Have CHASMS of Free Time While Getting a 45: IB Time Management Tips

Summary

This video script discusses the challenges faced by International Baccalaureate (IB) students, such as lack of sleep and excessive workload. It contrasts two student archetypes: one overwhelmed by the system and another who excels through effective time management and self-care. The speaker shares personal experiences and strategies for success in the IB program, emphasizing the importance of finding motivation, gamifying the learning process, and setting boundaries to ensure a balance between academic excellence and personal well-being.

Takeaways

• 😴 IB students often complain about lack of sleep and excessive studying time, but it's possible to manage both academics and personal time effectively.
• 📚 The ideal IB student not only excels academically but also demonstrates excellent time management skills, balancing study, hobbies, and rest.
• 🕒 Time management is crucial for IB students; those who struggle with it can feel overwhelmed and controlled by their workload.
• 🤔 To avoid burnout, students should identify a 'why' that motivates them, whether it's getting into a dream university or achieving personal goals.
• 🎮 Gamifying the IB experience can make studying more enjoyable and increase productivity. This can be done by adding competition, setting deadlines, and rewarding achievements.
• ⏱ Using a stopwatch to track study time can help students understand how much actual focused work they are doing, leading to more efficient study habits.
• 🏆 Setting clear goals and tracking progress towards them can motivate students to work harder and smarter, similar to how a Fitbit encourages more physical activity.
• 🚫 Establishing a 'game over' time, or a cut-off point for work, can prevent overworking and ensure students have time for relaxation and personal activities.
• 💡 The speaker emphasizes the importance of caring about the work they do, suggesting that finding a reason to care can lead to better focus and productivity.
• 🌟 Achieving a perfect IB score and a balanced life is possible with the right mindset, effective time management, and the implementation of gamification strategies.

Q & A

What is the main challenge faced by IB students according to the transcript?

The main challenge faced by IB students is the lack of sleep and excessive time spent studying, leading to a high-pressure environment and a feeling of being enslaved by the system.

What was Jerry's initial reaction to the prospect of the IB program's difficulty?

Jerry procrastinated to ignore the impending doom, not taking the warnings about the IB's difficulty seriously until he was overwhelmed with late work and pending tasks.

How does the transcript describe the ideal IB student?

The ideal IB student, referred to as 'Beer', has amazing grades, study habits, and time management skills, allowing them to balance busy weekdays with free time for reading, exercising, and other activities during evenings and weekends.

What realization helped the speaker avoid becoming an 'IB zombie'?

The speaker realized that they were the one in control of their time and could avoid becoming an 'IB zombie' by managing their time effectively and not letting the workload control them.

What strategy did the speaker use to maintain a balance between IB work and personal time?

The speaker used a combination of strategies including setting clear goals, gamifying the IB experience, using a stopwatch to track focused work time, and setting a 'game over' time to ensure they stopped working after a certain point.

What is the significance of the 'game over' time mentioned in the transcript?

The 'game over' time is a self-imposed deadline that signifies when work for the day is finished, encouraging productivity and ensuring personal time is respected.

How does gamifying the IB experience help students according to the transcript?

Gamifying the IB experience helps students by making the work more engaging and enjoyable, increasing motivation, and allowing students to reach states of flow more quickly, which in turn improves productivity and time management.

What role does the concept of 'why' play in the speaker's approach to IB work?

The concept of 'why' is crucial as it provides a strong reason or purpose behind the work, which can drive students to care about their tasks even if they don't inherently enjoy the subject matter.

What is the importance of tracking work with a stopwatch as mentioned in the transcript?

Tracking work with a stopwatch is important because it provides clarity on the actual amount of focused work time, helps in setting and achieving targets, and adds a competitive element that can increase productivity.

How does the speaker suggest using competition to improve IB performance?

The speaker suggests using friendly competition with peers to set targets and deadlines, adding a layer of accountability and motivation that can lead to improved performance and time management.

What is the significance of the 'Easter egg' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'Easter egg' mentioned is a code (mathqbankIB) that, when entered on the provided link, gives access to the speaker's EDM study playlist, which they used to help reach a state of flow while studying for the IB.