There is a widely known studying method called the Pomodoro Method. It is supposed to help manage procrastination and provide optimal productivity. It is a technique where you study for 25 minutes straight and then take a 5-minute break, only to repeat the process. However, for every 4 Pomodoros you complete, you get to take a longer break. Many people have found this helpful, but I will be introducing a new technique called theAnimedoro. Now, this sounds more interesting for anime lovers.

Youtuber and college student Josh Chen posted a video describing the method he uses to keep up his 4.0 GPA while still having the time to finish an entire anime series. His method was that we would study for about 40-60 minutes, where you can stop between any time within that timeframe, and take a break for about 20 minutes. However, the technique gets its name from the fact that each anime episode is about 20 minutes long when you skip the openings and endings of each episode. So, rather than taking a traditional break where you don’t have much to do, you can watch an entire episode of an anime or any cartoon that is about the same length.

From my experience, I tested both methods. Well, “tested” as in I uses the Pomodoro method for less than an hour before I ditched it for the Animedoro. When I tested the Pomodoro, I found that 25 minutes was not long enough for me to get in and out of the “study zone” and that it went by quickly when I was able to focus on my work. In addition, the 5-minute break was me turning my phone on and off. It passed by in a split second and it didn’t feel as rewarding as I would have wanted. Therefore, I quickly changed it to Animedoro. This was a great decision because it motivated me to study.

While I was studying, I found that an entire hour would pass by, and I would still be in the “study zone”. It was a rare feeling where I felt like I didn’t want to stop studying, but I did force myself to. I wanted to be able to get into the practice of limiting the amount of time I worked so that I wouldn’t feel burnt out. I know sometimes I would find an assignment fun and then work on it until the point where I was feeling burned out. Most of the time this would take the motivation and fun out of a project, and I would be tempted to take a long break. Sometimes, even after I come back after my break, I would remember the feeling of being stuck on something and then I wouldn’t want to complete my work.

Therefore, I made sure to regulate my study and break time properly. I made sure to stop after an hour (which is the maximum recommended studying session for Animedoro) and relax with an episode of an anime. Afterward, I would still feel motivated to continue my work and repeat the process over again. Most of the time shows leave off with a cliffhanger at the end of an episode and it would make the audience want to keep watching. I used this to my advantage and rather than giving in to temptation, I used it as a motivator that pushed me to get my work done so that I would be able to figure out what happened next.

During my studying time, I liked having a couple of snacks around me with a bottle of water. This would stop me from having to get up and distract myself from my work. Of course, I would also listen to music while completing my assignments and studying for exams. I would recommend listening to music in another language or music without lyrics because sometimes the lyrics can get distracting and it will disrupt your studying process.

Overall, I found this habit to be one worth keeping and implementing. This not only motivated me to get a lot of work done but also allowed me to reward myself. Sometimes, I wouldn’t have the time in my busy schedule to do the things that I used to enjoy, but that wasn’t accounting for the fact that I would be distracted while doing my work. This method encourages me to focus on my work alone because I know that I will be rewarded with an answer to the cliffhanger at the end.

Josh Chen also has a “Study with Me” for his Animedoro Method and I also used this in the beginning to help me get the timing down:

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74q-HD852lI&t=7611s&ab_channel=JoshChen