Page 102 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

“One helpful tip is to just get started. This advice sounds relatively simple, but once you
get off to a good start it is much easier to accomplish something. I like to go to the quiet
floor in the library because you can often see other people in the same situation. I learn
best by visualizing. If I can see other people working on homework, then I am more
inclined to do that myself.”
—Joseph Coyne, junior, history

The key is, when the distraction arises, which it inevitably will, you want to train

yourself to ignore it. One of the single most important pieces of advice I can give
you on dealing with procrastination is to ignore distractions! Of course, setting
yourself up so that distractions are minimal is also a good idea. Many students
find that either a quiet space or noise-canceling headphones—or both—are
invaluable when they are really trying to concentrate.

OFF WITH DISTRACTIONS!

“I was born without auditory canals and thus am deaf (I’m a Treacher-Collins mutant). So,
when I study, off goes the hearing aid, and I can REALLY focus! I love my handicap! I took
an IQ test at the end of first grade. My IQ was 90—well below average. My mom was
dismayed. I was elated since I thought I made an A grade. I have no idea what my current
IQ is. Now that I can hear, it’s probably dropped a few notches. Thank God for on/off
switches.”
—Bill Zettler, Professor of Biology, codiscoverer of several viruses, and winner of the
Teacher of the Year Award, University of Florida

How soon should you start again once you’ve done a Pomodoro? It depends
what you’re doing. If you’re trying to get yourself started on something that’s
due in many weeks, you may reward yourself with a half hour of guilt-free web

surfing. If you’re under stress and have a lot due, a two-to five-minute breather
may have to do. You may want to alternate your Pomodoro sessions with
working sessions that don’t make use of a timer. If you find yourself lagging and
not working with focus, you can put yourself back on the timer.
In Pomodoro-type timer systems, the process, which involves simple

focused effort, moves to the forefront. You disconnect from being stuck on any
one item and can get into a state of automaticity without concerns about having
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to finish anything. This automaticity appears to allow you to more easily access
diffuse-mode capabilities. By focusing on process rather than product, you