HOW TO START your NEW ACADEMIC YEAR STRONG & GET AHEAD of your PEERS 💯

Summary

In this educational video, the speaker, a top-performing dental student, shares a step-by-step guide to achieving academic excellence. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing self-imposed limitations, choosing delayed gratification over instant pleasures, and making small, consistent adjustments to study habits. The video also touches on the benefits of active revision through flashcards, the use of AI technology like Cify to streamline study processes, and the necessity of mental discomfort to push beyond one's limits. The speaker advocates for discipline over motivation and suggests practical strategies for increasing focus and productivity, aiming to inspire viewers to rise to the top of their class.

Takeaways

• 🏆 To excel academically, one must prioritize delayed gratification over instant gratification, which involves resisting distractions like social media for long-term academic success.
• 📚 Acknowledging that personal choices, not lack of intelligence, are the main obstacles to academic success is the first step to improvement.
• 📈 Small, consistent adjustments in study habits, such as understanding material before note-taking and converting notes into flashcards, can lead to significant academic progress.
• 🤝 Engaging with teachers to clarify doubts during class is more effective than passively copying notes, leading to better comprehension and note condensation.
• 📖 Preparing for class by previewing topics and potential exam questions helps identify key points and gaps in knowledge, facilitating more effective learning.
• 🔄 Transforming notes into flashcards early in the academic year aids in active revision and is crucial for exam preparation, unlike passive note-taking.
• 🤖 Utilizing AI technology like Cify can streamline the study process by creating condensed study guides, exam questions, and flashcards, saving time and effort.
• 📝 Taking mock exams seriously and using them as a diagnostic tool to identify weaknesses is essential for strengthening areas that need improvement before the actual exams.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Embracing discomfort by pushing beyond one's comfort zone in studying challenging topics leads to better retention and understanding, which is vital for exam success.
• ⏱️ Gradually increasing study focus time and maintaining discipline, rather than relying on motivation, is key to building a consistent study routine and achieving academic excellence.

Q & A

What is the main message of the video about academic success?

The main message is that becoming top of the class is achievable and it involves acknowledging one's own role in holding oneself back, making small adjustments in study habits, and embracing discomfort to push beyond one's limits.

Who is the speaker in the video and what are their academic achievements?

The speaker is a fifth-year Dental student named Scha, studying in London. They have achieved straight A stars and grade NES in both their GTSs and A levels, and they are in the top 2% of the country, attending a Russell Group University for a competitive degree.

What is the significance of choosing delayed gratification over instant gratification as mentioned in the video?

Choosing delayed gratification is significant because it helps in focusing on long-term goals rather than short-term pleasures. It allows for sustained effort towards academic success, as opposed to the fleeting happiness from instant gratification sources like social media.

What is the first step recommended by Scha to improve academic performance?

The first step recommended is to acknowledge that one's own actions and choices are what's holding them back, rather than a lack of natural intelligence or effort.

Why is it important to understand the class material before taking notes, as suggested in the video?

Understanding the material before taking notes allows for more effective note-taking by focusing on key points and comprehending the information, which is crucial for later revision and exam preparation.

What role do class tests and mock exams play in academic success according to the video?

Class tests and mock exams are important as they provide opportunities to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding, and to practice exam conditions, which can significantly improve performance in actual exams.

How does the video suggest transforming notes into a more effective study tool?

The video suggests converting notes into flashcards focused on examinable content, which aids in active revision and better retention of information.

What is the purpose of the AI technology 'cify' mentioned in the video?

Cify is an AI technology designed to help students by condensing notes, creating exam questions, and generating flashcards, thereby streamlining the study process and reducing the time spent on note-taking and revision.

What does the video suggest about the relationship between discomfort and academic improvement?

The video suggests that experiencing some level of discomfort while studying is necessary for improvement, as it pushes students to tackle difficult topics and study beyond their comfort zone, leading to better exam results.

How does the video recommend managing distractions like phone usage during study time?

The video recommends physical discipline to manage distractions, such as giving the phone to someone else, locking it away, or using apps that block access to certain apps, ensuring a focused study environment.

