Finding My Rhythm: The Real Talk About Balancing Work and Studies as an International Student

Introduction: The "Busy" Trap

I used to pride myself on being a "master multitasker." I’d have a Zoom lecture playing on one screen, a research paper open on another, and I’d be replying to texts in between. I felt like a productivity god. But at the end of the day, I realized something terrifying: I had spent eight hours "working," yet I couldn't remember a single thing the professor said, and my essay was full of typos.

​In 2026, we wear multitasking like a badge of honor. We think it makes us faster. But the science is in, and it’s brutal. Your brain cannot multitask. It is physically impossible. What you are actually doing is "Task Switching," and it is killing your grades. At Learn With Bitty, we’re going to look at why your brain lies to you about multitasking and how "Single-Tasking" is the real secret to elite performance.

​1. The Science: It’s Not Multitasking, It’s "Context Switching"

​Your brain is not a parallel processor; it’s a serial processor. It can only focus on one complex cognitive task at a time. When you think you are doing two things at once, your brain is actually jumping back and forth between them at high speeds.

​Every time you switch from your Math homework to a WhatsApp notification, your brain has to "load" the rules for the new task and "unload" the rules for the old one. This is called the Switching Cost. It might only take a few milliseconds, but over an hour, it can reduce your productivity by up to 40%.

​2. The Dopamine Deception

​If multitasking is so bad, why does it feel so good? Because every time you switch tasks—especially to something easy like checking a notification—your brain releases a tiny hit of Dopamine. Your brain is literally rewarding you for being distracted. It’s a "pigeon-feeding" mechanism. You feel busy, so you feel productive, but "busy" and "productive" are not the same thing. Multitasking is just a fancy way of keeping yourself busy while doing mediocre work.

​3. The "Attention Residue" Problem

​This is the most dangerous part of the myth. When you switch from Task A to Task B, a part of your attention stays stuck on Task A. This is called Attention Residue. If you just looked at a stressful email from your boss and then tried to go back to studying, your brain is still "processing" that email in the background. You aren't giving your studies 100% of your brain; you’re giving it maybe 60%. This is why you can read the same paragraph five times and still not understand it.

​4. How to Transition to "Single-Tasking"

​If you want to be a top student in 2026, you have to train yourself to do one thing at a time. Here is the Learn With Bitty framework:

​The "One-Tab" Rule

​When you are researching, try to keep only one browser tab open at a time. If you find a link you need later, save it to a "Read Later" list instead of opening a new tab. This reduces the visual temptation to switch.

​Deep Work Blocks

​Schedule 90-minute blocks where the only goal is one specific task. No music with lyrics, no phone in the room, and no "quick checks" of your email.

​The "Brain Dump" Notebook

​Keep a physical notebook next to you. If a random thought pops up (like "I need to buy milk"), don't stop studying to do it. Write it down in the notebook to "clear" it from your brain and immediately go back to your work.

​Conclusion: The Superhero Power of Focus

In a world where everyone is multitasking and distracted, the person who can focus on one thing for two hours is a superhero. They finish their work faster, they learn deeper, and they have more free time at the end of the day.

​Stop lying to yourself. You aren't a master multitasker; you're just a distracted human. Join the Learn With Bitty movement and start doing one thing at a time—extraordinarily well.

​What about you? Do you find it hard to stick to one task? Let me know your biggest distraction in the comments!