After nearly four years of working at this degree thing, I've finally found a study rhythm I can settle into. I've spent this week concentrating for far longer than I'm used to - last term I got to the stage where I was distracted every couple of minutes, which was highly stressful - and I've been unusually prolific. It's probably because most of my degree is behind me, and now I can focus purely on my writing and revising, rather than being pulled off in ten different directions by seminar readings, dozens of meetings, and extra bits and pieces. As a child of the internet generation, of course I turned to the net for support (one of the best methods of procrastination is reading about why you might be procrastinating!). I've found an array of simple apps and sites which are helping me keep up the flow and get everything done in the least stressful way I can imagine. Though, check back once the exams start, and I may have been reduced to a neurotic wreck regardless.
1. Pomodoro One
My absolute favourite, rediscovered at the end of last term. The 'Pomodoro' method involves a twenty-five minute burst of timed studying, then five minutes break. That's it. Each one of these bursts is one pomodoro. By breaking your study time into measurable pieces, instead of one long daunting day stretched out in front of you, work seems far more manageable. It has changed my work dramatically. This particular app is a neat little rectangle with a stopwatch in the middle; the time counts down around it in a circle, and you can send it to the back of your desktop to tick away. A little circle at the top of the screen also shows your progress, so you can see how long you've got left in the pomodoro. A little bell sounds at break time, during which you have five minutes to step away from your computer and books, dance around a bit, attempt a five-minute nap, or guiltily try and watch a scene or two on a show on Netflix (I have done all of these things). I love this app over other timers because it counts how many pomodoros you've done that day, and puts them into a little graph on another screen for you to compare, day on day, week on week. This might worry some, but I tihnk it's a fantastic little feature.
Though it was fairly alarming when I was analysing documentaries for my dissertation and, at the twenty-five minute mark, the timer rang out and I was yanked out of full screen for my five-minute break. I jumped about two feet off my chair.
2. f.lux
My housemate switched me onto this one soon after we met. If you need to work late and often have trouble sleeping, this could be your next perfect app - as night draws in, f.lux slowly tones down the blue light emanating from your screen until it becomes a pretty orangey colour, while remaining completely usable. There are different settings, including 'movie mode', which I must try soon, and 'darkroom', and you can also set it to start working much later in the evening. When the Boyfriend comes over he has to remind me to disable it so we can watch iPlayer and Netflix without all the actors looking slightly Oomp-Loompa-ish.
3. Noisli
A very recent find, and not an app (unless you get the phone app, which is £1.49 on the App Store). noisli.com plays ambient sounds, which is by no means a new concept, but you can customise the combination of sounds you can hear. Nighttime sounds complement the crackling fire magnificently, while the stream, forest sounds and gentle wind are another great blend. Noisli can choose the mix of sounds for you, or you can click on the symbols of the sounds you want and build your own, then save them as favourites. Each sound has a sliding bar so you can adjust its volume. I let Noisli pick and have a new sound for each pomodoro...
4. Netflix
Because you can't be studying all of the time. I'm currently alternating touching up my research on horrendous assimilation practices with the even more gory Bones and House (I ran out of all ten seasons of Grey's Anatomy well before term three started, leaving a gaping hole in my life. This could not be filled only with once-weekly helpings of Poldark).
There you have it. Along with meditation, yoga, and walks (and forbidding myself to buy chocolate during the week!), that's how I'm tackling my final term at university.
1. Pomodoro One
My absolute favourite, rediscovered at the end of last term. The 'Pomodoro' method involves a twenty-five minute burst of timed studying, then five minutes break. That's it. Each one of these bursts is one pomodoro. By breaking your study time into measurable pieces, instead of one long daunting day stretched out in front of you, work seems far more manageable. It has changed my work dramatically. This particular app is a neat little rectangle with a stopwatch in the middle; the time counts down around it in a circle, and you can send it to the back of your desktop to tick away. A little circle at the top of the screen also shows your progress, so you can see how long you've got left in the pomodoro. A little bell sounds at break time, during which you have five minutes to step away from your computer and books, dance around a bit, attempt a five-minute nap, or guiltily try and watch a scene or two on a show on Netflix (I have done all of these things). I love this app over other timers because it counts how many pomodoros you've done that day, and puts them into a little graph on another screen for you to compare, day on day, week on week. This might worry some, but I tihnk it's a fantastic little feature.
Though it was fairly alarming when I was analysing documentaries for my dissertation and, at the twenty-five minute mark, the timer rang out and I was yanked out of full screen for my five-minute break. I jumped about two feet off my chair.
2. f.lux
My housemate switched me onto this one soon after we met. If you need to work late and often have trouble sleeping, this could be your next perfect app - as night draws in, f.lux slowly tones down the blue light emanating from your screen until it becomes a pretty orangey colour, while remaining completely usable. There are different settings, including 'movie mode', which I must try soon, and 'darkroom', and you can also set it to start working much later in the evening. When the Boyfriend comes over he has to remind me to disable it so we can watch iPlayer and Netflix without all the actors looking slightly Oomp-Loompa-ish.
3. Noisli
A very recent find, and not an app (unless you get the phone app, which is £1.49 on the App Store). noisli.com plays ambient sounds, which is by no means a new concept, but you can customise the combination of sounds you can hear. Nighttime sounds complement the crackling fire magnificently, while the stream, forest sounds and gentle wind are another great blend. Noisli can choose the mix of sounds for you, or you can click on the symbols of the sounds you want and build your own, then save them as favourites. Each sound has a sliding bar so you can adjust its volume. I let Noisli pick and have a new sound for each pomodoro...
4. Netflix
Because you can't be studying all of the time. I'm currently alternating touching up my research on horrendous assimilation practices with the even more gory Bones and House (I ran out of all ten seasons of Grey's Anatomy well before term three started, leaving a gaping hole in my life. This could not be filled only with once-weekly helpings of Poldark).
There you have it. Along with meditation, yoga, and walks (and forbidding myself to buy chocolate during the week!), that's how I'm tackling my final term at university.
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