The hardest component to work on was real-time functionality — synchronizing a huge number of simultaneous study sessions with low latency required careful Appwrite subscription and state management optimization.

Why It Works

Despite its not the timer, it's the social component. Seeing "Sadman Abid" has been studying for the last 2 hours when you have 15 minutes strikes a chord in you. You don't want to be the one who's falling behind.
Student-Favorite Features

✅ No sign-up required in order to begin playing (although account creation allows use of leaderboards)
✅ Completely free (Ad supported to ensure sustainability)
✅ Mobile-friendly — study on any device
✅ Customizable sessions — adjust work/break intervals
✅ Break reminders — prevents burnout

Try It Yourself
Visit CompStudy start a session. No installation, no signup required.
Whether you're prepping for exams, working on side projects, or just trying to stay focused while learning a new framework, having a community studying alongside you makes all the difference.

Top comments (0)