5 things you're doing wrong as a student

mistakes that I wish someone had warned me about

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My board exam results are out. I was told that it wasn't my best performance. I felt sad, a tinge of sorrow, even though I do not support this mainstream "number-based" system. Maybe I wanted a bit more; I was influenced by trivial factors.

Though I scored 95.2%, I kept searching for justifications for my apparent sub-par performance (an example of how people can make you feel really worse, when you’re not supposed to and I fell for it this time). I told them that it was unusual for me to get 88/100 in English because I never get such a low score, that the examiner must have done something wrong, and blah blah, instead of accepting the reality.

"Be satisfied with what you've got". And I am, truly. I scored 98/100 in Math, the subject I truly love and that's good enough for me. I have scored well in other subjects too, but I wish I hadn't made a couple of mistakes in the past year or two... and maybe things could’ve been better one way or another.

This is a reminder to myself that I should have regrets, because only then I'd be able to improve myself. I am not gloomy anymore. I am happy, because now I have a choice: the choice to improve myself and do good.

Thus, I am writing this for individuals who are currently in high school and curious peeps who want to make the best of the available resources and live a satiable and happy life. So that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did, and be the best version of yourself.

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As students, we constantly have to learn new things, study for exams and get good grades. But most of the students do this by brute-forcing, i.e. by simply "grinding". While that does work out for a few of them, the majority is left out feeling inadequate because their input doesn't reflect on their academic output.

Later on in their lives, this very group of students go on to say things along the lines of "Mathematics is only for the gifted" and "Man, chemistry is hard af". It is very understandable because they didn't know how to study properly their whole lives.

I believe this discrepancy between the academic input and output is largely because of faulty study techniques, lack of awareness, curiosity and motivation. Once all four aspects are fulfilled, one will be invincible in terms of academic output and satisfaction.

The following are the mistakes that I made in the past year (Grade 10), that I wish someone had warned me about:

#1 - Poor Energy Management

How many of us wake up early, go to school/work and come back to find ourselves outright tired to work? Still, we push ourselves and eventually, doze off. Apart from that, there are dozens of other instances when we have little to no energy to study, and as a result, we are not able to reach our full potential.

That doesn't really work, does it? We students need a proper energy management "plan" to actually survive throughout a maddening 50+ hour week, appropriately tackle our to-do list and to do what matters the most to us.

Here's how you solve that

1. Energy management works hand in hand with Time Management. Manage your schedule wisely and cross off any activity that drains you out (like long hours of video gaming, unnecessary meetings, etc.)
   Watch Ali Abdaal's latest video on Time management.

2. Use caffeine to supplement your energy. Drinking coffee allows you to be more focused and feel energised while also being good for your health.
   The only caveat here is that, you have to take regulated doses to not disrupt your sleep. As a rule of thumb, you should drink coffee before 6-7 hours of bedtime and limit it to 1-2 cups a day. Do some research.

3. Don't pick the wrong time to study. Are you sure you can pull an all-nighter? Are you sure you can study at 4am in the morning? Experiment. Pick the right time.
   And the right time is when you feel the most energised. It's okay to feel low sometimes, trust me you'll have those days, but still pick a time (and preferably make it a constant) and study!

#2 - Not using proper techniques and resources

One of the most important tools you can have in your academic arsenal is Good Study Techniques. With this you can pretty much obliterate any subject and learn them as efficiently as possible.

Another tool you can have is resources. That sounds pretty vague, but what I mean by that is things like past papers, apps, services, quizzes, guides, etc.
Remember that only 20% of the effort gives the 80% of the outcome (Pareto Principle); make your life easier by doing only the fruitful stuff.

Here's how you solve that

There are multiple study techniques which can help you improve your memory, learning efficiency, problem solving, and these are only a few of them:

• Feynman technique: Learn by teaching

• Spaced Repetition: Never forget

• Memory Palace: Everything is in your room, you just have to go through it

• Storytelling: Stories are good to remember peoples' names (or anything else.)

• Chunking: Group things by category and learn things quicker

• Active Recall: Challenge your brain and reap immense rewards.

• Mind Mapping: Our brain likes visual stuff

The core idea is to not engage in passive learning, but in active learning. Go look at Mike and Matty over at Cajun Koi Academy to learn more of them. They're great, honestly.
Make sure to do your research on them!

