Become a TOP student: 5 websites & apps to study SMARTER, not harder. (YouTube Video Transcript)

(00:00:00) Your YouTube transcript will appear here (00:00:00) You guys know me. I'm all for working (00:00:02) smarter, not harder. We live in a world (00:00:04) now full of AI tools and websites that (00:00:06) can literally think with you. So, if (00:00:08) you're not using them, you're falling (00:00:09) behind. Contrary to what your teachers (00:00:11) might be saying at school. And I'm not (00:00:13) talking about those boring like download (00:00:14) this planner type of apps. I'm talking (00:00:16) about secret AI websites that I actually (00:00:18) use every day. My go-to chat GPT prompts (00:00:21) and apps that literally run my life, (00:00:23) tracking my weaknesses, planning my (00:00:25) study sessions, and even helping me (00:00:27) focus on my brains all over the place. (00:00:29) And so today, I'll be showing you five (00:00:30) apps and websites that makes studying (00:00:32) feel almost too easy. Makes it feel like (00:00:34) cheating, but in the best way possible. (00:00:36) These are tools I actually use to slash (00:00:38) my study time in half. Lock in for hours (00:00:40) without burning up and actually enjoy (00:00:42) studying. Because becoming a top student (00:00:44) isn't about grinding harder. It's about (00:00:46) thinking and working smarter. And so (00:00:48) once you start using these straight (00:00:49) away, it's like unlocking a second braid (00:00:51) that does half of the studying for you. (00:00:53) By the end of this video, you'll have (00:00:54) five new tools that will make you (00:00:56) wonder, why didn't I use this sooner? (00:00:58) All right. All right, I'm starting with (00:00:59) the first tool. And honestly, if you (00:01:00) want to become a top student, especially (00:01:01) in maths, this one matters a lot. And (00:01:03) that's going to be the sponsors of this (00:01:04) video. Brilliant. But there are a tool (00:01:05) that I've been using before and it (00:01:07) genuinely changed how I understand (00:01:08) maths. Here's the thing that most (00:01:10) students don't realize. You're not bad (00:01:11) at maths. You just never properly (00:01:12) understood it. Take something like (00:01:14) quadratics. Most people are taught to (00:01:15) memorize the formula, follow steps, and (00:01:17) hope it works on an exam without ever (00:01:19) really knowing why. But what Brilliant (00:01:21) does differently is that it forces you (00:01:22) to think. Instead of watching someone (00:01:23) explain quadratics at you with the (00:01:25) actual one solving visual interactive (00:01:27) problems, moving graphs, testing them, (00:01:29) and seeing how changing one value (00:01:30) actually affects the equation. You don't (00:01:32) move on until it clicks and you (00:01:34) understand it. And that's where real (00:01:35) confidence comes from. And I really like (00:01:36) how personalized. Brilliant starts you (00:01:38) at the right level, adapts based on what (00:01:40) you struggle with, and gives you (00:01:41) practice and review that actually (00:01:43) targets your weak spots, not what a (00:01:45) generic class assumes you need. So, if (00:01:47) quadratics have ever felt confusing or (00:01:48) intimidating, this is how you turn them (00:01:50) into something you actually understand, (00:01:51) not just something you survive in exams (00:01:53) and especially going into the new year, (00:01:55) if your goal is to stop guessing and (00:01:56) start mastering maths. This is the kind (00:01:58) of concept that compounds really (00:01:59) quickly. So, if you want to try it, go (00:02:01) to brilliant.org/jspark, (00:02:03) scan the QR code on screen or click the (00:02:05) link in the description. You can get (00:02:06) started for free and Brilliant's also (00:02:08) giving 20% off an annual premium (00:02:10) subscription which gives you unlimited (00:02:12) access to everything. All right, that's (00:02:13) tool number one. Let's move on to the (00:02:15) next one. I know you've heard of this (00:02:16) one, Chat GPT. And before you roll your (00:02:18) eyes and be like, "Bro, Chad