Pomodoro Studying: increasing your study productivity

For the last year at university, I’ve been using the Pomodoro method to stay on track whilst studying and increase my productivity. Personally, I’ve found this to a great way to remain motivated during study time, whilst also making sure I take breaks.

What is the Pomodoro Method?

Pomodoro is a method to easily break down a chunk of work you have to complete into smaller, more manageable periods of focus. It was developed in the 80s by Francesco Cirillo and named ‘Pomodoro’ after the tomato-shaped timer he used to plan his studying.

How does it work?

The method allows you to work in short stints of intense, undistracted focus and study. The original and most commonly used method consists of 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of break.

Following the method

1. Choose a piece of work to complete, or an end goal you wish to reach. This could be writing an essay, reading a chapter of a book, or anything you wish.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes, and work for this amount of time without any distractions (I disable all notifications on my phone, and open the clock app to give me a visual aid of the time).
3. Take a short break for 5 minutes. I like to use this time to get up and stretch, grab a drink, anything to get me away from my desk for a few minutes.
4. Repeat the Pomodoro (25-minute work followed by 5-minute breaks) until you have completed 4 sessions of 25-minute work.
5. Take a long break for 30 minutes.
6. Repeat the process until you have completed the desired amount of work or task.

Pomodoro apps

Of course this method can be completed with a simple timer on your phone or another device, but I like to use an app specifically for the method in order to track my sessions. Here are a few examples of Pomodoro apps!

Marinara– A web-based timer, perfect for if you’re typing an essay on your laptop

Be Focused– An simple, easy to use app that tracks the number of Pomodoro sets you complete and has changeable sounds to set alerts

Pomicro– A great app with a simple timer and buttons for long and short breaks

This method has really helped me over the last year or so of using it, and I hope it can help you too!

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