What is the importance of discipline over motivation in achieving academic goals as per the video?

Discipline is emphasized over motivation because motivation can be fleeting, while discipline ensures consistent effort towards academic goals, leading to long-term success and avoiding regret.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Achieving Academic Excellence

The speaker, Scha, a Dental student in London, shares her journey from mediocre grades to achieving top academic results. She emphasizes that academic success isn't about natural intelligence but about changing one's study habits. Scha introduces the concept of delayed gratification over instant gratification, suggesting that prioritizing long-term goals over short-term pleasures is crucial for academic success. She advises viewers to acknowledge their own role in limiting their potential and to start making small, gradual changes in their study routines to achieve significant improvements.

05:02

📈 Implementing Small Adjustments for Big Changes

Scha discusses the importance of making small, consistent adjustments in study habits to achieve academic success. She suggests understanding the material before taking notes, which leads to more effective note-taking and better revision. Scha also highlights the value of converting notes into flashcards for active revision. She introduces 'cify', an AI technology that simplifies note-taking, creates exam questions, and generates flashcards to aid in efficient studying. Scha stresses the importance of taking class tests seriously as they provide valuable practice under exam conditions and help identify areas for improvement. She also touches on the significance of discipline over motivation and the gradual increase in focused study time to enhance learning efficiency.

10:03

🏋️‍♀️ Embracing Discomfort for Success

In the final paragraph, Scha compares the dedication of an Olympic athlete to the effort required for academic success. She explains that pushing through discomfort in studying challenging topics is essential for overall improvement. Scha advocates for a disciplined approach to studying, where one sets aside dedicated study time and avoids distractions. She shares her personal technique of gradually increasing study focus time using the Pomodoro method and suggests using apps or physical barriers to prevent phone usage during study sessions. Scha concludes by encouraging viewers to make consistent small changes in their daily routines to achieve significant academic improvements, and she invites feedback and suggestions for future video topics.

Keywords

💡Academic Year

The 'Academic Year' refers to the annual period during which an educational institution conducts its educational programs. In the context of the video, the speaker aims to provide a step-by-step plan to help viewers excel and become top performers within their class, which is a goal set within the framework of an academic year. The script mentions having 'the best Academic Year possible,' emphasizing the importance of effective planning and study habits throughout the year.

💡Instant Gratification

Instant gratification is the desire to fulfill a want or desire immediately, often leading to a focus on short-term rewards over long-term goals. The video script discusses how choosing instant gratification, such as scrolling on social media, can hinder academic success. The speaker contrasts this with 'delayed gratification,' which is essential for achieving long-term academic goals, like getting good grades.

💡Delayed Gratification

Delayed gratification is the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and instead wait for a later, often more substantial reward. In the video, the speaker stresses the importance of choosing delayed gratification over instant gratification to achieve academic success. This concept is exemplified by the idea of studying hard now for better grades later, rather than seeking immediate pleasures like social media.

💡Russell Group University

A 'Russell Group University' refers to one of the 24 leading UK universities that are members of the Russell Group, known for their research and academic excellence. The speaker mentions attending a Russell Group University, which is used to establish credibility and to illustrate the high standards that can be achieved with the right approach to studying.

💡Grades

In an academic context, 'grades' are the evaluations given to students based on their performance in classes or on exams. The video script frequently mentions grades as a measure of academic success, with the speaker providing advice on how to improve grades by changing study habits and mindset.

💡Study Habits

Study habits refer to the routines and strategies that students use to study effectively. The video emphasizes the importance of developing good study habits, such as taking effective notes and using flashcards, to improve academic performance. The speaker shares personal experiences and tips on how to create a study routine that leads to better grades.

💡Flashcards

Flashcards are a learning tool used to aid memorization, typically consisting of a card with a question or term on one side and the answer or definition on the other. The video script suggests shifting from traditional note-taking to creating flashcards as a method of active revision, which is more effective for exam preparation.

💡Mock Exams

Mock exams are practice exams that simulate the conditions of real exams but are not graded. The speaker in the video encourages taking mock exams seriously as they provide valuable practice and feedback on areas that need improvement before the actual exams.

💡Discomfort

In the context of the video, 'discomfort' refers to the mental and physical challenges one experiences when pushing beyond their comfort zone, such as studying difficult topics or maintaining focus for extended periods. The speaker argues that embracing discomfort is crucial for academic growth and achieving excellence.

💡Discipline

Discipline in this video refers to the self-control and consistency required to follow through with studying and achieving academic goals, even when motivation wanes. The speaker emphasizes that discipline is more reliable than motivation for achieving long-term success in academics.

💡Timetable

A 'timetable' in the video script refers to a schedule or plan for managing study time effectively. The speaker discusses the importance of creating a daily timetable to allocate specific hours for studying, which is a key strategy for staying organized and focused on academic goals.

Highlights

Achieving top grades is easier than you think with a step-by-step plan.

The speaker, a Dental student with top grades, shares personal strategies for academic success.

Admitting you're the one holding yourself back is the first step to improvement.

Understanding the difference between instant and delayed gratification is crucial for academic success.

Instant gratification from social media can hinder academic progress.

Delayed gratification, though challenging, leads to long-term academic achievements.

Small, gradual changes in study habits can lead to significant improvements.

The importance of understanding material before note-taking to ensure effective learning.

Pre-class reading and note-making are emphasized for better comprehension.

Shifting from traditional notes to flashcards can enhance exam preparation.

Cify, an AI technology, is introduced to streamline note-taking and flashcard creation.

Mock exams are highlighted as valuable tools for identifying knowledge gaps.

The necessity of taking mock exams seriously for better exam performance.

Embracing discomfort while studying difficult topics can lead to better exam results.

Increasing study focus time gradually can improve concentration and retention.

Discipline is more reliable than motivation for consistent study habits.

Physical discipline, like removing distractions, can enhance study effectiveness.

Making small daily changes can lead to significant academic achievements.

