In today’s world, many students – including myself – struggle with productivity due to distractions from their mobile phones, primarily social media. As a 16-year-old, I know firsthand how easy it is to get lost in those endless Instagram reels or get caught up with constant notifications that pop up on my screen. While these distractions might offer a quick, temporary escape from stress, they can severely impact our academic performance.

In my personal research, I found a few psychological principles that can provide us with effective strategies to manage our tasks better, improve our study productivity and well-being, and ultimately reduce our stress levels.

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique, designed to enhance productivity and focus, was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. This effective time management technique involves breaking study time into 25-minute intervals, known as Pomodoros, followed by a 5-minute break. After completing four Pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This approach leverages the brain’s ability to focus for short periods and helps prevent burnout by incorporating regular breaks.

Get the digital edition of the September 2024 issue to read the full article.

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It is the smart decisions that you make today that can change your life forever. As you begin your holidays you’ve got to have a firm determination to do something different to make it possible. Is there a way to spend your holidays that will make it truly meaningful and memorable? Can you think of doing something creative, something very different that will help boost your self-confidence, improve productivity, develop talents and chalk out the course your life takes? If you do, then you can anticipate with a smile the great benefit you will enjoy in the future. Attempt to do something you always wanted to do — it may be learning a skill, receiving some guidelines, or visiting a person or a new place.

The story is told of a poor man who once visited his friend who had become ‘king’. The king was happy to meet him and gave him a special pen as a gift. The friend was sad at getting such a small and apparently insignificant gift. Nevertheless, he took the pen and used it to write. Several years later, a wise man happened to see the pen and told him of how special that pen itself was: it had in it a map that would lead him to a very big treasure with which he could live the rest of his life like a king.

Could this holiday be the time when you find the key that can unlock some great treasure in your life which you will always be happy about and grateful for? If your decision and determination is like that of Neel Shekatkar’s, then you could rest assured that your holiday will perhaps determine the destiny of your life.
Let the various articles in this issue of The Teenager Today serve to guide you to make the right decisions in terms of time investment. TTT wishes you a holiday that is enjoyably memorable!

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Summer holidays are at our doorsteps, once again. I’m sure many of you have already booked your tickets for the long or short term trips you have been planning for months, and are busy packing your bags, etc. for these long-awaited trips.

Some of us will visit our grandparents and larger families in other cities or towns where rare fruits, refreshing rains, the lush green expanse, the aroma of the wet Earth and the swaying branches and the dancing lilies await you.

Are you among those whose bags are packed or amongst those who will have to think of ways to enjoy the spell of summer at home?

Whether or not we have some place to go and enjoy, and whether or not we are compelled to be at some place or not — every scene, every situation offers a choice, though. Therein lies the beauty of life. We may not have a choice regarding spending the summers at home, but we have a choice in terms of what we do while we are home. We can fret and fume; sigh and slow down. Or, we can make it an action-packed and joyous summer, with some visible signs of blooming in the process.

For the parents, these months can be those rare and precious time-with-kids months. The kids do not have to go to school; there is no homework and pressure of performance. Parents have hectic schedules and are busy throughout the year. Now is the time to talk to children, as they are at home. And, most important — you have time to listen to them. You can be the vacation-teacher and counsellor, this summer and teach them the values, history and culture of India, while also listening to their woes.

And, for all the growing kids?

Well, all those indoor games must certainly be waiting to come out of the drawers. When was the last time you had a carom duel with your sibling or friend? Or perhaps a friendly badminton match? Over popcorn and lemonade, we can play scrabble at home or teach our younger brothers and sisters a few moves of chess or laugh out loud as a snake bites you and you fall off the ladder on the board! There are cards and Antakshari for spicing up the evenings, and bedtime stories and sky-gazing for the night, too. All those capitals and currencies you wanted to learn about and all those dusty pages of the encyclopaedia which you have always wanted to take a look at — you can do it, this summer. Story books and comics can be purchased, borrowed from friends or rented out from the few libraries nearby. The entire family can have happy-cooking-hours, with everybody jostling for space in the kitchen and together dishing out some creatively conceived delicacies.

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The procrastinator speaks:
“I need to be in the right frame,
Just can’t turn on my mind like a tap;
I guess, last-minute panic drives me.”

“Oh, yeah? What kind of frame is that?”

The procrastinator’s fallacy

We like to delay things we don’t like to do. And we all know we should do them. Procrastination is more of an emotional problem than we confess. Procrastinators claim they’re overburdened, strained and tired (though they have frequently done nothing). Naïve escapists, they deliberately seek distractions, switch between tasks, claim they’re overworked and allow the imagined burden to hammer them down.

They also claim to be perfectionists, arguing that they need more time to do things right. In effect they end up putting things off beyond deadline. A variety of them even think they work better under pressure. Hence, the last-minute storm with studies, projects and important decisions. Truly, procrastination involves an abundant degree of self-deceit — wherein we fool ourselves to justify this escape from responsibility.

The rare high in moments of productivity

Time myopia
We all agree we should study today for the exam at the end of the semester. And exercise, skip junk food and sleep enough, to be healthy as we age. But all of these choices are competing with those of going to the movies, feasting on a burger or relaxing till late in bed. And the latter options clearly appear more attractive, enjoyable and comforting. But the short-sightedness distorts our vision.

