Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

202 Coping online 
Lancaster University into the use of the Pomodoro Technique® 
by students produced some interesting fndings (Usman, 2020). 
Te study found that the Pomodoro Technique® certainly did help 
students improve their focus and their progress with studying. 
However, there wasn’t a consensus among the participants in the 
research as to how the technique actually helped them. What the 
research found was that students did need a little time to get used 
to the technique. Once they got to grips with it, though, it clearly 
did help. So, spending time understanding the Pomodoro Tech-
nique® appears to be worthwhile in helping you focus. 
QUICK TIP: Find a way of focusing that works for you.Whether 
it’s time blocking, the Pomodoro Technique®, or your own per-
sonal method, focusing clearly helps improve your productivity 
and is linked to better marks. 
switch off notifcations 
Te digital world is full of “notifcations”. You get notifed automati-
cally whenever an email arrives, if someone sends you a message, or 
if your computer has completed some background activity. You do 
not need to know any of it. Hardly any of the notifcations you get 
are essential. However, these notifcations constantly interrupt you, 
preventing you from staying focused. 
Tere is a good reason for these notifcations. Tey ensure you in-
crease your engagement with a variety of software such as email 
programs or social media apps. Te good reason, though, is not 
good for you. Instead, these notifcations are for the beneft of soft-
ware companies and social media giants. Tat’s because you get a 
“beep”, and you check what has arrived. Tis means you will enter 
the app. Tis increase in trafc to the company’s app allows them 
to charge more for advertising and means you are more likely to see 
such promotional material. Te primary recipients of the benefts 
of notifcations are the software giants, not the users. Notifcations 
are mainly a money-making device. You are not making that mon-
ey, so there is no reason to have them switched on. 

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