5 habits that’ll make you a better student

Hey y’all,

I have a question. What’s the first thing you do when you come home from school?

Do you jump right into work? Do you grab something to eat? Do you go on your phone?

How you spend those first few minutes at home can dictate your productivity for the rest of the day. And that leads me to my first habit…

⏰ Habit 1: Create an After-School Routine

You need to be in control of your time as soon as you get home from school. Otherwise, you might get distracted and find yourself delaying your work for hours.

Your routine doesn’t need to be anything fancy. It just needs to put you in the right state (both mentally and physically) to tackle your work.

Here’s a sample routine that’s pretty similar to what I followed back in high school and college:

1. Relax for 10-15 minutes. I don’t expect anyone to jump right into work after a long day of classes. Spend the first few minutes after school recharging, and set a timer. As soon as your 15 minutes are up, jump to the next step.

2. Get organized. Spend the next few minutes preparing for your work. Take a look at your calendar, update your to-do list, and get all your study materials out on your desk.

3. Grab food: I don’t recommend working while hungry. Grab dinner—or at least a small snack—before jumping into your first real study session.

📚 Habit 2: Evenly Distribute Everything

Back in high school, I couldn’t stand the feeling of doing work at the last minute. Early in my sophomore year—which is when I enrolled in my first few AP classes—I got into the habit of evenly distributing all of my work.

For example, if I had seven days to do a 70-page AP Psych reading, I’d read ten pages every day.

If I had three days to do 24 problems for AP Gov, I’d complete eight problems each day.

Implementing this habit takes a bit of discipline, and truthfully, some may recommend different approaches (for example, dedicating certain days of the week to certain classes), but this is what worked best for me.

Also, many of you may have heard about the study technique known as “interleaving.” Evenly distributing your work will make it a lot easier to implement.

🧠 Habit 3: Confront Your Knowledge Gaps

Of all the habits I’m covering in this email, this is the one that’s hardest to implement—but the one that will yield outsized benefits.

The idea of “confronting your knowledge gaps” is less a concrete habit and more of a mindset. Here’s the basic idea: if you’re only vaguely familiar with a certain concept, then study it. Don’t try to convince yourself you understand more than you do.

For example, don’t try to convince yourself that incorrect answers on an exam are just “dumb mistakes.” Look at your errors and drill down. Retrace your thinking, review the concept, and even redo the question.

This might sound obvious, but I can’t emphasize just how easy for students to gloss over their weaknesses.

And this is a habit I’m trying to implement outside of school as well! For example, whenever I’m reading a book for fun, I will pause every few pages and ask myself about what I just read. If I’m confused about even a tiny detail, I’ll go back and refresh myself.

🙋‍♂️ Habit 4: Ask for What You Want

I’m excited to talk about this habit because it will unlock an abundance of opportunities in your life.

Now you’re subscribed to this newsletter, chances are you care about college admissions. And you’re probably well aware that extracurriculars have a significant impact on your admissions chances.

In my opinion, the most intriguing extracurriculars are those that students have to ask for—opportunities they need to go out and seize for themselves.

Think job shadowing, research, or even getting an internship. The students who get these opportunities probably have to send out dozens, if not hundreds, of cold emails. They might have to ask teachers, counselors, or even friends for help.

Some of the most interesting people you know are just a DM away. Leverage this to carve out an exciting path for yourself.

🎨 Habit 5: Do Something You Enjoy Every Day

As your classes get harder and you take on more responsibilities, it’s important to step back and enjoy the world around you. Otherwise, you might burn out.

I want you to get into the habit of doing something you enjoy every single day.

The activity doesn’t need to be something time-consuming or grand. Something small like reading, listening to music, or even going for a walk are all valid options.

Intersperse the demands of life with the little things that make you happy.

Hope that was helpful! Also, if you enjoy these newsletters and would like to see them more consistently, DM me on Instagram to let me know (@goharsguide). Would love to hear your thoughts!

If you want additional study advice, come join my Discord! We have a global community of students helping each other succeed in school. Would love to see you there.

And if you need help with college applications, check out Next Admit! We have a team of Ivy League consultants eager to help you navigate the admissions process.

I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar