Have you ever used the Pomodoro technique to boost your productivity? Or simply create a study habit??
This time management technique can actually help you to create a study routine, as well as manage distractions and maintain motivation. Its goal is to train your brain to work in a highly focused way for a short period of time. Once the your time is up, you reward your brain with a moment of relaxation (and happiness). After a while, your brain will actually enjoy your 15-minutos-a-day of Portuguese study time.

When to use the Pomodoro Technique?

Studying for an exam can be daunting. It is so much easier to procrastinate until the very last minute even when we know that studying the day before an exam is not a good idea. This is why it is important to create daily study habits.

When learning a language, it is much better to study or at least “think” about that language for 15 minutes every day than to do a one and a half hour session once a week. It has been proven that “spaced repetition” is the best strategy to learn and if you study Portuguese for 15 to 20 minutes a day on a regular basis, you will retain much more than if you study only once a week even if it is for a longer amount of time.

When an exam date seems far away, it is not easy to concentrate on studying hard because every time we procrastinate our brain offers us a reward, making us feel happy.

To create a daily study habit and make sure you are truly focused on what you are doing, I recommend using the Pomodoro technique.

There are many variations of this technique and I recommend that you find the one that best suits your personality.

How to use the Pomodoro Technique?

All you need is a timer.

Start by turning off all distractions and setting the timer for 10 or 15 minutes.

During that time make an effort to concentrate on what you are doing. In the first few days your mind will most likely wander off a few times and you must make the effort to return to whatever it is you are studying. At this stage it is important to persevere and return to the task each time your mind wanders.

When the time is up, take a break. Stretch, have a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of water glass of water, pet your dog or cat, treat yourself to a small piece of chocolate — anything that “disconnects” you from what you were studying and makes you happy.

Repeat it on the following days, preferably at the same time. After a few days, you will have created a study habit and trained your brain to focus on what you are studying.

As the days progress (and the exam date approaches) you can extend the daily time you spend studying by increasing the number of minutes from 15 to 25 or by repeating the same procedure two or three consecutive times until you allow yourself a longer half an hour break.

I hope this tip for creating a daily study routine as well as increase your concentration is helpful. For more tips on dealing with the exam stress read our blog 5 tips to prepare a CAPLE exam. If you are looking for CAPLE exam prep resources, read what is available online in May 2023 in the blog titled Exames CAPLE: recursos disponíveis.

If you try this technique share your experiences in the comments.

Happy studying and good luck for the exam!