Preparing for board exams requires immense focus, determination, and smart study plan.
Burning the midnight oil, often considered as the most common strategy, sometimes leads to exhaustion, stress, and less productivity. Enter the Pomodoro Technique—a time management strategy, designed to boost productivity and reduce stress. Here's a comprehensive guide about the implementation of this proven strategy.
Structured by author Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique is a simple yet powerful productivity hack. It breaks the long study hours into short and focused intervals (generally 25 minutes), known as "Pomodoros," followed by short breaks of 5 minutes. After completing 4 Pomodoros, a student is advised to take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. The method’s name comes from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that the author used. Meanwhile, the term "Pomodoro" means tomato in Italian language. As per neuroscience, human brain has a tendency to stay focused for short bursts of time. Thus, long hours often become tough for many students. However, this overwhelming study can be smartly designed into effective and manageable duration while keeping your mind engaged and fresh.
Improves Focus & Concentration: Long study hours often lead to distractions. However, short 25-minute bursts of uninterrupted study can help better retention. Knowing that a break is just around the corner makes it easier to resist the temptation of using phone or any absurd thought.
Reduces Procrastination: The biggest drawback of studying long hours is procrastination, which gets eliminated through Pomodoro technique by encouraging you to start small. Studying for mere 25 minutes feels achievable which helps a student to overcome the initial resistance.
Encourages Active Recall & Spaced Repetition: Scientifically, it has been proved that Pomodoro allows active recall and spaced repetition, helping in long-term memory, an essential aspect for board exams.
Prevents Burnout: The cycle of focused study followed by regular breaks ensures that a student remains energized throughout the session. Unlike long sessions that tend to exhaust your brain and mind, Pomodoro helps in achieving sustainable productivity.
Builds Discipline: Sticking to the Pomodoro technique needs commitment which gets translated into strong habit over time. This helps a student gain management and organizational skills.
Create a Study Plan: Divide the syllabus into manageable chunks and assign Pomodoros to each topic. Focus on most important topics first. You can dedicate one Pomodoro to learning a concept, the next one to solving problems, followed by revision.
Eliminate Distractions: Before starting the 25-minute schedule, turn off notifications and keep your phone away to create a quiet environment.
Set Clear Goals for Each Pomodoro: Be clear of what you want to achieve in each session. Having a specific and realistic goal ensures good productivity.
Take Effective Breaks: Use the 5-minute break to relax and recharge. You can meditate, stretch or grab a snack. Avoid distracting activities like watching TV or checking social media.
Evaluate & Adjust: For success, you need to analyze your progress in every step. If yes, proceed, otherwise adjust your plan.
Studying smarter give better productivity than studying long hours. So, grab a timer, design your study plan, and start your journey to success—one Pomodoro at a time!
