Task switching
Task switching is moving your attention from one task to another, such as from your notes to a message and back. Each switch has a cost: the first minutes back are slower and more error-prone. That is why studying with your phone nearby tends to take longer than one focused block.
In more detail
Psychologists call the lost time the switch cost. A single switch can cost just a few tenths of a second, but the American Psychological Association notes that repeated switching can add up, with an often-quoted estimate of up to 40 percent of productive time. Part of the cost is resetting your mental rules for the new task, and part is the old task still pulling at you.
The old task also leaves a trace. Researchers call it attention residue: part of your mind stays on the unfinished thing, so your working memory has less room for the new one. Studying leans hard on working memory, because you hold one idea in mind while you connect it to the next. That is why a ten-second look at a message can cost you the thread of a whole proof.
Not every switch is bad. Planned switching, such as alternating problem types on purpose, is interleaving and helps learning. Task switching is the unplanned kind, set off by notifications, open tabs and your own urge to check something. The goal is not zero switches but switches you choose, at natural stopping points.
Example
Nora studies biology for 50 minutes with her phone face up. She checks three messages and one chat. Each check takes 20 seconds, but after each one she rereads the last paragraph to find her place. Her 50 minutes cover 12 pages. The next day she puts the phone in another room, studies for the same time and covers 20 pages.
How to use it
- 1
Put your phone out of reach and silence notifications before you start.
- 2
Pick one task and one block, such as 25 or 50 minutes.
- 3
Keep a scrap of paper for stray thoughts and write them down instead of acting on them.
- 4
Stop at a natural break, like the end of a section, before you check messages.
- 5
Close tabs you do not need and keep your course material in one place.
How StudyPDF does this
StudyPDF keeps your course in one place, so you do not need a second app to study. Bo sits next to the material in a split view, so you can ask about a flashcard or a figure without leaving it, and every answer cites the page it came from.
See also
Common questions
What is task switching in simple terms?
It is stopping one task and starting another, like leaving your notes to answer a message. Your brain needs a moment to refocus each time, which slows you down and makes mistakes more likely.
How do I stop task switching while studying?
Remove the triggers first: phone out of the room, notifications off, extra tabs closed. Then work in one timed block on one task, and save messages and other tasks for the break.
Put it to work on your own course
Upload your lectures and ask Bo. Cited answers, plus flashcards, exams, and more built from your material.