Writer: Mariem Kamal
The sound of your siblings screaming over a video game. The sirens going by outside your house. Instagram blowing up your phone.
When trying to stay focused, we can’t help but get distracted by the other things taking place around us. Today, the world is filled with countless distractions, many of which we cannot control. For students, this makes studying a harder task. Let’s take a look at one way to study in particular: the Pomodoro Study Method.
If this name sounds peculiar to you, you are not alone as “pomodoro” literally translates to “tomato.” The name is Italian which makes sense considering this studying technique was created by Francesco Cirillo, an Italian author. He based it around his pomodoro kitchen timer, timers shaped like bright, red tomatoes used for cooking and baking.
The Pomodoro Study Method is really quite simple. It involves spacing larger tasks into smaller amounts of time, which Cirillo calls pomodoros, then taking a shorter break. For example, you could set a timer, preferably an old fashioned one like Cirillo as opposed to your phone, for 25 minutes. Work on the task or project for the whole duration of the pomodoro. Even if the task is completed early, try not to immediately get distracted. Instead, find something else productive to do or prepare work for the next pomodoro. After those 25 minutes are up, set another timer for about 5-10 minutes. In this break, do something completely unrelated to whatever it is that you were working on in the 25 minute interval: go for a walk, take a power nap, play with your dog - anything that will help you relax and rejuvenate. Once this break is over continue on with your 25 minute pomodoro. Of course, the intervals can be completely customized in order to suit the task that you must complete, but make sure that they are consistent. Repeat this entire process until your task is complete.
You may be wondering why all this timing and structure is necessary. Why can’t you just study and study and study or work and work and work? Although working for prolonged periods of time may work for some, they are definitely the exception to the rule. The human attention span is not the longest by far, so if we sit to do something for over an hour we will probably not produce the best results because our brains have become too exhausted. Studying with breaks on the other hand allows the brain to reset and process new information we may have obtained. It takes some getting used to, but the Pomodoro Study Method is a perfect way to not only get work done but actually understand it in the process.