Transcripts

what if I told you that becoming the top

of your class is actually really easy

here's how you can get ahead of 99% of

the people in your class in your school

and even the country and have the best

Academic Year possible so stay with me

until the end of the video and I'll give

you a step-by-step plan of how you can

change this year and become the top of

the top so guys let's not waste time and

let's get straight into it so who am I

and why should you care my name is scha

and I'm a fifth year Dental student

studying in London and I managed to get

straight A stars and grade NES in both

my gtss and my a level I managed to get

the top 2% of the country and managed to

enter a Russell School University as

well for one of the most competitive

degrees so you're probably thinking

she's just naturally smart like she just

naturally gets it it doesn't take that

much work and some people just have a

predisposition towards being smart

towards being clever and towards getting

good grade I'm here to tell you that you

are wrong for most of my school life I

just got mediocre grades they were okay

but it wasn't what I needed to get where

I wanted to be I manage to change the

whole system of how I work and these

things I Chang could take you 10 minutes

of each day to see a big Improvement

people think that's it's extremely hard

to do this but the truth is it's

actually really doable let's jump into

step one which is acknowledge if you're

constantly finding excuses not to study

you're not doing enough you're

struggling all around you're glued to

your phone this video is actually for

you like this video was made for you

because I was in the same shoes your

first step is to acknowledge that you

are the one who's holding yourself back

it's not your natural smartness it's not

anything like that it's you at this

point the problem is not that you're not

smart enough not that you don't try hard

enough enough but in fact that you

choose instant gratification over

delayed gratification so what are these

instant gratification is when you get

something quickly and it makes you happy

so for example scrolling on social media

Tik Tok all of these apps are designed

to give you instant gratification and

because of how quickly you get the burst

of dopamine it basically makes you

addicted to those types of Happiness

rather than delayed gratification

delayed gratification is when you don't

instantly get the goal you don't

instantly get the burst of dopamine but

that does mean that it takes you a while

to get it for example learn how to write

a bike you don't instantly get on a bike

when you're a baby and just know how to

ride it does take a while takes a few

Falls and it takes a while until it's

enjoyable but you endure it so that you

can learn how to ride a bike the problem

with always choosing instant

gratification is that it means that you

could be destined to be someone or to do

something but because of your own self

you are not going to get it and that is

so disheartening to hear the way to get

ahead of the curve to be the top of your

class to get the best grades is to learn

how to choose delayed gratification

first this is not a one-day process

you're not just going to instantly snap

and then become the top of your class it

does take work and it does take a lot of

discomfort mentally just to choose

delayed gratification because we live in

a world that is surrounded by so many

hits of dopamine so many quick fixes so

many things to distract you from what

you actually want to do but you have to

realize that you have to pick one over

the other or one of them will eventually

take over your life and you do want it

to be the delayed gratification so that

you can get a good degree get a good job

get a good house all of that these

things do take time but the first time

you do it because you haven't really

been doing it before it will take time

to get used to it you will have to trust

yourself that the work that you're doing

will end up in a good way so the early

mornings the late nights the sleeping

early the waking up early all of these

will be worth it in the end but how do

you actually change yourself though is

it possible this moves us to step two

which is small adjustments so as I said

before it is a small gradual change or

you'll just stop doing it I'm sure

you've done New Year's resolution before

when you set yourself the most highest

targets ever like I'm going to go gym

every day I'm going to study for like 5

hours every day do you end up doing it

you may do it for maybe a day or two or

maybe a week or maybe even a month but

after that you're never to be seen in

the gym again you're never to be seen

studying like that again and that's

because you can't instantly switch to

something that your body is not used to

it's just not going to work and you're

going to burn out you have to make small

changes which will ultimately make big

changes in your overall life and get you

to the top of your class and these are

the things that top students do day in

and day out it doesn't even take that

long it could take like 10 15 minutes to

do these things and if you do these

correctly this is a game Cher one of the

first things I recommend is understand

first take notes later the biggest

mistake I see a lot of people making and

I used to make this as well when I went

to class I would find it so stressful

because I would feel like the teacher is

speaking at like th000 mes per hour

there's so many slides there like slides

just changing changing changing and I

feel like it's a Race Against Time to

just write down everything but you

actually just need to stop and calm down

you have to realize that you actually

need to understand what is in class

before you write notes because if you

don't understand understand it you're

literally just going to write notes on

everything once you understand the topic

you do realize that when you write your

notes it's so much more condensed it's

much more simplified and it's basically

all you need to revise it's not just

copying the slide or copying the

textbook that's because you need to

comprehend what you're writing before

you write it otherwise you're just

wasting your time at that point what I

really recommend to do before your

classes is to read over the topic that

you're going to do you're probably going

to think this is going to take a long

time but honestly it could just be a

