5 Simple Steps For A+ Grades
My name’s Mike and I’m the guy behind the ProjectElon YouTube channel. I started
ProjectElon because I spent years struggling as an under-performing student. It seemed
no matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to get mediocre-to-failing grades in school.
After several difficult years, I finally figured it out and I graduated at the TOP of my class
with a BSc Economics & Finance degree.
To be brutally honest with you, when it came to studying, I was pretty lazy most of my
life. I struggled with procrastination and an inability to concentrate all the way up until I
was 18 years old.
I failed exam after exam and even when I passed, it was far below the “average” grade.
This resulted in rejection letters from ALL of my first-choice universities. And then my
second choice, and my third and so on.
I’ll never forget the day I realized I couldn’t let things continue on as they were.
Something had to change.
That was the day I made myself a promise. I would NEVER QUIT! I would do whatever
it took to succeed!
I was going to graduate from university and I was going to graduate from any school I
wanted to.
On that day I made a decision to LEARN how to study and how to apply what I learned.
After that day, I was on a mission to literally ​learn how to learn​.
I proceeded to study EVERYTHING I could about studying and learning. I read books, I
watched YouTube videos, I paid for online courses and I even got myself a mentor. I
was 100% committed!
I also joined every educational online forum I could find. I made friends with students
from all over the world. I listened and learned how they got A+ grades in every subject.
They shared the mistakes they made along the way so that I, and many others could
avoid those same mistakes. I studied and applied countless cognitive-enhancement
techniques and methods. Stuff like Pomodoro, Fenyman, Mnemonics, and many, many
others.
After 2
​ full years of doing this​ I mustered the courage to reach out to my first-choice
university and ask if I could re-apply. This might sound like an easy thing to do for some
people, but it wasn’t easy at all for me.
After a lot of meetings and discussions, they reluctantly accepted me…on probationary
terms of course. But that didn’t matter…I was in!
I wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste, so I studied and applied ALL that I had
learned in the previous 2 years. It wasn’t an easy road. Real talk…it was the most
difficult thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.
But all of that hard work paid off…because after 3 years, ​I graduated!
Not only did I graduate from university, I graduated in the ​TOP 5%​ of the entire senior
class! I even achieved a ​first-class degree​, which in the United States is equivalent to
a ​4.0 GPA​.
On top of that, I’d learned how to study so time-efficiently that I ​built and ran two
businesses​ while I was going to school full-time! This allowed me to save enough
money to travel the world for 3 months every year.
I spent time in 6 different countries, including some of my favorites like Morocco, the
Netherlands, and Vietnam.
So how was I able to go from failing almost every single class and exam I took to
graduating in the top 5% of my entire class?
Well that’s what I’m going to share with you right here.
I know it’s nearly impossible for someone to get better at studying if you tell them; “just
be more motivated” or “just study harder.” If it was that simple and easy, you probably
wouldn't feel the need to be reading this right now!
My point is, what we really need are actionable steps. Practical things we can do each
day to help us stay ​motivated while studying harder and smarter!
When I started my educational journey, I didn’t have any of these. It took me years of
failing over and over again before I was able to get to where I wanted to be. What I’m
about to share with you is what finally allowed me to graduate at the top of my class.
I condensed everything I learned into 5 simple steps I call ​The ProjectElon 5​.
These 5 steps will boost your deep-focus ability while studying any subject. They’ll
dram​atically reduce the amount of time you spend procrastinating throughout the day
and you’ll see a marked improvement when it comes to your time-management and
organizational skills.
Your memorization will also dramatically improve. Basically you’ll be able to study any
subject, but more importantly you’ll be able to LEARN anything you want!
If I can ask for one thing while you’re reading these 5 steps, please, read it with an open
mind. Do not set self-imposed limitations on yourself. You can’t change the past, but
you CAN change the future.
Just because you’ve been getting average grades your whole life, it doesn’t mean that it
has to continue that way. I’ve done it myself. I destroyed my self-imposed limitations
and stopped studying like an average student and started studying like an A-grade
student. And the rest is history.
