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Why The Pomodoro Technique Helped Me Get Through University

5 min readOct 8, 2023

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Photo by JESHOOTS.com

If I were to look back at my time at university, there was one technique I learned that not only helped me get through university but continues to help me get more done during the day.

That’s the Pomodoro technique!

University life can be fun, especially from the social side. Meeting and hanging out with the correct people with similar interests and hobbies is a great way to make the most out of your university life.

But it’s also important to remember the main reason why you are at university, you want to get a degree which will hopefully help you get a better job in the future. In order to get that degree you need to spend a lot of time doing research, studying for exams and writing assignments.

Sometimes, it can be very easy to go off course, especially when you live in student halls and your friends are doing fun things which undoubtedly you want to join.

That’s where the Pomodoro technique comes in!

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

Developed by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro technique is a time management technique that focuses on the idea that working distraction-free for short periods of time, followed by short breaks can enhance productivity and help maintain mental freshness.

The concept is simple…

  1. Choose a task you want to work on
  2. Set a 25-minute timer (The Pomodoro)
  3. Work on that task with full concentration until the timer rings — no distractions!
  4. Take a 5-minute break
  5. Repeat the cycle 3 more times
  6. After completing 4 Pomodoro cycles, take a longer break, around 15 to 30 minutes long

It was this technique that helped me get through university, and of course, there are no exceptions to this rule either! So throughout the work cycle, you cannot pause to check your phone or your email unless it’s part of the task you’ve set out to do.

Now that I’ve explained the concept, here are the reasons the Pomodoro technique helped me get through university…

Improved Focus and Concentration

The whole point of the Pomodoro technique is to help you sit down and focus on a given task, whether it’s studying for an exam or writing an assignment.

With the Pomodoro Technique, I found it much easier to stay on track and knowing I had only 25 minutes of intense work allowed me to commit fully to the task at hand.

Not only did this focused approach help me absorb information more efficiently, but it also helped me complete assignments in less time which meant I had more time for the fun stuff students do.

I remember a number of occasions when my friends were panicking and doing their assignments last minute whereas I submitted my work early.

Enhanced Time Management

University life can be a bit of a juggling act which requires you to balance out multiple courses, assignments, extracurricular activities as well as your social life and maybe a part-time job.

Due to the way the Pomodoro technique works, I found it easier to plan my time due to the structured intervals which helped me to prioritise tasks and ensure I spent enough time on certain subjects without feeling overwhelmed.

This is something I used Google Calendar for, I would start the week by planning my calendar on a Sunday evening, and I would start by putting all my lectures and university activities in, followed by shifts from my part-time job. I would then plan my study time in Pomodoros.

This approach, helped me plan my time effectively and ensured I spent enough time studying and writing assignments. It also helped me plan my social life.

Reduced Procrastination and Self-Discipline

One of the biggest mistakes I made in my first year at university was procrastination. I would procrastinate a lot and basically not have a plan for any of my assignment work or study time. This often made me feel overwhelmed and panic, which reflected in some of my grades.

Not only did the Pomodoro technique help me beat procrastination, but it also helped me build self-discipline, which helped drastically throughout my remaining years as a student and continues to help today.

I mean, knowing that I only needed to work for 25 minutes made tasks seem less intimidating and before I knew it I would see that I’d made significant progress with my work, which further boosted my motivation to do more.

I used the short breaks more as a reward for completing 25 minutes, speaking of which I highly recommend walking away from your desk during those breaks and not looking at your phone unless you really have to.

Prevented Burnout and Increased Productivity

University life can easily lead to burnout, especially if you have a lot of assignments due, have to study for an exam and you have other responsibilities from your part-time job.

This is something I suffered a lot in my early years at university and the pressure is real, especially when your so-called “student-friendly” job puts pressure on you to treat your job as a top priority and tries to force you to do overtime. These things happen!

But if you plan your time correctly and leave enough time for your Pomodoros, you won’t have to feel that pressure as you will know whether you have enough time to complete your assignments.

In many cases, you will be saving time simply by following this technique which will allow you to work more or spend more time with your friends.

How You Can Get Started

Getting started is easy, and to be truthfully honest, all you need is the timer app on your phone to begin with!

I tend to recommend an app called Forest, it’s an app that I’ve used a lot and brings the benefits of this technique to a whole new level!

Every time you start a Pomodoro timer, you plant a tree in your virtual forest, if you interrupt that timer by doing something you shouldn’t be doing that tree will die. Every time you complete a Pomodoro the tree will grow to be a healthy tree.

Seeing this visual has seriously helped me stay on top of things especially when things got tough. Best of all, the app will also help you plant real trees! So you’re effectively getting more done and saving the planet!

Once you’ve had time to try out this technique, I would then recommend setting up your calendar and adding your Pomodoro sessions in there along with your other priorities such as lectures and shifts from your part-time job.

Conclusion

The Pomodoro technique is a simple yet powerful method of helping you get more done. It has practically helped me get through university and those demanding assignments.

It doesn’t stop there! I still use this technique today when studying or doing long and demanding tasks, the technique is not limited to students and everyone can use it to its full potential, even at work!

As a whole discovering this technique has helped me to build self-discipline, it’s helped me to learn how to prioritise tasks and most importantly of all, it helped me to beat procrastination allowing me to get more done!

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Dom Kwolczak
Dom Kwolczak

Written by Dom Kwolczak

I'm Dom, a tech and productivity enthusiast living in the UK. I share stories about my experience with tech, reviews, tips and more. www.beacons.ai/techwithdom

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