quick skim over the textbook making some

really basic notes that you add to in

the lessons and looking through the

potential exam questions that come up

for this topic this basically helps you

to pick out what actually matters and

what deserves to GR in your notes the

benefit of doing this especially is when

you're reading the textbook or watching

videos to understand the topic you can

basically go to the class and ask your

teacher the things that you don't

understand so this helps you to identify

any gaps of knowledge or understanding

and present them to your teacher so that

you can get ahead of the class and make

sure you don't leave anything behind

because it's always so hard to

understand things for the first time

when you're advising it's better to just

as you progress through the year and

that makes studying so much easier on

the long run trust me on that one the

second major major tip is to make the

shift from notes to flashcards and act

of revision I'm telling you now notes

are not going to save you not exam I

love those pages where I see the

calligraphy I see the word art I see the

different pictures and all of that it's

cute yes but will it save you in the

exam no it won't the truth is most of

the time the people who get the best

grades have like the messiest book like

it's just not really giving

aesthetically it's it's quite very basic

it's very condensed like it might have a

few colors in there some highlighters

but it's not like something that you

would post on Instagram it's basically

just notes and that is the purpose of it

when you think about it all of these

notes which are pretty yes it's nice

it's nice to look at at the end of the

day you can't take this pretty notebook

into the exam Hall you just take your

brain that's why it's important to focus

more on active revision especially from

the start of the year and start making

your resources from the very start after

each day or each few days you want to

start converting your lessons into flash

cards and what I mean by this is that

you don't need to make every single

slide every single point a flash card

only the things that seem examinable so

things that you think they could

actually ask you on don't include

anything that is not on your syllabus or

specification and to be honest this is

the part that takes the most time as a

student is prepping your resources and

that canally brings me to today's

sponsorship which is cify so if you

haven't heard of cify you are missing

out cify is the latest AI technology

which will basically help you become the

top student with the minimal amount of

work so as you guys know note taking Mak

R Vision flash cards these are the most

timeconsuming activities and ultimately

one of the most difficult parts of

learning it can take hours and hours and

at the end of it you might not even be

able to understand the content and that

is where kify comes in kify basically

condenses your notes can make exam

questions and can even make flash cards

with just a click of a button you know

how crazy that is guys that's actually

crazy all you need to do is drag the

content that you want to condense for

example if it's a few pages of a PDF you

can just drag this into the website and

then it basically creates a study guide

which condens Condes all of the

different parts of your notes into many

topics which makes it so much easier to

read and understand it also has key

takeaways which shows what really

matters in the topic subjects such as

biology or chemistry can be very

overwhelming you don't even know what

you need to know and there just a lot on

each page so having key takeaways

basically helps you to summarize the

content and know what truly matters and

what you should make sure that you

understand the most I think honestly the

most cool feature for me is the fact

that chifi can make exam style questions

as you guys know from all of my videos

exam style questions are the best way to

replicate the exam environment and

ultimately get the best grades in your

exam this not only consolidates the

information but also preps you so much

because basically makes unique exam

questions you probably haven't seen

before which are directly related to

your notes so it helps you to see if you

truly understand your note make sure to

check out cifi today and supercharge

your study sessions it is actually going

to be a game changer for this Academic

Year use the link in my description to

check it out so let's move on to another

key part of small adjustments so each

little test that you have in exams these

class tests these marks they may seem

unimportant or a bit annoying in

retrospect like why is my teacher sting

me this mock when I have my real exams

to revise for in 3 months I'm telling

you now these tests can make or break

your final exam the fact that they're in

exam conditions and you can't open your

textbook you can't open your notes shows

you exactly what is in your brain at

that moment and the mistakes that you're

always making if you make these mistakes

now and identify these gaps now this

basically helps you to understand what

you need to do before the exam in order

to get the maximum amount of R so see

this as like a checklist if you get zero

Mar on a question that topic needs help

and you need to go over that topic and

topic specific question but the problem

is a lot of people don't take these mock

seriously they don't revise for them

they just think it's not that deep and

that basically dampers your progress and

puts you at the back of the class

because you basically think that because

you have to revise for this big exam you

don't need to take this little one

seriously each one that you Revis for

basically consolidates the information

helps you to see your silly mistakes

that you might even make in the final

exam and just gets you one step closer

to getting the best grade possible so I

really recommend even though it seems

stressful in the time if you start to

take these tests seriously from the

start this means that you'll feel so

much more prepared for the actual exam

and how do you get ready for Mo I've

made a video before on how to make Tim

taes and I basically split this into an

everyday timetable for like the majority

of the year and an exam season timetable

this one will be more specific towards

mock season so when it comes to mock

season you want to see your grades check

the subjects that you've been struggling