There’s something that I want to emphasize here. This is a super important part of the
learning and motivation to study process.
It’s the one thing that took YEARS for me to truly understand. That was because, for
most of my life...I kept playing self-defeating “​mental tapes​” - over and over again in my
head. But I’m here to tell you that:
You can achieve anything you put your mind to!
Please don’t put limitations on your talents and abilities. The reality is that you can’t
change the past, but you CAN change the future. YOUR future!
Just because you’ve been getting “​average​” or even “​far below average​” grades your
entire life, doesn’t mean you’re forever destined to get those grades!
Trust me. For most of my academic life, I’ve let that belief suck the motivation and
desire to excel completely out of me. That very belief and thought process is what kept
me down for years.
But as soon as I stopped allowing those self-limiting “​mental tapes​” to play in my head.
As soon as I just BELIEVED in myself and my abilities, I stopped studying like an
average student and started studying like a A+ student.
#1) S
​ et Daily Goals / Become a Professional
I’m a very goal driven person. If I set a goal, I’ll do everything in my power to reach it. I
wasn’t always this way.
I had to train myself to hit my goals - every single day. This was the very first thing I did
that really helped me stay focused and fight off procrastination.
The one mental trick that really got my brain to start treating my daily goals like they
mattered was what I call "Becoming a Professional." This applied to any learning
specific goal you have. Whether you're studying for the bar exam, high school
chemistry exam, or economics 101...it's all the same.
For me, Becoming a Professional meant I treated all of my college courses like a
full-time job. That meant studying for at least 51 hours a week.
Every week I studied 8 hours a day from Monday to Saturday. I even did 3 hours every
Sunday. This did include class time.
For example if my Monday goal was to study for 8 hours altogether and I had 4 hours of
classes during the day, then I’d just have to make up the other 4 hours doing private,
independent study.
If I procrastinated and didn’t make up the 4 hours of independent study on Monday,
then I’d add those extra 4 hours to Tuesday’s goal. So Tuesday I’d be responsible for 8
hours of study + 4 hours of EXTRA study time. It wasn’t easy, but I did it!
I had to, because I was a “professional student.” That meant my JOB was to study and
learn.
Honestly, I rarely had to do 12 hour days after a while once I realized how pointless it
was to procrastinate and waste time. I’d eventually learned to force myself to do the
extra hours on the days I was supposed to. After a while things started to click and I
wound up always sticking to my schedule and hitting my daily goals.
The reason why setting goals was so effective for me was because consistency is so
important while studying – and for any kind of success outside of studying.
#2) K
​ eep a Fixed Sleeping Pattern
To function optimally, most of us need between 6 - 8 hours of sleep. If we sleep less
than that amount each night, research shows us that our cognitive ability begins to
deteriorate rather quickly.
While attending university, I discovered I was far more productive in the morning. Prior
to making a decision to get into my chosen university, I usually went to sleep around
3am every night.
Part of my commitment to study and learn more effectively was to change what time I
went to sleep. I started going to bed at 10pm and waking up at 6am every day of the
week - including Sunday.
I stuck to this routine no matter what. I knew if I started going to bed at 11pm, my
bedtime would easily creep up to 12pm, then 1am and so on.
I also started a m
​ orning routine​. Immediately after I woke up, I’d go straight to the
gym. This would ensure I’d get my workout in before my self-imposed 7:30am daily
library study-time.
I was almost always the first student to walk through the library doors in the morning. It’s
funny because the morning library security and staff got to know me. So even if I
decided to work in a coffee shop rather than the library that morning, they’d jokingly ask
why I wasn’t there the day before!
On a psychological level, my morning routine empowered me. The fact that I was
studying so early in the morning, while everyone else was asleep, motivated me a lot!
Every morning, I just focused on doing the hardest part first - getting out of bed. Once I
was up and out of bed, I simply followed the morning routine I began to know so well.
This freed me from the stress and anxiety brought on by procrastination. I’m not saying I
was perfect. Sure I still waited too long to start working on projects sometimes, but it
was only 5% of the procrastination that had plagued me for so many years.
