May 28
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officially reached that point in the semester where I am skipping lectures to study for my exams
2026.05.09.
It's over!! I'll never have to do math if I don't want to! I think I got a really good grade too.
studying cause good grades match my aesthetic
- went for a run in the morning
- had 2 lectures today (for compsci and quantum mechanics)
- finished off my compsci assignment
- did a practice test for my test in 2 days
- prepared for a meeting tmr
(20 April 2026)
how i accidentally became competitive about studying and it's the best thing ever
this is gonna sound absolutely unhinged but i'm genuinely addicted to climbing the leaderboard on my study app and it's done more for my grades than any amount of parental pressure ever did.
let me explain lmao.
i used to open my textbook, stare at it, feel my soul leave my body, and then dissociate on youtube for three hours. studying felt impossible and lonely and like screaming into the void with zero feedback on whether i was even doing it right.
then leaderboards entered the chat and suddenly studying became a GAME.
every problem i solve gives me points. every lesson completed makes my rank go UP. that notification saying "you jumped from 156th to 98th!" hits SO different than any grade weeks later. it's immediate, it's visible, it's happening NOW.
and here's where it gets fun: i started recognizing usernames at the top. there's this person "ChemistryNerd2024" who's ALWAYS top 5 and honestly they're my nemesis slash inspiration. don't know them, probably never will, but their existence pushes me to do better. it's like having an anime rival except we're fighting with physics problems.
the app breaks leaderboards down by subject so i can see where i'm crushing it (english lit babyyy) and where i'm dying (math why do you hate me). instead of general anxiety i have SPECIFIC data on what needs work. vague dread becomes actual strategy.
oh and there are REAL PRIZES. weekly winners get free premium stuff. monthly champions win tablets. annual top performers get SCHOLARSHIPS. i'm not studying for some abstract future, i'm competing for stuff i can win TODAY.
plot twist: the app rewards consistency not cramming. it's not about one all nighter, it's about daily streaks and sustainable habits. i'm on day 47 and lowkey terrified of breaking it which means i study even on lazy days.
another plot twist: i've made friends?? there's a chat feature and some top students share tips and we've formed this weird supportive community. studying isn't lonely anymore it's actually... social??
who knew competitiveness could be channeled into productivity. not me but i'm SO here for it.
ultimate test prep checklist: the day before
a few years back, i made a checklist to help keep me on track for major testing days. it helped a lot, so just decided to share it!
☐ get at least 7 hours of sleep before your test. for teenagers, get at least 8-9 hours. make sure you don't oversleep, though; you can end up groggy on testing day. i've said this once and i'll say it again: good sleep is crucial for test scores. avoid stupid mistakes as much as possible.
☐ eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast. go for fruits, oats, eggs- whatever can keep you awake & alert throughout the day without making you crash from a sugar high.
☐ don't continue cramming on the night before. it sounds counterintuitive, but anything you do the night before will only make you more agitated the next day + won't even matter, since one day of studying doesn't make much difference. instead, focus on getting a good night's sleep.
☐ stay hydrated. don't underestimate how much hydration can affect your concentration. a general rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces.
☐ organize your materials. no one wants to show up on testing day and realize their calculator died. make sure you pack everything you need and might need (better be safe than sorry), including chargers, extra pencils, and your notes.
☐ always arrive five minutes early. you want to have time to set your materials up and have advance notice in case anything goes wrong. start your test on a good note.
☐ do a light review a few hours before. do not cram. just review your notes, go over the concepts in your brain. now is not the time to ask questions about concepts you're confused about.
☐ stay confident & calm. you got this! one test won't be the end of everything. remain calm throughout the test and DO NOT PANIC. panicking will make everything worse- stay calm and skip questions you don't understand. you can always go back to them afterwards.
and that's a wrap! hopefully you all found this useful.
i've also created a google docs you can print out, which can be accessed here:
☐ get at least 7 hours of sleep before your test. for teenagers, get at least 8-9 hours. make sure you don't oversleep, though; you can end
test-taking strategies, part 4 - full series here!