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The Pomodoro Method of revision!

Looking for a new way to keep yourself focused when revising?

The pomodoro technique (named after the Italian for tomato...) is a method of time management, and I find it really helpful for focusing in revising!

What is a pomodoro?
A pomodoro is a quickfire concentration session of 25 minutes, where you take away all distractions and work solidly. After completing a pomodoro you then take a 5 minute break to get away from your work (make sure you stand up and walk around, or go into a different room) and refresh your brain so it's ready to go again. After you've done this 4 times you take a longer break of 30 mins, and keep going until you've completed your revision goals.

Why does it work?
There are two main problems that people can have with revision:

Underworking and lack of concentration. If you feel like your revision is dragging and you can't keep your focus for a long period of time, then it's common for procrastinations and distractions to kick in, and before you know it you're back on TSR aimlessly browsing. The pomodoro technique makes sure you stay on task, because when you think about only having to part with your phone for 25 minutes, it's a lot more achievable.

Overworking. If you're panicking about revision and trying to cram, you might be tempted to just try to work for hours on end. While this might work for some people, it isn't effective for the most part, and your brain will start getting tired and not take in as much information as it could. Just like it's important to take breaks in exercise, your brain needs breaks too.

What else do I need?
You don't need anything else to let you do this method, but here are some things that I find might make your pomodoros even more effectice:

A timer. While you can use an egg timer, I like to use pomodoro apps or a timer app on my phone that also records how long I've been working for. The app I use the most is called Forest, and you can set the timer for as long as you want, and as the time passes it grows a tree - but if you leave the app the tree dies.

A written record of your pomodoros. You might like the visual element a bit more, in which case you can have a sheet of squared paper for each subject, and colour in a square every time you do a pomodoro. This should also help you balance how much revision you're doing for each subject.

Good luck!

Reply 1

Puddles the Monkey

The pomodoro method got me through university - it is great :biggrin:

If 25 minutes is too long to concentrate intially, start with 10 minutes and build up to 25 slowly :dumbells:

It's like weight training for your concentration muscles :dumbells:

Reply 2

alyaapenguin

!'m going to try this >_< Thank you!!

Reply 3

WhiteyBread101

Original post by alyaapenguin

!'m going to try this >_< Thank you!!

I'm using it right now, just finishing a 5 minute break :biggrin:

Reply 4

alyaapenguin

I'm in my 5 mins break too =D

Reply 5

kaylee101

Going to be trying this method tonight

Reply 6

al.moure

I found pomodorium, it's kind of tiny rpg game based on pomodoro technique, so I get *gold* :smile:

for every pomodoro and use it for character upgrades,armors, etc. It's little silly thing, but makes pomodoro less boring :biggrin:

Reply 7

DeepInTheMeadow

Original post by al.moure

I found pomodorium, it's kind of tiny rpg game based on pomodoro technique, so I get *gold* :smile:

for every pomodoro and use it for character upgrades,armors, etc. It's little silly thing, but makes pomodoro less boring :biggrin:

I love the idea of this! Might try it :smile:

Reply 8

a.o

I love the Pomodoro method. Just started using the App Forest and it so motivating. I left the app for one second and guess what.. my tree died. :frown:

So sad. It really helps me concentrate. I also use it for my free periods at school where I feel I become a victim of time suck and time waste.

Reply 9

WhiteyBread101

Original post by a.o

I love the Pomodoro method. Just started using the App Forest and it so motivating. I left the app for one second and guess what.. my tree died. :frown:

So sad. It really helps me concentrate. I also use it for my free periods at school where I feel I become a victim of time suck and time waste.

My emotional dedication to keeping trees alive makes this app so good haha

Reply 10

Roman_Akira

Original post by al.moure

I found pomodorium, it's kind of tiny rpg game based on pomodoro technique, so I get *gold* :smile:

for every pomodoro and use it for character upgrades,armors, etc. It's little silly thing, but makes pomodoro less boring :biggrin:

So I'm about to download it to see what all the fuss is about but I cant see how revising in real life would impact the game in any way ?
Could you please explain.