By the time classes started at 9am (sometimes 10am or 11am), I’d already completed at
least 1.5 hours of my 8-hour daily goal. If my classes started at 11am then I would’ve
already completed 3.5 hours of my 8-hour goal.
I realized the more productive I was in the morning, the earlier I could finish studying
which meant the more free time I had to focus on other things.
This is how I was able to spend so much time focusing on building online businesses.
Consequently these businesses were what allowed me to travel the world for 3 months,
every year. All while taking a full course load at school.
Sleep is something most students struggle with, especially in college. That’s when we
really have the freedom to go to sleep whenever we want.
Lack of sleep dramatically decreases how well the human brain retains information. It
also drains the body of energy and ability to focus, and this is one of the biggest
reasons procrastination is such a problem for students.
Honestly, going to bed at the same time every night mainly just takes self-discipline. Ask
yourself, how badly do you want it?
Would you rather watch another episode on Netflix or get to bed on time so you can
wake up refreshed in the morning? Which are you going to prioritize? Netflix or your
study and learning goals?
It really is that simple.
If you can’t get to sleep at 10pm, then try going to bed at 11:30pm, and the next day go
to bed at 11pm. Gradually, week by week your body will start adapting to going to sleep
earlier.
The good news is that as time goes on, it gets easier. Once it becomes a habit, going to
bed early just becomes second nature. You won’t even have to think about it.
My suggestion is to try this, and I mean really commit to this...for 1 month. Even if you’re
not 100% perfect at going to sleep at the exact same time every night.
I promise you that you’ll start to change your body clock for the better. This’ll help you
be more clear-headed and focused and ready to study harder and smarter every day.
#3) Create a Comfortable, Quiet Study Environment
Before going to university, I never had my very own, dedicated study space. Before
college I studied everywhere; my bedroom, at school, and coffee shops.
Once I decided to be serious about learning how to study, I realized how important it is
to have a dedicated workspace. Focusing on creating a private, quiet and individual
study space changed the way I studied! It took away all of the distractions that I didn’t
even realize were keeping me from studying as well as I could have.
Here are a few study-environment pointers I put together for you.
If possible, you should not study in your bedroom. There are too many distractions,
especially if your bed is right behind you!
The best is a desk in the corner of the quietest section of the library. Pick any desk you
want. It’s totally up to you. Just make sure it’s not located somewhere where people can
walk by and distract you.
If you’re like me, then you get distracted super easily by background noise such as
people talking, other people’s music or anything else that makes a sound. I’m super
sensitive to that, so I bought a nice pair of active noise cancelling headphones. I highly
recommend you buy some - if your budget allows for it of course!
The reason having a dedicated study space is important is because once you get there,
you know it’s game time! It’s time to put in some studying and work!
There’s scientific evidence showing that the human brain associates certain
environments with certain activities. For example, studies show that if you study in bed,
your brain will not function at the same level it would if you studied somewhere where
you didn’t sleep.
Sure, your ability to concentrate and focus might only be hindered by 10%-20%, but
why would anybody want that?
Sometimes having our own study space is a luxury. Maybe the library is closed or you
have to study at home where there’s a ton of extended family staying over. Maybe you
have to study in your room because it’s the only option? That happens sometimes.
In that case, you should turn your desk away from your bed so it’s not in front of you.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Unplug the TV or even better, take it out of your room. Turn your phone off. Put your
headphones on. Create your own, dedicated, private study space.
And finally, if you don’t have your own study area, buy a study lamp. Put it on your desk
and only turn it on when you are studying. This little trick will train your brain to
associate the study lamp with a dedicated focus and concentration time.
If you lose your concentration while studying, quickly turn the light off. Get up, leave
your desk and walk around. Then come back and start studying again.
This might sound crazy but I’m telling you…it WORKS!
The more you do it, the more automatic it will become too.
#4) Practice With Past Exam Papers
This strategy is my ​secret weapon​. It’s what finally allowed me to get exceptional
grades!
