While being a student, it is so necessary to find useful study techniques to maximize your productivity. So I decided to explain one of my absolute favorite methods, the Pomodoro technique. It is arguably the best studying technique you need to start using like yesterday!
One of the main challenges I used to have with studying is managing my time. Which sounds hilarious, but truly sitting down and studying for hours is intimidating. I get easily distracted, I check my phone, and I play waaay too many GamePigeon games with my good friend Mads. So finding a study method that worked for me literally changed my life! This method helps significantly with my time management while studying and I know it will for you too.
First… what is the Pomodoro method?!
The Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the 80s. Cirillo is an author and owner of a consulting company. He created this time managing technique that breaks down your study time into manageable intervals with breaks between each study session. With the countless distractions we have today, there’s no wonder it is still one of the most popular and helpful techniques for increasing productivity!
This will help you gauge how many sessions you will need. Will you be reading? Watching a lecture and taking notes? When planning what I will study, I know that watching a lecture and taking notes will take me sooo much longer than doing a reading or flashcards (less strenuous things). I also know that my core science courses will typically take much more studying time than one of my electives.
Determine what is most time-consuming and plan accordingly. The Pomodoro method is perfect for concentrating on any task, but you want to have in mind the classes that require more focus and time than others.
25 minutes is only a recommendation and you can increase the time or lower it depending on how long you believe you can stay focused without interruptions. I mean, I don’t recommend you set a 5-minute timer to study and then a 5-minute break. But a session somewhere between 20-30 minutes is great (and how long I set my timer while studying)!
One other thing that Cirillo notes is that this time cannot be broken. You must work the entire 25 minutes without any distractions! One of my favorite ways to cancel out distractions is to:
Between each 25-minute study session, you need a break. You deserve it! So Cirillo recommends only a 5-minute break in between each study session. Have a snack, go to the restroom, play your friend back in that GamePigeon game. Do something that doesn’t bring you stress.
Tip: Make sure you do NOT work throughout the break at all. This break is meant to be a relaxing period to take your mind off of your work.
This studying technique includes four sessions. So do this same process 3 more times. Work diligently and remember to stay focused.
Once you have finished your fourth session, take a longer break! This is a huge accomplishment and after you have completed it, you will (and should) be so proud. The longer break allows you to take your mind off of your work and reset so you can get back into it.
Don’t think I only use this productivity hack for studying! This can be used while cleaning, organizing, reading, and so many other things! Remember, you can tweak the time frames depending on the task and depending on how much time you have to complete it. This is an amazing life hack that I believe everyone should be implementing to help with time management.
Like I noted earlier, this is a distraction-free strategy! It’s on you to remove the distractions from your sessions, and when you do, you will see significant improvements in your work ethic. This technique was created to allow complete concentration on the task at hand. It will improve your focus, productivity, and concentration.
The Pomodoro technique breaks the time down into consumable segments. Would you feel more confident with saying you will study for 2 hours or 4 sessions of 25 minutes? I’m confident I would choose the latter every single time. This technique gives our brains manageable chunks of time to study so we result in more work getting done in the end. So just start working!
Make the best of your break time! Sometimes I will only play my friends back in our GamePigeon games (if you can’t tell, I play GamePigeon often). Other times I send an email, eat a snack, watch a youtube video, or stretch. Yes, your break time is supposed to be relaxing, but there are relaxing things that are also super productive!
Don’t feel restricted with this time management system. You can really get a lot done in five minutes, or do nothing at all and just sit there in silence, which is sometimes the perfect way to spend your break :).
I really hope this was helpful and I hope you try it out! Please let me know of other techniques you use for studying or being productive!
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