It is a simple but very effective method that can improve your focus and aid concentration. So to get started you just need a timer-it could be an electronic timer on your phone or lap-top. It doesn’t have to be the old-fashioned kitchen timer shaped like a tomato – but that is where the name originates. Pomodoro is the Italian for tomato. Set the timer for your next study session. Fifty minutes is ideal to start with. After fifty minutes give yourself a ten minute break. Time for a cup of tea or a walk in the fresh air. Then follow with another uninterrupted fifty minute study period. If this method works for you, then start allocating specific topics to revise for each concentrated Pomodoro session. You may be surprised how much revision you can cover using this method.

Your academic work actually benefits if you build in rest, exercise and relaxation. Your brain needs a good night’s sleep and this is particularly important before the day of your exam.  Exercise will help you relax, keep a good appetite and give you that vital “switch off” time from study.  Remember to build some leisure and relaxation into your study schedule.  This is time to spend with friends or family, go for a walk or watch a TV show.  Finally, don’t forget to eat!  Just as the brain needs sleep it also needs nourishment.