how to have your academic comeback
an outline from someone who is currently planning theirs.
note , this is more of an outline than a how-to
mindset is everything. get it in your head that youâre gonna have an academic comeback and that it will go successfully. that you will come out of it as the smartest, most dedicated, most organized, youâve ever been. do not doubt that you will achieve your end goal. the time for shame and regret is over, thereâs no need to dwell on past academic mistakes or failures. why? because the whole point of an academic comeback is redemption, isnât it? so donât beat yourself up while youâre simultaneously trying to make it up to yourself. harboring those feelings instead of forgiving yourself is ultimately unnecessary and a form of self sabotage. the more productive thing to do is to keep your mistakes in mind for the sole purpose of learning from and avoiding them, not because youâre punishing yourself. this is a new beginning, a new era. so give yourself a chance, envision a newer version of yourself. and know that you wonât just dream of it, youâll be it.
another thing to keep in mind is that this will not be something that will feel aesthetic or romanticized 100% of the time. be excited for the new version of yourself, but understand how to get there. the ideal version of yourself? where youâre the student you knew you could be but never have been? that can be you, yes, but know that it wonât take luck to get there, itâll take work. being the best student you can be is on the other side of discipline. donât be discouraged by this, find it a relief that you can become your desired version of yourself in a straightforward way. you can do this. so, be real with yourself. before you get any further with your academic comeback, understand what it will demand of you. your time, energy, focus, discipline, and dedication will be required and you must be ready to give it. thereâs no backing out, once youâve started you have to finish it. I say that because this is a form of showing up for yourself. only read this post if you seriously know that this is a process you will see to its end.
and finally, you must be ready to leave behind all of the unwanted bad habits that end up sabotaging your academic career. set the intention that all of the habits you know are slowing you down and arenât serving you will die, that you will be free from them. have it in your headspace that those arenât your habits anymore.
this academic comeback isnât a phase. the goal of the academic comeback that Iâve outlined in this post isnât for you to simply catch up and then fall right behind again. this isnât temporary. this is how youâll be operating academically from now on. this academic comeback sets out to unlock your potential, to make you the greatest student you can be. and not just for a semester. itâs about getting on top of things and then staying on top of things. there will be times where itâs especially hard to do that, but this time youâll have an easier time persisting through difficulties instead of caving to bad habits or defeat.
you got the mentality down, great, now immediately put your best efforts into catching up. being an academic weapon starts with eliminating your pile of missing assignments or conquering the concept you donât understand in one of your classes. after completing step one, that brings you to level zero. catching up on everything will bring you to level one. it will give you some progress, some momentum, and a clean slate. and it builds a good base for your academic comeback. at this stage, put more of your focus into catching up instead of immediately trying to be an academic weapon with upcoming assignments. digging yourself out of this hole is whatâs most important. and I donât mean to sound like Iâm saying âoh, just catch upâ like itâs something thatâs easy for everyone to do. sometimes it can be as simple as having missing assignments you havenât done because youâve procrastinated and not because you find them difficult. but other times, catching up can be easier said than done. there are more online resources than youâd think. people on youtube, tiktok, tumblr, and instagram have struggled with understanding the same concepts as you have. learn from them, seek out help. when youâre not understanding something, utilizing resources will be your best friend. this is why I said âput your best efforts into catching upâ, itâs about you trying more than anything else. you can work towards catching up, you got this.
step three : find what works
alright, youâve got a clean slate. nothing is weighing you down now. youâre all caught up and in doing so, youâve proven to yourself that youâre serious about this school year. itâs finally time to fully focus on being an academic weapon moving forward. this step is all about experimenting. this is where you try out the habits of your ideal self and all of your academic inspirations and see which ones you actually like. try out multiple routines, schedules, study systems, methods, etc to see which ones work best for you. and once you do find what sticks, be patient with yourself as you get used to it.
note, the experimentation stage should not last too long.
you have a routine down or maybe you alternate between a couple based on your energy levels. you found your favorite time of day to do homework and the environment you like to study in the most. youâve gone through study methods, some working some not, and now you know what technique is effective for each occasion. maybe youâve crafted the perfect schedule for yourself, tasks assigned to each hour of the day creating the most ideal productivity routine. or maybe youâre a lot more flexible but still get things done in an efficient manner that leaves you with enough time to recharge. this is what it looks like when youâve completed step three. you donât have to wonder what study routine would work best for you or if thereâs a better after school routine you could be doing. you already experimented, you already know. at the end of this step youâre locked in and on top of things, you got your school schedule down.
youâve settled into a rhythm, now itâs time to get your goals. make your goal clear. is it straight Aâs? is it to win an academic prize or competition? your goal can be as grand or as modest as you like, just keep them in mind. once youâve identified your goal(s), keep track of the answers to these questions:
â when would you like this goal to be achieved? (is there a certain date? the end of this month, semester, or school year? before fall, spring, winter break?)
â what things can you do routinely to help you achieve it by then? (what action can you take daily/weekly/monthly?)
â what is the reward for your dedication? (iâm not talking about what obviously comes out of the goal being fulfilled. if your goal is to ace a test the reward is not an A plus, itâs how you treat yourself. idgaf, rewarding yourself is a necessity!! even if the fulfillment of the goal is enough to satisfy you, reward your efforts!! you have no reason not to.)
want more for yourself, have a goal. i donât mean this in a toxic productivity harsh study motivation way that leads to burnout. i mean this in a way where you deserve to see yourself do the best you can do, to see yourself strive for things that are important to you.
step five : sustainability
again, the point of this is not to end up crashing and burning!! the goal is to be the best student you can be. and to ensure that, you need to 1. not go overboard and 2. routinely recharge yourself. do not overwhelm yourself with routines and systems. theyâre supposed to help you, and if theyâre doing more harm than good then drop them. your academic comeback doesnât need to be anything too fancy or complicated. at the end of the day itâs about whatâs functional.
do whatever you can to make keeping up with school and being an academic weapon something sustainable. make sure you give yourself enough time in the day to have a break. have days dedicated to pleasure and rest. donât be cruel to yourself. donât deny yourself what makes you happy. this doesnât have to be something you hate, being an academic weapon doesnât have to be grueling. ask yourself regularly, âhow can i make this something easy for me to keep doing?â you donât have to give up what you love for your academic comeback, you just need to make room for both. balance is what will keep you from burning out.
the defrosting of the academic weapon
and there you have it, an outline on how to have an academic comeback. itâs more on the vague side but thatâs mainly because I want it to be applicable for everyone. take this outline and customize it to your liking âĄ. these are the steps Iâm going to take, let me know if this also works for you! you can send any feedback in my inbox.
