How should you combine Pomodoro with actual learning techniques?

Use Pomodoro to manage time and fatigue, but fill the blocks with retrieval practice and spacing — the timer schedules the work; the technique inside does the learning.

A common trap is treating "I did four pomodoros" as if it were "I learned four blocks' worth." But if those blocks were spent re-reading and highlighting, you mostly moved your eyes over familiar words.

Pair the scaffold with the substance: inside each block, self-quiz, do free recall, and revisit older material on a spaced schedule. Pomodoro answers when and for how long; retrieval and spacing answer what your brain actually does. The workflow layer wraps around the evidence-based core — it never replaces it.