How to Crush the New School Year 💪

Hey y’all,

Sorry for the delay with this week’s newsletter! I was on a roll for the past eight weeks... tough. I’ll do my best to stick to the usual Monday schedule from here on out.

Before I jump into this week’s newsletter, I want to address two things:

First, welcome to all the new subscribers! You’re currently reading the Studious Student, which is my weekly newsletter that covers studying, productivity, and college admissions. (Maybe I’ll start covering personal finance and health content at some point as well.)

Second, I’m hosting my first IRL meetup in New York City! 🥳 If you live in the area and you’re free this Saturday from 5 to 8 PM ET, come stop by. You can RSVP and find details here.

Alright, now that we’ve got that covered—this week’s newsletter is about the new school year, which is right around the corner. Here are some tips to help you make it your best year yet.

Tip #1: You’re Not Who You Were Last Year

Chances are you’re taking harder courses this year than you did last year. And it totally makes sense if you feel a little bit intimidated or nervous.

But I’ve noticed that students tackle this feeling in one of two ways. Some approach it with a fixed mindset, whereas others approach it with a growth mindset. Having that growth mindset is critical if want to do well this school year.

A growth mindset is when you believe that you can develop your intelligence and abilities through hard work. For example, let's say you get a C on a test. You don't see that as a setback, but rather, as an opportunity to improve your study habits and get a better grade on that next exam.

A fixed mindset, on the other hand, is when you believe your intelligence and abilities are set in stone. For example, if you get a C on a test, you simply see that as the way the world works and you don't do anything because you feel like there's nothing you can do.

Luckily, if you are reading this newsletter, that means that you have a growth mindset. You believe that you can do better with the advice I’m giving.

Tip #2: Declutter

Honestly, this one’s pretty fun.

You're going to declutter in two stages. First, you're going to declutter your digital workspace, and then you're going to declutter your physical workspace.

To declutter your digital workspace, you’re going to clean out your Google Drive, delete old files from your computer, empty out your email inbox.

To declutter your physical space, you’re going to get rid of any garbage that might be on your desk or your backpack. I also recommend getting a desk organizer so if you're ever at your desk and your backpack's far away, you don't have to trudge across your room to grab your stationery.

Tip #3: Reduce the Noise

You need to eliminate any distractions that can hold you back this year.

First, open up your phone and delete any apps that are wasting your time. And don't do this based on a vibe check. Go into your screen time and see which apps you're spending most of your time on every single week.

If you don’t want to delete them, I recommend that you at least set some time limits.

If you want to go one step further, I also recommend that you use focus mode on your iPhone, which lets you block notifications from certain apps and people for a given amount of time.

And if you want to go even further, you could enable grayscale mode to make your phone less appealing to use, though I’ve heard mixed results with this method.

Tip #4: Create an Organization System

Going into the new school year, you need to have a place to keep track of your academic and extracurricular responsibilities.

However, not all organization systems are equal. In fact, I believe there are four levels. The level that’s the best fit for you depends on your workload and personal preference.

Level one is using a pen and a notebook. Many people don’t think this is enough, but really, at the core of any good productivity system is having a place to list your responsibilities and track what you’ve done.

A simple to-do list in a notebook does just that.

Level two is using a digital to-do list. This is where you'd want to use an app like Todoist or the Reminders app on your iPhone.

Level three is using a calendar app like Google Calendar. The benefit of a calendar app is that you can track your tasks and also see when you’re going to do those tasks. I highly recommend using a calendar app if you're an upperclassman because you’re probably juggling a ton of commitments.

Level four is using a productivity app like Notion to create an operating system for your life. This is a digital system that allows you to track assignments, exams, extracurriculars, your fitness routine, your finances, your college applications, and so much more.

I'm soon releasing my own Notion template, which will be the ultimate system for students who want to stay organized and get ahead in every aspect of their lives. If you want to be notified when it comes out, join the waitlist.

Tip #5: Study When You Don’t Have To

If you study only when you have to, you’ll barely study some weeks and cram nonstop during others. This constant fluctuation can feel taxing as a student.

But if you instead study the same amount every single week, even when you don't have to study, you will feel so much calmer.

For example, if you don't have a lot of stuff to study one week, just read ahead. This way, when the time comes to study a lot, you won’t have to worry because you’ve already read ahead.

So while your friends might experience a roller coaster of academic stress, you’ll maintain a steady, composed approach and do just as well, if not better.

What did you think about this newsletter? DM me on Instagram (@goharsguide) to let me know!

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

And if you need help with the SAT, enroll in my SAT Bootcamp! You’ll learn how to crush every part of the exam with expert instruction from 99th-percnetile scorers.