Approximately 3 weeks prior to my final exams, my notes were a mess and my concentration was reducing by the day. I came across a term known as “Pomodoro” and how it was quite useful for people in my type of situation. I started to research how to use the pomodoro technique.
I recall looking at my desk one night. My biology book was lying open, but I could not say what I had just read. My phone kept lighting up. I continued to lose focus. I was busy all day, but I could not retain anything in my head. I was more frightened by that than the exams.
I had been a firm believer in the fact that long hours of study translated to progress. Before now, whenever I studied for six hours, I felt productive. If I studied for two, I would feel guilty. But the reality was bitter. My study time was not six hours. I was learning in short spurts between scrolling, snacking and staring at nothing.
So I did a little experiment on myself. For two weeks, I would prepare for my exams using the Pomodoro Technique. No multitasking. No random breaks. A timer, my books and a promise that I will stick to the plan.
What transpired altered my concept of concentration.
What The Pomodoro Technique Looks Like In Action
First of all, I did my very best to understand the essence of the technique before I started. The Pomodoro Technique is not very complex. You learn 25 minutes. You take a 5 minute break. You then have a longer break of between 15 to 30 minutes after four rounds.
That is it.
But simple does not mean easy.
The morning I had the first experience, I set a time limit of 25 minutes and told myself that I will only concentrate on a single subject. Cellular respiration. No phone. No music with lyrics. Just silence and my notes.
The initial five minutes were usual. After ten minutes, I felt like checking my messages. After fifteen minutes, I considered having snacks. At twenty minutes I was impatient.
But I did not stop.
As the timer broke I stood, stretched and moved around my room in five minutes. I did not touch my phone. Then I sat down and began again.
I was able to focus my 100 minutes within 4 sessions. Never before had it occurred. Not once.
How To Use The Pomodoro Technique When Your Brain Feels Heavy
The latter week was more difficult. Fatigue hit. Examination pressure increased. I had two mock tests in one day. My brain felt heavy.
It is here that I got to know that structure is important when motivation is low.
Instead of forcing myself to study for three hours, I only opted for one Pomodoro. Just 25 minutes. That felt manageable. After completing one of the sessions, it did not seem difficult to begin with the next.
I also changed the approach when necessary. In the case of math practice, I maintained the 25 minute sessions. In the case of essay writing, I extended them up to 40 minutes since I required more flow. I still made short breaks.
If you want to learn how to use the pomodoro technique, here is what I can say to you. Lower the barrier. Remind yourself that you have to accomplish one focused block. That small promise reduces resistance.
I also kept a record of every session on paper. I drew small boxes and checked them off after each Pomodoro. I could see the boxes fill up and this was my evidence that I was progressing. The visual process lessened my anxiety.
My Measurable Results After Two Weeks
I did not want this to feel like a motivational story. I wanted data.
Therefore, I followed three things prior to and following the application of the method.
First, I counted the actual hours studying. My usual habits before the experiment were to spend approximately three hours at the desk every day. As I monitored the real focused time, it was close to one hour and twenty minutes.
In the second week of me using the Pomodoro technique, I spent four hours on my desk on average. However, this time, I was able to spend at least three hours of clean concentration.
Also, I monitored retention. I recorded at the end of the day, five main ideas in my memory. I had trouble remembering information before utilising the method. One week later, my recall became sharper. I was able to explain concepts without referring to my notes.
The exams came and went. My score in biology increased by 12 percent as opposed to my previous major exam. I also made 9 percent in math. In history, I wrote my strongest timed essay of the year.
The outcomes were not a miracle. They were a creation of concentrated time.
The Psychology Behind Why The Pomodoro Technique Worked For Me
The greatest change was psychological.
It seemed like an uphill task when I sat down to study. There was no definite finish line. That made my head rebel. The Pomodoro sessions provided my mind with a limit. All I needed to do was to concentrate until the timer sounded.
This appeals to a cognitive psychological concept known as task chunking. Your brain processes work less resistantly when you break it into small units. The amount of work will seem less although the total time may remain the same.
The brief pauses also avoided brain exhaustion. Rather than pushing till I crashed, I took a break before my concentration became low. That maintained my energy throughout the day.
There was another effect I did not expect. My confidence grew. Every session completed was a small victory. Those victories generated momentum.
How I Used The Pomodoro Technique During Final Exams
There is a different form of pressure with final exams. Time feels scarce. Every subject feels urgent.
I made a Pomodoro map during my final five days before my exams. I put down all the subjects and divided topics into bits that could fit in one session. One session for one chemistry chapter summary. Ten calculus problems in one lesson. One session for one essay outline.
That’s it.
When the time to write an exam is close and you are wondering how to use the pomodoro technique, focus on clarity. Actually pre-determine the task to be done at each session. Do not simply study chemistry. Write review reaction types and solve five practice questions.
I planned my rest carefully as well. I also took a break after each four sessions either by having a meal or going outside on a brisk walk. Longer breaks re-set my mind.
The major thing that I learned during this time was that quality is more important than hours worked. I had some classmates who studied late at night. By 9 pm. I was not studying heavily anymore. The system was supplemented with sleep. The following morning my recall was better.
Mistakes I Made And What I Changed
The initial error was that I used my phone as a timer. Notifications appeared every time I took it. That disturbed my attention. I changed to a basic timer. Problem solved.
The second error was to have too many sessions in a day. I planned twelve Pomodoros on the third day. I completed eight and felt defeated. I then made myself a realistic goal of eight per day. When I finished early, I stopped.
The third error was the use of breaks to go through social media. Those five minutes stretched into ten. I was disoriented. I substituted scrolling with stretching, drinking water or deep breathing.
These minor modifications made the system better.
There was one unexpected benefit that I have not seen explained in detail elsewhere.
Who Should And Should Not Use This Method?
This technique can be used in case you have a problem with procrastination, distraction, or burnout. It is effective with content intensive courses such as biology, law, psychology and history. It can also be applied to subjects based on problems such as math and physics as long as you give explicit tasks.
When you get into deep flow and it does not strain you, then the strict blocks of 25 minutes may not seem enough. In that regard, increase the duration of focus but maintain organized breaks.
The key is not blind rule following. It all depends on the intention.
Using the Pomodoro Technique did not turn me into a different person. It did not eliminate exam stress. It did not make student life entertaining.
It gave me control.
Rather than wishing to concentrate, I developed it in tiny, repeatable units. I did not count the hours at a desk to evaluate effort, but rather counted the sessions when I was attentive.
That shift changed my results.
Conclusion
When I reflect on my two weeks experience, I do not recall how much I was scared when I started. I recall the ticking of the clock and the silent concentration that ensued even when I didn’t feel motivated. Actually sticking to this technique provided me with a framework that helped me push on when my motivation ran out. It made me substitute so many distracted hours with short focused ones.
Whenever you are at your desk and cannot figure out why your time is drifting, begin with a 25 minute block.
Get to know how to use the pomodoro technique to your own rhythm, customize it to your subjects, and allow the little sessions to accumulate into consistent improvement.