So, I’m going through YouTube looking for ways to improve my study routine and school life in general, then I stumbled upon a video talking about a technique called the Pomodoro (Pomodoro means tomato in Italian) timing system, in which you study for 25 minutes and take a 5 minutes break, 3 times, then a 25 minutes break after the fourth time.

• Educational Background

I am a computer engineering student, in my final year of college on a second-class upper. Desperate to get better grades in my final year of college, I decided to incorporate this technique in my school routine, not only for studying but for doing projects and class assignments. So my experience with the Pomodoro technique was actually very fruitful and I use it to this day.

Last semester, I offered 7 courses at school, including a final project course. I had a previous c.g.p.a (cumulative grade point average) of 3.83 out of a 5.0 grading system, and to some, that’s an “ok c.g.p.a”, but I wanted to increase it to a 4.0 in order to qualify for a scholarship for my masters (this is a requirement for the scholarship program).

• My Experience with the Pomodoro Technique

I use the focus keeper timer app for iOS, but you could just search Pomodoro timer in your app store (iOS or android) and download any of the free apps available. I usually study/do assignments at night time, because I’m usually done with any random activities and I’m essentially free. So, at night I set the timer on the app and I try my best to study uninterrupted, with no distractions from music or movies, no social visits from friends, etc. Now, to be completely honest I got distracted very few times because I’d have friends come over to ask me questions or getting a text message from a guy I liked at the time. During the 5 minute break, I’d go on Instagram, listen to music or just walk around and reply text messages, then during the 25 minutes break I’d take a quick nap. I found using the Pomodoro to be more beneficial when I read courses that had little to no calculations in them. Also, this is random but, I always had a bottle of water with me while studying. So, say you’re reading a very bulky course and you feel the 25 minutes each is not enough, all you need to do is divide the course into sections for the number of rounds of Pomodoro you (for example, divide it into like 5 pages per 25 minutes), I usually did 12 rounds (3 pomodoros) . Now, of course, you should choose what works for you, like if you prefer to study during the daytime or if you like to study with music playing, just do what you feel will make you achieve the most out of studying.

• Results from using this technique.

Like I said in the beginning, I found using this technique to be fruitful and my first-semester result was very good, although it might not have been what I wanted, it was a major improvement (my best examination result yet). The three courses that I had an “A” in were more theoretical courses and computer applications, while the rest were highly technical courses and involved a lot of calculations. I believe that this semester, I’ll get an almost perfect gpa because I have mastered the art of using the Pomodoro technique and found what works for me.

I am going to keep using this technique to study because it keeps me focused and a lot more productive. I honestly recommend it not only for studying but for getting other task and increasing productivity, I even used it to write this article.

At the end of the day, I honestly believe this is a great tool for getting tasks done, studying and just basically being productive. You should do what basically works for you in order to get the best results out of the Pomodoro technique.