GBT, that's (00:02:20) old news, bro. I've been using that (00:02:21) since day one." Just chill out because (00:02:23) most students I see actually use it in (00:02:24) the wrong way. Like, obviously, CH GBT (00:02:26) is not meant to do your homework or any (00:02:28) of your school work for you. It's meant (00:02:29) to be your teacher. The way I use it is (00:02:31) to simulate active recall and space (00:02:32) repetition. The same principles behind (00:02:34) why flashards work, but way more (00:02:36) flexible. So, for example, here's how. (00:02:38) Let's say I just learned about (00:02:39) photosynthesis. We'll use that as a key (00:02:40) example. Instead of asking it to explain (00:02:43) photosynthesis, I'll say, "Quiz me on (00:02:44) photosynthesis with five progressively (00:02:46) harder questions. After each one, (00:02:48) explain the correct answer only if I get (00:02:50) it wrong." This is one of my favorite (00:02:51) prompts, and you can use it for so many (00:02:53) subjects. And it's so so good, as you (00:02:54) can see, because that one line forces (00:02:56) your brain to retrieve information, (00:02:57) which is exactly how your memory is (00:02:59) built. You're not passively rereading (00:03:00) your notes. You're doing active recall, (00:03:02) but in a conversation form. Once you're (00:03:04) done with that, you can use space (00:03:05) repetitions with prompts like these. I (00:03:07) studied X topic 3 days ago. Give me a (00:03:09) quick review quiz that focuses on what (00:03:11) I'm most likely to forget. It tracks (00:03:13) time based forgetting just like Anki, (00:03:15) other flashcard systems, but (00:03:17) conversationally. You can also tell it (00:03:18) to act like a teacher, which I use all (00:03:19) the time. Act as a strict examiner. Ask (00:03:22) me 10 conceptual questions about topic. (00:03:25) But don't move on until I answer each (00:03:26) one correctly. Or my personal favorite (00:03:28) one, pretend I'm a 12-year-old and (00:03:30) explain complex topic using analogies (00:03:32) until I can explain it back to you. And (00:03:34) that's basically the framework (00:03:35) technique, teaching to learn. The point (00:03:37) is CHBT isn't just a chatbot. It's a (00:03:40) custom teacher or vision partner and (00:03:41) it's only as good as the prompt that you (00:03:43) give it, right? So use it this way and (00:03:45) it's going to be a space repetition (00:03:46) engine allinone. Treat it as your (00:03:48) cognitive gym. You're literally (00:03:49) strengthening your memory every time you (00:03:51) chat. All right, next up, let's talk (00:03:52) about pass papers because honestly, if (00:03:53) you're not doing past papers, you're (00:03:55) literally studying blind. My two go-to (00:03:57) websites for this are PNT and Save My (00:03:59) Exams. They're perfect for practicing (00:04:00) real exam questions, learning what (00:04:02) examiners actually want, and spotting (00:04:04) those patterns that always come up (00:04:05) again. that you should be always on top (00:04:07) of. Here's what I usually do. I grab a (00:04:09) few papers from PMT, set a 25minut (00:04:11) timer, then go full exam mode, no notes (00:04:13) and no distraction. Then I mark using (00:04:14) the official marks team, highlight where (00:04:16) I lost marks, and then log those weak (00:04:18) spots in notion or Google sheet, which (00:04:19) I'll get on to later, actually, my (00:04:21) mistakes note. And that's all perfectly (00:04:22) good, but if you want to take that to (00:04:23) the next level and make it way more (00:04:25) interactive, you guys have to check out (00:04:26) Medley AI. It's like doing past papers, (00:04:28) but on an entirely new level. When you (00:04:29) answer a question, Medley instantly (00:04:31) tells you how many marks you get, why, (00:04:33) and what to fix. It's like having a (00:04:34) teacher give you feedback in real time. (00:04:36) And the best part is if you use a tablet (00:04:38) or Chromebook, you can actually write (00:04:39) your answers by hand. And Mendy's (00:04:41) handwriting recognition will read it, (00:04:43) mark it, and you're practicing