When Reality Hits

You hit back

Hey everyone,

I hope you're doing well. Today, I wanted to talk to you about growing up—again.

This year marks the final year before university for many of us. With less than a year until our exams, it’s easy to get lost in uni admissions, mocks, homework, and everything else. The truth is, this is make or break. This is the moment our whole education has been leading up to.

That’s exactly why, now more than ever, time is of the essence—but there is still time. With more independence this year, we have the chance to finish strong. So, how do we make sure to do our best? How can we stay committed throughout the year, set ourselves up for the best chances of getting offers from our dream universities, and do it all without stress?

Start early and plan.

Time is running, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of our grasp. Take control by timeboxing your day. Allocating your day from start to finish removes the need to constantly think about what to do on a macro level. The specific task will be based on current demands, but the overall plan remains constant. Automating your schedule, if you commit to it, eradicates procrastination. Less procrastination means more time well spent and more time for yourself. Work hard now, stress-free, and your future self will thank you. It’s only when you get into this habit that you truly see the rewards.

Revision is not an exam-season activity—it’s a daily commitment.

It’s easy to leave revision until the end, but it shouldn’t even be an option. If you’re serious about your goals, why not start now? Revising early and revising regularly are two keys that help secure success. Without both, you’re playing with fire. That doesn’t mean you should stay up late to revise, though. Allocate a significant amount of time per week to revision within the time you already have. It’s the commitment and depth that matter. Depth without commitment is nothing, and vice versa. That's recall, not revision.

Which leads me to my next point: You have time to sleep.

You can do all your homework, revision, and enjoy your hobbies, and still get eight hours of sleep. I know because I’ve done it. If you’ve planned properly, you don’t need to stay up late cramming revision or homework. That’s the beauty of this system. Even then, it’s better to sleep than to cram. There’s no point in losing energy for work if it’s outside your productive hours. Sleep is as important as revision.

But I want to make one thing clear—this year is about hard work and sacrifice.

Sure, spend time doing what you enjoy, but if you’re spending more than a few hours a week on hobbies or activities other than your studies, it’s worth asking yourself whether your time could be better spent over the next eight months revising or focusing on other priorities. A balance is needed, but your work should take precedence. Besides, after your exams, you’ll have all the time you want during those three months of carefree vacation. With hardship comes ease. Commit now to reap the rewards and spend next summer content with the effort you’ve put in.

Stay motivated and maintain a positive mindset.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed or doubt yourself at times, but maintaining a positive mindset is crucial. Remember why you’re working so hard and what you’re aiming for—whether it’s getting into your dream university or simply proving to yourself that you can succeed. When things get tough, take a moment to reflect on your progress and celebrate your small wins. Surround yourself with people who support you and, most importantly, believe in yourself. You’ve come this far, and you’re capable of achieving what you set out to do.

Lastly, don’t quit.

Plans don’t always work. If you chase perfectionism, you’ll get nowhere. Sometimes, you need to make mistakes to learn and improve. Just because you missed a month of revision or slacked off doesn’t mean that’s the story for the rest of your year. Align your mindset with your goals and keep at it. You only fail when you stop. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t change the situation; it just wastes time you could have spent fixing it.

With organisation, your priorities become the core of your routine. Organisation rules. Coupled with the right mindset, I hope I’ve left you with some advice to start your year, whether it’s university, work, or school. TL;DR: Organise your time, prime your mind for hard work and grit, and stay strong.

Gratitude for every word read and every thought shared. Until next time!

Best wishes,
Ismail

P.S. I’ve created a new productivity and revision system to automate my work and life, track my progress, and maximise my chances of success while giving me more time for what’s important. I may or may not write an article on it, like I did for my GCSE system, but that depends on the demand from you, my readers, and my availability. Let me know what you think!