how to level up as a student in 2024

Hey y’all,

Hope the new year is off to a great start! I’m hoping to bring this newsletter back in life in 2024—it’s been a good few months since the last edition of the Studious Student, haha.

And just in case you forgot what this newsletter is about: my goal is to share my best learnings from high school and college to help you become the best student you can possibly be.

With that, let’s jump into this week’s topic: leveling up in 2024.

Look, I could sit here, dole out ten different study tips, and call it a day. But if you want to succeed as a student in 2024, I think it’s important to focus on more than just academics. This year, I want you to focus on these three pillars:

1. Academics

2. Fitness

3. Finances

📚️ Academics

If you want to become a better student, you can’t just focus on study techniques. You also have to pay attention to your study environment. Take some time in these next few weeks to “reset” your study space by decluttering your desk, cleaning up your backpack, and organizing your locker.

Create a space that’s conducive your workflow and encourages you to do your best work. While some students can work in almost any environment, I think the vast majority of us would benefit from a distraction-free space that has all of our necessities.

I also encourage you to pay attention to your digital environment. Back in college, my Google Drive would become a cluttered mess every few months. I recommend you take an hour or so to delete unnecessary files and organize everything into color-coded folders.

And just in case you’re not sure how to color-code folders in Google Drive, here’s how:

I also recommend you create an after-school routine if you haven’t already. Coming home from school and jumping onto your couch is a surefire way to deplete yourself of any motivation to start your work. An after-school routine will keep you in check, helping you avert an endless scrolling session.

Here’s a simple routine you can follow:

1. Come home from school and relax for 15 minutes.

2. Spend 15 minutes creating a to-do list for the day.

3. Complete a 30-minute study session.

4. Eat dinner.

5. Complete a two-hour study session.

💪 Fitness

Alright, if you follow my stuff, I know you’re incredibly studious and care about school—but it’s just as important to care about your physical wellbeing.

Numerous studies highlight the benefits of getting 10-15 minutes of sunlight each morning, doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio each day, and lifting weights a couple times a week.

To be honest, I only started prioritizing sunlight after I watched a clip from Andrew Huberman’s podcast where he talks about morning sunlight exposure. Quick morning walks have been an absolute gamechanger for my mood and energy throughout the day.

As for weight training, I started following a simple PPL routine back in college.

And as for cardio, I’m still trying to work that into my routine. Maybe this is the year I start running?

💰️ Finances

This is about to be the year that you secure the bag. I’m going to keep my advice pretty brief. I want you to:

1. Start budgeting

2. Start investing

Conventional wisdom suggests that you follow the “50/30/20 Rule.” According to this rule, you should put 50% of your money towards needs, 30% towards wants, and 20% towards savings.

If you’re younger, however, you probably don’t have that many needs. Put that extra cash towards savings.

And finally, start investing. Over the past couple years, I’ve started investing some money into index funds, such as VOO and VTI. I won’t go any further since I’m not sure if this is relevant, especially if you’re one of my younger viewers, haha.

Hope that was helpful! I know you’re about to absolutely crush it in 2024.

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