As for resources,

1. Khan Academy is one of the BEST platforms to learn, practice things. They offer free courses, lessons and quizzes in a LOT of subjects, ranging from Grade 6 to Uni Level (I think). You can use their tests for revision, and it will help you out a ton.
   Check out their Learn To Learn course to help you understand the science of learning and use it to your advantage.

2. Quizizz literally saved my exams. It has tons of quizzes made which you can use to test your knowledge (Active Recall). You can also make your own quizzes, or challenge your friends in a group study session. It is fun, engaging and will not make you feel bored.

3. ChatGPT: If you're not using this to study, you're in tough luck, my friend. This is one of the greatest tool you can have! But you must make sure to use it for good purpose.
   Check this video to see how you can learn things faster using ChatGPT.

4. Study Communities: There are communities that are mainly for academic purposes. Because sometimes, you need people to help you out. They are mostly on Discord, but you may find them on other platforms as well.
   I am in:

   • The CBSE Community

   • Cajun Koi Server

5. Anki!!!! For making memory a choice.
   Check Michael Nielsen’s essay for more information.

6. Obsidian: For a learning overhaul. Use this to organise your life in a better way, take better notes, and “sharpen your thinking”.

#3 - Not being focused enough

This is not entirely your fault. It's hard to focus in this modern era. But you need to focus and study intensely, because:

\(\begin{gathered} \text{Focus }\times\text{ Intensity} = \text{Learning}\uparrow \end{gathered}\)

Distractions often take the best of us, which is why you should try your best to counter them. If you're focused enough, you'll be more satisfied with your work.

Here's how you solve that

1. Get an accountability partner. Being accountable to someone allows you to be more disciplined and increase the stakes. What it means that, if you don't keep up with your word, you're going to harm your own image and your partner's trust, which is exactly what you don’t want.
   
   Whenever I feel less motivated and less focused, I ask my friend(s) to study with me, or start a livestream on my channel, because:

"Starting something alone is infinitely more difficult than starting it together."
-Ali Abdaal

2. Study with Friends. Believe me, I spent the last 4 months of my Grade 10 studying with my friends on a Google Meet every single evening. It allowed us to feel less bored, counter burnout, ask questions to each other, and cultivate a deeper bond between us.
   One caveat though, you need to be really disciplined, or else it will only be a kitty party. Remember not to waste your time and set up boundaries. Thankfully, I have pretty cool friends!
   
   Check out Cajun Koi Academy's video to see how you can study properly with your friends.

3. Using productivity techniques:

   1. Pomodoro Technique: 25 work and 5 minutes rest, repeat. There's also a 50/10 variant. And a Flowmodoro version for more focused individuals.

   2. 5 Minute Technique: Do the thing you are procrastinating on for just 5 minutes. Give your full attention to it, and see if you want to continue. But make sure not to force yourself.

   3. Making things more fun: By adding appealing stationary, putting on some chill background music, etc. It will increase your motivation to study, and thus increasing focus.

   4. Putting your phone/distracting gadgets on airplane mode: just do it, don't hesitate. You're going to save a lot of time.

   5. Block sites by default: Use a website blocker and block most of the sites by default.
      I use LeeckBlock and block this list of websites.

   6. Using soundscapes: You can use white noise, cafe noise, rain noise and even exam hall noise! It’s pretty useful, and proven to improve concentration.
      I use mynoise.net, a free soundscape generator, and it’s pretty nice!

4. Do a digital declutter: Rebuild your tech-using habits in 30-days.

5. Make your own study space: Keep it tidy and clean. Make sure that you study in a comfortable and (preferably) quiet place. Try to study in only that place. And it shouldn’t be a bed.

#4 - Bad Sleep Schedule

This is perhaps the worst mistake students make, and I did too: sleeping late and not getting proper 8 hours of sleep. Having a good sleep schedule is easier said than done, and I still have difficulties maintaining a good one.

But it is important to have a good night's sleep for MANY reasons:

• Sleeping consolidates information (from short-term memory to long-term).

• Sleeping recharges your body.

• Sleeping makes you feel happy.

• Sleeping is nice.

• Do I really need to give you that many reasons?

Here's how you solve that

1. Shutting down screens ~1 hour before bed: This will greatly help in pacifying your mind, along with

2. Meditating.

3. Creating a bedtime routine: After you turn the screens off, you could allocate 15-20 mins just for yourself. Do something like journalling or writing a diary, etc; solitude is necessary too.

