Multitasking is often seen as an effective way to improve productivity, including during learning process. In the electronics terms, multitasking is defined as parallel operations of computing devices, including computer and smartphones. A single CPU is able to perform multiple tasks at the same time. However, although our brains are often compared with computer CPUs, they are completely different and don’t have similar processes. It also means that the way our brain multitasks is much different with computers. There are debates on whether multitasking is really ideal for learning process. Many concepts are very complex and require undivided attention, as well as complete focus. Others argue that they will get better results by focusing on one task at a time, instead of trying to everything simultaneously. Regardless of the positive aspects of multitasking during learning process, we need to examine it further.
For people, multitasking is simply shifting our attention back and forth. People often do this when they are dealing with several projects. Unfortunately, not everyone has the focus to deal with proper concentration. We can be interrupted quite often and priorities may change. Most of the learning tasks are quite mechanical. We read books and rehearse doing a set of formulas over and over again. If you plan to do multitasking, you should have the ability to switch between tasks very quickly. Switching between different tasks can be considered as context switching. However, when you are doing it improperly, context switching may cause inefficiency. There are conditions that demand complete attention and you can’t do it while wearing multiple hats. You should consider drawbacks of doing multitasking, so you can always get the best results in all situations.
You should consider that there’s an issue when multitasking starts to divide your attention, because this could affect the overall quality of work. Singularity of focus is essential as you switch between tasks. Multitasking can also cause chaos, if you don’t remember where you were what you left off the previous task. It means that multitasking could potentially have time costs, as you are transitioning between tasks. These time costs would be bad for your overall productivity. It is true that single tasking is no longer effective in the fast paced world, where you are expected to do many things. However, you should focus on tasks that provide you the most results and your focus should be mostly on them. It is a good thing if you can prioritize values over value and you should work hard to sharpen your focus. Try to focus on the quality of the task and you can do this by understanding things that truly matter.
You should consider these facts during preparation for the next time. The next time you are sitting down for studying, you need to prioritize your time and think about getting real values from your tasks. You won’t get infinite amount of time for the preparation, so it is important to multitask effective and efficiently. This is the only way to get real results.