When we procrastinate, we actually become myopic and see these future needs as distant, elusive and uncritical. The immediate consequences of postponing tasks thus seem trivial. And we delay them to focus on an easy today neglecting the important but far-off tomorrow. The same tomorrow, however, soon arrives, and the urgency is clearly unravelled. And the panic button signals us to action. If only we could alter our vision and see beyond the immediate gains of adjourning important tasks! We would then not delay what can be accomplished right now.

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A simple productivity app inspired by the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 80s.

The technique uses a timer to break down work into 25 minute periods separated by productivity-boosting short intervals. ‘Pomodoros’ is Italian for ‘tomatoes’; Cirillo used a tomato-shaped timer to develop this technique.

Set a task to accomplish; set a timer for 25 minutes and start working; when the timer rings, take a 3-5 minute break. During each 25 minute ‘pomodoro’ the emphasis is on solid concentration with zero distractions. After four pomodoros you get a longer 15-20 minute break and then it’s back to work until you’ve completed the target number of pomodoros you’ve set for yourself that day.

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After 10+2 with PCB, you can go for various healthcare careers like physicians, pharmacists, therapists, nursing and medical technologists. But besides these, there are several other general career areas for biologists. The growing emphasis on environmental preservation is creating another career path for biologists: conservation, wildlife study and occupational safety. Those having an interest in computers can also go for Bioinformatics, a field that promises to change the way we diagnose and treat diseases and provide healthcare.

To increase your concentration, the first thing is to switch your phone off or put it in another room! Don’t consume too much tea or coffee. These have caffeine that gives you more strength for some time but soon leaves you sluggish. Speak out loud instead of simply reading. Drawing diagrams will help you to visualize information which would be hard to describe. This creates a visual memory in your mind which can be recalled in an exam.

For better productivity, take a short break after every 45-50 minutes of study as your focus and concentration will become impaired after this period. Lastly, make sure to get adequate rest and sleep well. When you sleep, your brain assimilates the information you have learned when studying, so getting a good night’s sleep will help you remember those pesky maths formulas you need for your exam!

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A great number of people in our country are unemployed because they lack the minimum required education and experience while many others are unemployed because they lack creativity and do not try to be self-employed. One can begin to work or be creatively self-employed and gain experience even while one is a student. In the cover story in this issue on productive summer vacations Shivani Manchanda explains various means and ways a person can make himself or herself best fit not just to survive but to enjoy and benefit from one’s life and career, She further speaks about good work habits, learning a new skill, learning a foreign language, doing an internship and other tips to grow and benefit even during one’s vacation.

Creative and self-employed youth can play a vital role in solving the current unemployment problem in the country and thus contribute to the economic and social growth of our nation. Education which motivates, guides and facilitates young students to create enterprises and generate jobs is certainly a significant developmental contribution.

There aren’t enough jobs for all in our country; the current economic policy of the government will take years to create employment for all. Hence the need for a large number of young people to explore self-employment and use their hidden potential for job-creation. One needs to be dreaming high and daring to keep oneself motivated on the path of self-employment and success. A dream, however, does not become a reality on its own. It takes determination, sweat and perseverance to transform your dream into a reality. One may find only in the dictionary that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. Keep grabbing every opportunity and stick to the one that matches your chemistry, and you will find yourself at the right place at the right time.

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These days when I counsel students I notice that an ever greater number of young people are shedding the “lightness of being” of vacations and opting to utilize the summer productively. A summer well spent on doing a course or a job will not only give you an opportunity to meet other young people with similar interests but also give you an opportunity to learn without the pressure of exams. So let’s have a deeper look at what you will gain by having a productive summer.

Build your résumé

Ships in harbour are safe but that is not what ships are meant for. I know the simplest thing is go to college, have fun, attend classes, appear for the exams and, hey, end up with a good degree. But don’t forget one of the most frequently-asked questions by interview panelists is: “What is your experience?” Getting work experience while you are studying is as important as getting a good degree. Working hard does cut into your social time and sometimes study time but the insights you gain during the jobs are invaluable as well. The insights you gain can give you a roadmap to eventually being a good employee. Every employer’s dream is a young person with experience. It seems a little oxymoronish because if you are straight out of college then having work experience can be difficult. However, a summer job can rescue you from this conundrum since it can be added to your résumé to indicate that you have used your vacations wisely and gained some valuable experience. While you are working at your summer job don’t forget to keep a small log of all that you have done there and take the time to reflect about what you have learned from the experience. This practice of logging will stand you in good stead when you have to finally go for the job interview. If you have attempted the summer job well you will be able to give examples of work done well in your first job interview and land that awesome job.

Learn good work habits

In the workplace you are not only required to be technically sound, but also possess the ability to work in a team. A summer job is a great way of learning soft skills and building interpersonal relations which are important in the business world. During a summer job you can practise and demonstrate self-discipline, time management skills, the ability to work hard, etc. To maximize the benefits from the summer job it is important to take your job seriously and be earnest about the tasks allocated to you. Reaching the office on time, meeting deadlines and targets are great way of demonstrating to the employer that you are job ready. In fact, volunteering to do something extra in the work space is another great way of getting noticed and being allocated something more substantial. All employers ideally want candidates with initiative and willingness to work hard. There is always a chance if you do your summer job well then the employer might be tempted to hire you on a long-term basis.

Document your work with reference letters

When you are finally leaving the job don’t forget to request a recommendation letter. The recommendation letter should include the duration of your work in that company, the projects that you have been involved in and mention your tasks accomplished in the office.

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