Week 4 Learning Challenge: My Take on the Pomodoro Technique

When you are in busy with multiple assignments from different classes on top of having the looming threat of a future exam the coming week, you'd think that the thing you would be doing most is hunkering down inside your room or at your favorite study place trying to stay afloat and preparing for this test. Unfortunately, that is not the case for me, and I feel like it may be true for your guys as well. So here are some things that I do to remain focused while I study!

• What I first do is make a list of what I have to do in no particular order. Then I go through the list with different colors ranking: what is due first, what is the most important in terms of impact on grade, and finally what I am most interested in doing first. This helps me to look at all my tasks objectively and to focus on the ones that require the most and immediate attention rather than the ones I want to do first.
• I then find a place I can study. It can be my room, in my backyard, at the library, etc. wherever I am most comfortable.
• This next is the most important for me in terms of time management. I have my mom's old record player and a small collection of music that serves as background music. I put on a record and study/work on the assignment until I reach the end of the top side of the record. I then take a short break before returning to my room to flip the record and start again.
• Once I finish a vinyl, I transition to my next assignment and repeat. Until I either run out of records (rarely ever happens) or until I finish all my assignments.

Even if you do not have a record player this works with any music playing device. Just choose an album that has strong instrumental melodies with vocal support or no vocals at all and try this. It is important that the vocals are not very strong as they can subtract from the focus on the assignment making you less productive.

This is sort of my take on the Pomodoro Technique that Dr. Gibbs posted about this week for the Attention Challenge. During this assignment actually I was doing this. I was listening to "Farewell Transmission" by Songs: Ohia.

"Farewell Transmission" by Songs: Ohia