I call it my “​secret weapon​ ” because most of my classmates didn’t even know about this
strategy and even if they did, they almost never used it!
There are a ton of reasons why studying old papers and exams help prepare you for
future tests. Here are a few:
- Helps identify key subjects and topics for you to focus on when studying
- Identifies exam patterns and lines of questioning
- Gives you an idea of how much time is required for each question
- Shows which types of questions are likely to show up; multiple choice, short answer,
essay, etc.
- Highlights weaknesses in specific subject areas which shows you exactly what subject
areas to focus on
This study strategy will exponentially increase your ability to ​prepare​ for what’s on the
next exam. If you study previous exams enough, you’ll almost know exactly what to
expect for your next test.
For me the single most beneficial aspect of this strategy was that it helped me
understand what topics were almost certainly going to show up in an exam.
Even though I majored in Economics & Finance, I had to take a bunch of classes that
weren’t part of my core curriculum. Amazingly enough, this strategy worked for every
single class I took!
This worked every time because I studied all the previous exams from a certain
professor. I’d notice trends - trends meaning the same type of questions would pop-up
over and over again. Sometimes even the exact same question would be used again.
This saved me a TON of precious study time because I’d spend substantially less time
on the topics that had a low probability of showing up on a future test. Therefore I could
spend a lot more time on higher probability subject areas.
Remember, getting exceptional grades is not all about studying hard. It’s about studying
hard AND studying smart. You need to make sure that the material that you’re learning
is relevant to the exam you’re going to be taking, and past papers help keep you
focused on the topics that really matter.
#5) Eat Healthily and Exercise Daily
This is a guide on how to significantly improve your grades. So what has having a good
diet and exercise got to do with your grades?
These 5 steps were created to help you optimize your ​daily habits​ and exponentially
increase your ​cognitive performance​.
What you consume directly affects how you feel during the day. Eating junk food floods
your blood with sugar. This causes a noticeable spike in insulin which almost
immediately increases energy and focus. You’ll “feel good” - for a little while.
But the second your blood sugar drops, you’ll experience an insulin dump, and you’ll be
left feeling lethargic and slow.
More importantly, this will dramatically decrease your cognitive acumen. So much so
that laser-like focus and concentration are almost impossible. This exact scenario has
been proven over and over in clinical settings.
Your brain is the most complex part of your body. It operates like a computer, running
millions of processes every day.
If you don’t fuel your brain properly, it will have a severely negative affect on your ability
to study and learn.
Supplying your brain with nutritious, healthy foods will help you think clearer, memorize
material easier, and ultimately allow you to get the grades you want.
Eating protein-rich foods such as fish, eggs, chicken, beef and even nuts will fuel your
brain. This will help you study better and it will also improve your mood.
Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, such as berries and pomegranates delay
and even prevent the negative effects associated with aging of the brain. Foods that are
high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, sardines, oysters, avocados, flax and chia
have been found to enhance cognition and improve overall mental health.
Daily exercise will energize your body and kick-start your brain into action. Exercise
releases endorphins which are natural antidepressants. They reduce stress and anxiety.
This is always a good thing, but for a student this is especially helpful when it’s exam
time.
Just one hour of vigorous exercise per day will help you to focus better when you study.
When I was in school, I used to hit the gym for an hour each morning.
This mentally and physically prepared me for the day that lay ahead. It put me in a good
and productive mood. I was ready to accomplish whatever was in front of me!
To achieve success, whether it’s with your studies or with a future career, you’ll need a
solid foundation of productive habits. They will help you stay motivated while you strive
for greatness.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. The 5 steps that worked for me that took me from failing my exams
to graduating in the top 5% of the university.
If you've read this far, you obviously have the desire and the drive to significantly
improve your grades, too.
As I mentioned earlier, do not set self-imposing limitations on yourself. The excuse of
“I’m not clever enough” is a self-fulling prophecy.
If you believe that, then your results will reflect that. And honestly, I thought the same
way. I thought I wasn’t capable of achieving A or B grades - yet here I am.
And now it’s your turn​...