Pomodoro is a time‑management method that breaks work into focused 25‑minute sessions separated by short breaks, making it easier to stay sharp and avoid burnout. (Image Courtesy of Flow Pomodoro)
This piece is from the CU Independent’s opinion section. Any opinions or views do not represent the CU Independent.
When you sit in front of me in class, the bright colors on your sleek, minimalist calendar are strangely satisfying to look at. However, I don’t think all that planning is actually making you more productive, given that you’re completely ignoring everything in your lectures. That’s what I smugly think about before returning to the crossword puzzle on my screen, at least. But all of this leads me to think: What productivity tools and techniques do you need to push through finals, and which are the equivalent of endlessly scrolling on your phone?
A calendar or a planner is a classic way to organize your time and seemingly make you more productive. It does take some discipline to reap the benefits, but organizing your time can aid stress relief, and if you’re like me, then it can be a great way to remember what your schedule is, even though it’s been the same for months. Of course, spending more time making your calendar than doing the things you so painstakingly planned for will make you feel productive without having to do anything. I apologize if I have called you out, but at least you’re ahead of the game! Too many people don’t structure their time, but they should. No one strategy will make planning out your time easy, but it’s a simple and cost-effective way to boost your productivity.
One of my favorite productivity techniques when it comes to studying is the Pomodoro method. It’s a simple and effective way to avoid burnout by budgeting breaks into your work. You start by setting a 25 minute timer and, until that timer goes off, your entire focus is put on working. After that timer goes off, you set another timer for five minutes and you are free to do whatever you wish as long as you’re not working. Once the five minutes is up, you repeat the cycle. There are several timers online that you can use. It’s okay to get bored while you’re working, and it’s okay to take a break. The Pomodoro technique permits you to feel this way without allowing you to just give up on working altogether. Naturally, some people might find that managing a timer while working is more difficult than it’s worth. However, it’s free to try, and if you don’t like it, then canceling it is as simple as closing a tab on your browser.
As a student, undoubtedly, you will need to read a lot. I’m not saying that you’re not doing your class readings or that I’m different, but there is a concept that can help you understand why you don’t like reading. It’s called reading fatigue, and it affects many college students including your English major roommate. While reading fatigue affects people differently and the solutions can be vastly different for each person, I can tell you what has worked for me. I start by reading for as long as I can before I get so mentally worn out that even finishing a sentence is an impossible task, and then I take a short 5-minute break before I begin reading again. When I started, I could probably only read for a few minutes, and by the end of the reading, I might have only read for a minute or two before needing a break. Eventually, I was able to read for longer and longer, and to be honest, the break became the part I agonized over.
There are many apps, services and gurus who will promise you boosts in productivity. Though results may vary, a healthy dose of suspicion should be used before delving headlong into another subscription service. However, there’s a piece of advice that I can give you for free that might actually boost your productivity: there’s no perfect way to do anything. You and your world are changing all the time. It might feel silly to try something new if you feel that you have already found a strategy that worked for you. Maybe you had some perfect strategy last semester, or you felt like you had some real control while you were in high school, but you’re not the same person. Be patient with yourself, and please close your perfectly made calendar in class. It’s so beautifully curated and distracting.