in the most and then prioritize the ones

which need the most help by giving them

the most hours now step three is

discomfort so as you guys know if you

want to become an athlete if you want to

become an Olympian it's going to hurt a

little bit so let's say that you have

your average St an Olympic athlete who

is going to do better so the athlete is

ultimately going to be making these

changes to their life they're going to

be changing their diet they're going to

be training every day they're going to

be doing everything focused on their

next coming race the average is not

really going to be doing all of that but

then when it comes to the race who's

going to win The Olympian because

they've been doing these small changes

and I'm sure there's times that where

they feel tired they want to give up

they just have discomfort this means

that it's going to hurt and when you're

learning something when you're studying

there should be a degree of kind of

mental discomfort if you're always

studying the easiest topics ever you're

studying cell biology you're studying

addition you're studying basic algebra

all the time throughout the whole year

you're going to realize that this

comfort that you have from doing topics

that you like will ultimately lead to

your downfall like you will be in the

exam regretting oh why didn't I just

revise this why didn't I just try harder

but if you always make you have a degree

of discomfort you're always pushing

yourself to study topics that you're

doing the worst and that you're getting

the least marks and even though it feels

unbearable at the time you will thank

yourself so much more and every time you

do something that is kind of painful the

next time it gets less painful and it

gets more easier almost everything is so

much easier for you because you manage

to go through that discomfort before the

exam whenever you get a good grade do

you ever regret how much you revise for

it do you ever think oh like I can't

believe I revised that much for this

grade no you take the grade and you're

happy you don't even think about how

much you revised for it but when you get

a bad grade like you know those bad

grades when you see and you just your

eyes widen and you're like oh like I

wasn't expecting it to be that bad you

almost always regret how little you

studi through it or how you even revise

through it like your study methods the

way you revising when you're not taking

it seriously when you're studying with

friends and you guys are laughing all of

that and you don't want your final exams

to be like that that's why you always

need to push yourself like obviously

don't burn out don't push yourself

beyond your limits but you know when

you're in your comfort zone and you know

when you're stretching yourself to do

something that you wouldn't normally do

those moments are what will help you in

your final exam another thing is to

increase your study Focus time this is a

gradual process the way that I did it is

that I first started off with doing 25

minute pomodora session so I'll do 25

minute 5 minute break I'll do that four

times after the fourth time I'll give

myself a 30 minute break that was good

at first and once I realized that I

could do that and I could do that

consistently I then moved on to 40

minutes and then I'll take a 10 minute

break 40 minutes 10- minute break then I

moved on to 50 minutes and then you can

even move on to 1 2 hours if that is

what's meant for you me personally I

can't do 2 hours straight but for some

people that is possible in these 25

minutes I'm telling you your phone out

of sight out of mind or you have a app

such as forest or Flora which physically

blocks you from going on your app these

Focus times are to be taken seriously

it's not like a cute little oh let me

just look on Tik Tok at the side and do

flash cards no you're going to be

focused completely on those flash cards

in the moment nothing else one of the

most important things for becoming the

of your class is discipline motivation

will come and go most of the time you're

not going to feel motivated like I know

most of the time I come home I'm like G

I just want to sleep I just want to play

a game I just want to watch TV I don't

do work but if I listen to that side of

my brain do you think I'll be where I am

right now no I wouldn't if I study for 2

hours then I get to enjoy the rest of my

day if I study for 2 hours then I get to

play my game I get to watch my show I

get to become aead I get to understand

the class more I get to get an amazing

grade in the end that's what you should

be thinking about if you rely solely

your motivation you won't get where you

want to be and you'll probably live a

life of regret when you ask and talk to

people on their death bed they have so

many regrets of the things they didn't

do but they highly regret the things

that they actually did do what they

regret is things like I should have

started dancing I should have quit my

job I should have just did something

else those are the things that people

regret the things that they didn't do so

you don't want to regret in your older

years that oh I could have been here but

now I'm here because I didn't want to be

disciplined and there is mental

discipline like not going on your phone

that's actually quite hard so what I

recommend especially for the start is

physical discipline so your phone give

it to your friends give it to your mom

dad anyone or lock it away like

literally lock it away somewhere you

can't get it or it's very difficult for

you to get it or you can go to a library

go to a quiet zone go to somewhere where

it's almost embarrassing for you to be

on your phone for the whole day because

these places will force you to be in an

environment where people are productive

and people are doing the work put

yourself in a position where you have no

excuse but to do the work that you've

set out to do and that is what will

change everything for you so guys if you

make small changes to your daily life

like in this video you can go from being

in the middle of your class not getting

the graad that you want to becoming the

top of your class becoming the top of

the country and getting amazing Gra and

results I hope this video helps you and

if it does be sure to comment down below

and comment down below any other video

ideas that you'd like to see from me be

sure to like comment and subscribe I'll

see you guys later

[Music]

bye a