You may want to check out a bootcamp if you are actively transitioning into a software engineering career but don’t have a structure for learning. Try different methods until you find the perfect setup for your study needs. You could do hour-long intervals with 45 minutes of focused activity and 15 minutes of breaks. The thinking behind this method is not exact, so you should feel free to play around with the interval lengths. This is a great way to keep yourself accountable for your study schedule over days and weeks. If you aim to self-study for 4 hours daily, seeing 8 X’s on your tracker shows you are keeping pace. It can be a calendar, whiteboard, or piece of paper that shows you have completed an interval. At the end of each interval, you place a mark on a tracker. While the main benefit of this method is enabling you to study for long periods, another benefit is the visualization of how you use your time. Using the Pomodoro Technique, you can ensure that you study for periods where you can actively learn. Looking at either for too long without a break will lead to burnout. Blogs may be easier to read than API documents, but both require intense concentration to retain and comprehend their content. Software Engineering involves consuming dense, technical ideas and documentation. Long periods of unbroken learning reflect willpower rather than the ability to comprehend information. The idea behind this method is that you only stay focused and retain information on a subject for a short amount of time.

This popular method for focused learning first appeared in the 1980s.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method based on 30-minute intervals consisting of 25 minutes of focused study and 5 minutes of break. So, how can the Pomodoro Technique keep your coding study on track? What is the Pomodoro Technique? This focus-based time management method is designed to keep you productive and accountable while studying.

This is where the Pomodoro method can help. To be an efficient student, it helps to develop systems to optimize your time learning. With text messaging, social media, emails, and websites as possible distractions, it is easy to lose focus while studying. Even if you answer big questions (like “Where do I start?” and “What should I study next?), you’re left with the task of learning more.

Pomodoro focus timer