4. Reading books before bed: This is a nice activity to replace your phone scrolling and also a potent sleeping pill.

5. Dimming the lights: Allows higher rate of Melatonin (sleeping hormone) secretion.

6. Understanding Circadian Rhythm: Our biological clock is largely dependent on lighting conditions. You can use this for your advantage by automating lights, using more light to give you more energy, etc.

Read this for more information on sleep and hormones.

#5 - Having a Fixed Mindset

"Man, I can't do this."

Sure you can, buddy. You're just fixed on a negative aspect because of past experiences. Don't let it get you down.

Having a fixed mindset hampers us from actually growing: we are afraid of moving out of our comfort zone and doing something new. We often give up really soon. This has happened to me a lot of times, and it sucked. But I got through it, and you can too.

Here's how you solve that

1. Cultivate a growth mindset: It is the polar opposite of the fixed mindset: "Man, I can do this". Never think that you can't do something, think positive.

2. Self-affirmation: Always appreciate yourself. Make sure that you acknowledge your hard work.

3. Celebrate every win: No matter how big or small, cherish them and celebrate. Do a little dance, get a chocolate, etc. Just be happy.

4. Don't be so hard on yourself: Not every day will turn out to be productive. You have to understand that. Cut yourself some slack and recharge.

You should also look into countering misalignment and burnouts.

#6 - Not going beyond academics (bonus)

A larger portion of our time is spent increasing our academic output. But we should understand that it goes beyond that. Academia shouldn't be the only thing we know and experience. We also need to live, and learn how to live. We need to discover ourselves, have a healthy social life, spend time with our families, seek moral and philosophical development and so on...

This is crucial. High school is the best time to build a good foundation for a better future. At this point, you start getting mentally mature and capable of understanding abstract and difficult ideas. And you slowly start seeping into the "real world", if you choose to do so.

But the majority is oblivious of this "real world", of the intellectual world, of time spent with people and of lifetime experiences.

Here's how you solve that

1. Discover yourself: 19th Century Sociologist Auguste Comte said:

"Connais toi pour t'ameliorer"
Translation: Know yourself to improve yourself.

Although this is timeless wisdom, Comte's words are highly specific and relatable in this context. Knowing yourself: who you are, what are your goals and values, etc., helps you improve yourself and your quality of life.

2. Spend time with your parents: You're lucky to have parents. You really are. They care for you, and in the end, they are the only ones who are truly yours. Spend time with them, develop a deeper bond with them, do activities together and share things with them.
   It's likely that they'll be your best buddies, if you keep an open mind and give them the chance.

3. Read more books: Yes. Read more books, of any kind. It doesn't matter if you read classics or modern romances, just make sure you read good books, and that you learn something from them. The quality of knowledge and entertainment you can get from books is really high, 100 times more than what you can get from scrolling Reels.

4. Be more curious and think:

"You gotta stop and think to be able to conceive the inconceivable nature of nature."
-Richard Feynman

See things from a different light. Yes, do that. Develop your own mental model of this world, and update it every time you encounter something new.
Most importantly, think of everything as an opportunity to learn.
Let curiosity take you wherever it wants. Never stop questioning.

2. Spend time on learning skills: They are the best investment you can make. Learn new skills, hard or soft. Learn to code and make videos. Learn to play guitar, to dance, to write. Learn to read well, get more fit, exercise.
   There are tons of things to learn, and a lot of opportunities to improve yourself.

3. Create with the knowledge you have: This is the one of the ways you can improve the world. Apply the knowledge you have and make something: a video, a blog, an app, anything. Make something good.
   This will help you consolidate your knowledge better, potentially helping someone, improving your skills and increasing job prospect.

And then, you'll be invincible. It's important to note that these are not the only mistakes I've made; there are many. But these are few of the worst mistakes (and common ones). You must always research more and learn from everything.

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I am neither Mark Manson nor James Clear. I am just another learner, just like you. Take all of this with a grain of salt, but don't completely ignore it. I've written this so that you don't make the same mistakes. Take at least 2 lessons from this (comment down below). If you implement them in your life, I promise things will be much better than you could ever imagine.

But yes, things won't change in a minute. You'll have to be consistent with your efforts. There will be multiple hardships, because this is not at all easy.

Working towards a better better future requires endurance and patience. And I believe that anyone can gain that, if they choose to do so.
Every moment is a choice. It is that choice that defines you.

I am sure you all will make the right one.