E3: Study Hack | STOP Procrastinating and START Studying w/the POMODORO

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Welcome to episode 3 of FTCE Seminar, the Florida Teacher Certification Exam Podcast, where we talk about testing tips, study strategies, and how to prep to pass the FTCE so you can launch from the campus to the classroom. I'm your host, Mercedes Musto. For more FTCE study materials, videos, and resources, visit our website at ftceseminar.com. In today's episode, I'll be talking about the Pomodoro Technique. Yes, yes, the word Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. See, the Pomodoro Technique was invented by

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Francesco Cirillo, who literally used one of those old-school kitchen tomato timers to create timed intervals of sustained focus divided by short breaks. You may have heard of the 25-5 where you focus for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break and repeat. You're like, what? Okay, okay, get this. According to lifehack.org, the Pomodoro Technique is actually a time management method that you can help, it helps you focus and

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utilize your time and really it helps you stop procrastinating so you can study Do you get distracted easy when you try to study or you have a hard time staying focused? how often do you procrastinate or find other things to do when you really should sit down and study or Lastly when you do sit down to study, how well does it go? Do you find yourself just too overwhelmed and stressed out that studying has become practically unmanageable? If you answered yes or you can relate to any of these scenarios then applying the Pomodoro technique can help you stay focused, study in short intervals, and replace study stress with content confidence so you can pass the

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FTCE test. Okay, so you may be saying to yourself, how will an Italian tomato timer technique help me, right? Well in episode one we talked about micro learning methods and in episode two we talked about conquering test anxiety and Actually factually that stuff really helps. So so I'm going to tell you how to stop procrastinating and start studying using the Pomodoro technique First things first, decide on one task to practice or one subject to study. For example, I'm going to study algebra. Maybe just the first ten math questions from the practice test that I downloaded from ftceseminar.com.

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Next, I'm going to apply the Pomodoro video. You can just check it out at ftceseminar.com and start Pomodoroing today! Yeah, I know, I totally just turned Pomodoro into a verb. Like to Pomodoro. So stop procrastinating and start Pomodoroing. Okay, we were at how to Pomodoro. Forbes.com described the pomodoro technique this way. First, select a task to focus on. Next, set a timer for 25 minutes. Then study, stay focused, and work. When the bell rings or the buzzer buzzes, congratulations! You've just

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completed your first pomodoro session and you've earned a five-minute break. Well, what do I do after the break is up? Repeat another 25-5 study session. See, stacking study time like this is so effective. Before you know it, you'll have studied for an hour or two hours and covered all 40 questions on the math practice test, or you know, whatever you need to focus on.

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What if I finished my selected task before my break time? Well, I'm glad you asked. First, give yourself a selfie high five because you totally stayed on task. And then next, this is a good time to talk about prepared materials. If you've completed what you've set out to study, then move on to your next study task.

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This means you may have, you know, want to have some extra study materials prepared, and lucky for you, I've already prepped up a bunch of stuff on ftcseminar.com. Just remember to select one study task to focus on, like English practice problems number 20-30, or just the geometry portion of the math. Question, can I check my phone and emails during focus study time? This is a great question, and the answer is no.

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That's what breaks are for. In fact, when you go to take your FTCE test, you're not going to have your phone in your pocket while you're testing, so it kind of works out to not have it while you're studying, unless of course you're using it for a Pomodoro timer. According to lifehack.org, thinking about the big test can really be overwhelming, making a sort of mental roadblock to even beginning to prepare. However, the Pomodoro technique is a lot like microlearning method that we learned about in episode one, where you take a really big task and break it into

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individual bite-sized sessions, making the whole thing more manageable. Forbes.com supports this idea, stating that Pomodoro technique is kind of like a focus superpower that can help anyone who gets distracted or overwhelmed. So you may be saying to yourself, Mercedes I am pretty probably definitely sure that I can do this Pomodoro stuff, so where do I start? Okay, let's review. The Pomodoro technique is a time management method that we can apply to studying to improve our focus, stay on task, and actually really study. The technique is basically like this. Select a task to focus on or problems to practice. Set and begin a timer for 25 minutes with 5-minute breaks, then work. When the timer goes off, you get a break and you can repeat the session if you want.

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There are several different Pomodoro timers online that can be accessed using your phone, laptop, or tablet. But like I said before, Kate created an awesome Pomodoro for you on ftceseminar.com so you can start there. And after a few Pomodoro sessions, you may be feeling like a super study rock star and you'll have to give yourself a selfie high five. The important thing is to start studying and start studying today. The Pomodoro Technique can help you stay focused when you study so you can perform at your

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best and pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exam. Well, I mean, what are you waiting for? Go on and start Pomodoro-ing! I'd like to thank Kate and Samantha on Tech. Shout out for helping with this student-made podcast for students by students. This podcast was recorded in the Pickens Multimedia Studio in Access at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. This is your host, Mercedes Musto.

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Join me again for another test-taking tip or study strategy on FTCE Seminar, a Florida teacher certification exam podcast. For more information or study resources, visit our website at ftceseminar.com so you can prep to pass the FTCE.

Transcribed with Cockatoo