The background story of ConcentrAid
Let me share a bit about my journey and how ConcentrAid came to be. As a PhD student, procrastination was my constant companion. I was a master at delaying tasks, putting off deadlines, and finding any excuse to avoid the grind. It didn’t appear to affect me for a while, but as my third year approached, the pressure started to mount, and procrastination was no longer my friend, but instead my biggest enemy.
After attending a seminar on academic writing at my university, I started working with a friend on Zoom, following the Pomodoro principle (50 minutes working, 10 minutes break per session). We would share our tasks and hold each other accountable when we got distracted. For example, I would always aim to write three paragraphs in a morning session, which is the time of day I do my best writing. This virtual co working arrangement was a game-changer in knowing how to deal with academic burnout. I was more productive than ever before! However, organizing these sessions on our own proved to be challenging due to conflicting schedules and life's unexpected twists.
That's when the idea of ConcentrAid was sparked. My friend and I wanted to create a platform that would help people work productively and focus whenever (and wherever) they wanted. Imagine a virtual library that works to boost your productivity, using accountability partners and structured study sessions based on the Pomodoro technique… and you’re not forced to work in total silence!
ConcentrAid is more than just an online group study platform and productivity tool. It also connects you with other PhD students. You can work together with friends and co-authors, but without all the stress of organizing calls, or meet other researchers across research fields and universities. If you like each other, you can chat in the break, which might help you to solve current problems, spark new insights, ideas, or even lead to new projects.
I'm excited to see you join us at ConcentrAid and learn about your projects. Let's work together to overcome procrastination and achieve our academic goals!
Best,
Elisabeth.