When you have the right system in place, it’s dramatically easier to get good grades than bad grades.

I know that’s pretty hard to believe but it’s a decision it’s taken be years to finally come to. It will make sense soon.

Have you ever worked hard on something for class just to be disappointed by the grade?

Have you ever slacked off on something for class just to be pleasantly surprised by the grade? (Even if it’s just one time.)

Most students have had this experience and it’s telling.

9 out of 10 of the student’s I’ve worked with start by cutting down their study time to improve their grades. I almost take it as a given these days. If a student is looking for help then they probably spend plenty of time and effort working towards their goal.

The problem isn’t the effort.

The problem is the system.

How To Get Miserable Grades And Hate The Process

Most parents and teachers have a misguided approach of “helping” students improve their grades.

They encourage mediocre study strategies (that science has deemed subpar for the last decade or so) that just distract the student from learning and applying effective study strategies.

When a student spends “an hour per credit hour” or “two hours per class hour,” that student will have one of two problems.

Problem 1: They’ll be worn down within the first week of a full class load.

Professors give insane “time requirements” that SHOULD NOT BE FOLLOWED. They’re ridiculous and dangerous for your grades and motivation.

If you go all out and try to follow through with these study routines then it makes sense you feel worn out and sick of class.

(The worst part is you’re made to feel guilty for not following through with these idiotic standards.)

Problem 2: You’re not focused on it.

Okay… Maybe you can sit with your class work for two hours a night without getting worn out. That’s not hard if you don’t pay much attention to the class work.

It’s easier to sit with class material listening to music or texting your friends.

The problem is you’re probably studying like crap.

Given the choice, which do you prefer?

1. Sitting with your textbook and kind of sort of studying for two hours.
2. Working HARD for fifteen minutes a night to get the same grades.

This is the choice you’re given everyday.

Teachers often try to guilt you into option 1.

Option 2 is where you’ll surprise yourself.

Turn Yourself Into A Genius In Fifteen Minutes A Day

Real studying is difficult like a good workout.

It feels amazing but it wears you out.

You can’t expect to study effectively for hours every single night. It’s better to set up a reasonable system that you can follow through with.

By setting a reasonable system you can do consistently, you allow yourself to use your own genius to interpret the results.

You don’t have to track your ”discipline” if you make it so simple that you never skip it. It can be made a non-issue.

Once you act consistently, you can watch your results.

Then it just comes down to the most simple form of the scientific method.

Do something.

Watch the results.

If you like the results, continue doing it.

If you don’t like the results, do something else.

Take note: this is completely impossible if you have an inconsistent study routine.

You can’t track the results with your actions when you don’t know exactly what you did you get them.

Consistency is the simplifier.

Studying for 15 minutes every single day is dramatically more effective than studying inconsistently for just about any length of time. (This is the concept I developed the 15 Minute Study Strategy around.)

It’s Not Easy To Suck This Bad…

Really… Do you think getting terrible grades is easy?

I think you’re leaving out a few important details.

Students that get terrible grades regularly struggle to get those grades because the system is designed to make them suffer.

Getting a bad grade often results in a lecture, or a snarky note, or at least a little bit of embarrassment.

These bad grades suck.

No one likes getting them and they just make life more difficult.

Some students try to brush it off with “I don’t care” and other BS but somewhere in their gut, they feel it. The world teaches them that smart students get good grades. Those low scoring students feel disappointment. I know this because I was in the same position myself.

I used to suffer immensely while hiding behind a too-cool-to-care attitude. Inside, it’s a bit of a bummer.

To make up for my disappointment, I had to create a whole new view of the world where teachers didn’t like me and I just didn’t care enough to get good grades. (It’s not like grades matter anyway? Right? :P)

When students try to improve their grades, they use those terrible strategies that teachers recommend.

Students spend hours and hours studying while barely making any progress because they’re too damn stressed out about it. Two hours into studying, it makes sense they’re a little worn out!

This kind of a lifestyle is hard.

It’s a constant challenge to put up with the negative people, negative thoughts, and inconsistent insane workloads.

There Is A Better Way

Once you develop a solid study system, you’re going to relieve yourself of most of these burdens. Life will be easier and more fun.

These are the ideas that this blog is trying to spread.

By getting guidance and stories from thousands of readers, I do my best to distill the most effective strategies of today (and not two decades ago when teachers were in class.)

There are countless ways to get started but one of the best ways is to read one of the ebooks on this site about it. Dig in and get the big picture. Then follow along and check out the archives to start appreciating the details.

You have the power to improve your grades and enjoy the process.

I know this because you’re the kind of person that reads articles on the subject. You have what it takes. Now all you need to do is follow through with it.

(It also helps to share what you learn with others.)

Image Sources:Featured – pxhere , Pexels – Public Domain Pictures, Flikr – Eric , pxhere