in the (00:04:44) exact way writing with your hand in an (00:04:46) exam, which is an invaluable skill. You (00:04:48) get to keep that authentic pen and paper (00:04:50) feel and instantly get feedback and make (00:04:52) sure you're answering it to the best of (00:04:53) your ability. It's the next level (00:04:54) interactive version that teaches you as (00:04:56) you practice, and it honestly makes (00:04:57) revision really gamified and addictive. (00:05:00) The fourth one, let's talk about flash (00:05:01) cards and not those crusty ones that are (00:05:03) saying in your drawer that you looked at (00:05:04) once. Because if you're still using (00:05:05) physical flashards, I hate to say it, (00:05:07) you're still studying like it's 2005. (00:05:09) Here's the real problem. Paper flashards (00:05:11) don't know you. You either end up over (00:05:12) reviewing what you already know or (00:05:14) forgetting what you actually need to (00:05:14) revise. Because how do you do it? You (00:05:16) normally just like go through them all (00:05:17) once again and again and again. But if (00:05:19) some of them are really easy, but some (00:05:21) of them are really hard, you should be (00:05:22) wasting them differently. But paper (00:05:23) flashcards just don't do that. And (00:05:25) here's where Anki comes in and destroys (00:05:26) the competition. See, Anki is built (00:05:28) around this one really powerful (00:05:29) technique and principle that I always (00:05:30) talk about, right? Space repetition. So, (00:05:32) instead of reviewing everything all the (00:05:34) time, it shows you the right card at the (00:05:36) right moment just before your brain (00:05:37) would have forgotten it. That moment is (00:05:39) where learning actually sticks. Harmon (00:05:40) Ebing House discovered this 100 years (00:05:42) ago and it's called the forgetting (00:05:44) curve. You forget 70% of what you learn (00:05:45) within a day unless you revisit it (00:05:47) strategically. Space repetition (00:05:49) basically hacks that curve and Anki (00:05:51) automates the whole thing. No planning, (00:05:53) no guessing. Just open your desk every (00:05:55) day and watch your memory snowball. (00:05:56) Psychologist Andis Ericson also said (00:05:58) that the best learners don't just (00:06:00) repeat. They repeat with feedback and (00:06:01) timing. What Anki does. Every time you (00:06:03) press easy, hard, or again, you're (00:06:04) training your brain with perfect timing (00:06:06) feedback. And it works for any subjects. (00:06:08) You can do questions, equations, history (00:06:10) dates, essay structures, vocab, even (00:06:12) diagrams. I use it for everything. And (00:06:13) my personal favorite feature, as you can (00:06:14) see, is the image occlusion where you (00:06:16) can hide certain parts of images and (00:06:17) diagrams. And it's really useful for (00:06:19) graphs and economics or biology (00:06:20) diagrams. Forget all flashcards. And (00:06:22) remember, you guys know how much I glaze (00:06:24) flashcards. Do them on Anki. do them 10 (00:06:25) minutes every day and you're literally (00:06:27) rewiring your long-term memory. And next (00:06:29) up, the app that quite literally runs my (00:06:30) life, Notion. Now, I know everyone says (00:06:32) that, but hear me out. Most most people (00:06:34) just use Notion as a pretty to-do list. (00:06:36) And yeah, the aesthetics are cool. It's (00:06:37) very customizable, but if you use it (00:06:39) right, Notion is like your digital (00:06:40) command center as a student. Here's how (00:06:42) I use it. As you can see, this is my (00:06:43) to-do hub. It has all of my notes (00:06:45) organized, which is also a key point cuz (00:06:47) I can always look back to them. But I (00:06:49) also have just this daily to-do page. (00:06:50) Each morning, I open this one page. I (00:06:52) keep all my tasks, deadlines, and study (00:06:54) blocks I have. I tag things by subjects (00:06:56) and priority and instead of panicking on (00:06:57) what I have to do next, it's all laid (00:06:59) out in order. It it removes decision (00:07:01) fatigue, which by the way is one of the (00:07:02) biggest productivity killers for (00:07:03) students. Second, I use it as my (00:07:06) knowledge vault. Whenever I learn (00:07:07) something new, especially from a (00:07:08) lecture, YouTube video, even random (00:07:09) Reddit post that explains a concept (00:07:11) perfectly. I add it to this database (00:07:13) called Keyynotes. It's searchable. I can (00:07:15) literally do a control F and find (00:07:16) exactly where I have it. Categorize by (00:07:18) subjects and it's literally like a (00:07:19) digital notebook. But my real secret (00:07:21) weapon that I use notion for is a (00:07:22) mistakes note. After every test or pass (00:07:25) paper, I look every single question that (00:07:27) I got wrong, as you can see, and I like (00:07:28) keep a mark of what I got wrong so I (00:07:30) could go back and find it if I wanted to (00:07:31) and why I got it wrong. So that next (00:07:33) time when I try again, I can kind of (00:07:34) read it as a little hint and make sure I (00:07:36) get it right. The cool part is I start (00:07:37) to notice patterns and like as you can (00:07:39) see, it's very like it's like a how do (00:07:41) how do you say it's like it's all in one (00:07:42) place. You can straight away look at it (00:07:43) and see like the red parts on the (00:07:45) screen. Like it's very easy to see where (00:07:46) your mistakes are and when you're losing (00:07:47) marks. You can see the patterns and it's (00:07:49) a feedback loop that turns your mistakes (00:07:50) into a strength. basically lets you (00:07:52) think like a top student without having (00:07:53) to be one yet. It's where my plans, (00:07:55) progress, and knowledge all live (00:07:57) together. Kind of like my second brain. (00:07:58) So, yeah, you use it for your notes, (00:07:59) to-do list, or whatever. But when you (00:08:01) use it to track your tasks, set your (00:08:03) best notes, and record your mistakes. (00:08:04) You're not getting organized. It's (00:08:06) genuinely like the student hub that is (00:08:08) going to transform you into a top (00:08:09) student. So, yeah, those are just five (00:08:10) tools that help me stop studying like a (00:08:12) zombie and actually getting it done in a (00:08:13) fun way, but also just studying smart (00:08:15) because at the end of the day, success (00:08:17) in school isn't about who who studies (00:08:18) the longest at all. It's about who (00:08:20) studies intelligently. And here's the (00:08:22) truth. You can have every productivity (00:08:23) app, every AI tool, and even every fancy (00:08:25) notion template, but if you don't use (00:08:26) them strategically, they're just all (00:08:28) distractions as well. And that's why I (00:08:29) created the student accelerator. It's (00:08:31) where I take everything I talk about (00:08:32) here and actually coach you through it. (00:08:34) I help you build your own system that (00:08:36) helps you kill procrastination, master (00:08:37) active recourse, base repetition, and (00:08:39) deep work. And you get to join a private (00:08:41) community of all ambitious students who (00:08:42) are all having the same goal as you. If (00:08:44) you're serious about becoming a top (00:08:45) student, you want my help, weekly calls, (00:08:47) all of these premium resources, not just (00:08:49) watching videos and actually (00:08:50) transforming how you study, then join (00:08:51) us. The doors are open right now, links (00:08:53) below. And if this video helped you that (00:08:54) is going to help you 10fold. And anyway, (00:08:56) I hope you enjoyed this video. If this (00:08:57) video gave you at least one idea you're (00:08:58) going to try, make sure to drop a (00:08:59) comment, your favorite tool, and share (00:09:00) this with someone else. Remember, it's (00:09:02) not about studying harder, it's about (00:09:03) working smarter. Now, you've got five (00:09:05) new ways to do it. Let me know if you (00:09:06) guys want part two. I love you guys. (00:09:07) Thank you for watching. Comment, (00:09:08) comment, comment, hype, hype, hype, like (00:09:09) like. Uh, yep. See you guys next time. (00:09:13) Do you guys want to see a pumpkin?