The Pomodoro Technique for Optimizing Study Time
Many children and young people spend hours studying; however, most of them recognize that during this time they tend to get distracted, being unable to be productive. The Pomodoro Technique, which we’ll present in this article, is perfect to deal with this problem that’s so common among students.
This technique was created in the 80s and it’s based on the idea that we can learn faster when we’re able to control and maintain concentration for a short period of time; taking small breaks frequently.
“If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.”
– Benjamin Franklin –
The Pomodoro Technique for optimizing study time
Francesco Cirillo was an Italian university student who had difficulties concentrating during his studies. As a result, he had low academic performance. To solve this problem, he decided to invent the pomodoro technique and managed to optimize his study time.
This technique consists of spending 25 minutes performing a certain task, such as studying, maintaining a maximum level of concentration. After this productivity time, you take a 5-minute pause. Once the break ends, you resume the task for another 25 minutes. You have to repeat this cyclically until you complete two hours of work or study.
To measure these times, you must use an alarm clock. The creator of this method used a tomato-shaped kitchen clock (pomodoro, in Italian), which gave the technique its name. In fact, each of the 25 minutes that you time corresponds to a pomodoro.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”
– Paul J. Meyer –
Steps to apply The Pomodoro Technique
You have to follow six very simple steps to correctly apply The Pomodoro Technique:
- Decide the task that you’re going to do: study a subject, do homework, complete a work activity, etc.
- Activate the timer: time 25 minutes with a clock; in other words, a pomodoro.
- Work on the task: concentrate on the completion of the task until the 25 minutes are up and the clock rings. During this time, avoid all possible distractions and interruptions.
- Rest: take a short break for approximately 5 minutes. You have to take this break to try to relax and disconnect completely from the task at hand.
- Start another pomodoro: time 25 minutes again, in which you have to work on the task intensively. Then, rest for 5 minutes.
- Take a long break: take a break of about 15-30 minutes when you complete four pomodoros. This is equivalent to two hours of work.
You can adapt the timings according to the educational level, needs, and the evolutionary stage in which your child is in.
Benefits of using this technique to optimize study time
As you’ve seen, The Pomodoro Technique is very easy to implement. Moreover, we assure you that it’s very useful, both for children and young people alike, as well as for adults.
The benefits that this technique provides are many. On the one hand, carrying out short and frequent breaks during the study lets you:
- Improve concentration and mental agility.
- Increase productivity.
- Feel more motivated.
- Reduce stress and anxiety.
- Lower your tension and fatigue.
- Control your frustration.
On the other hand, we can say that, by dividing time into blocks, it’s possible to optimize and manage it better. So now that you know this technique, it’s time to show it to your children or students so they can use it and be great students!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Cirillo, F. (2006). The pomodoro technique (the pomodoro). Agile Processes in Software Engineering and, 54(2).
