If you’re reading this, you've probably consumed tons of study tips on YouTube, TikTok, or podcasts.

But watching advice isn’t the same as using it.

If you don’t apply that advice, you don’t change. And if you don’t change, you don’t improve.

There are only three things you need to do for growth in any area of your life;

- Figure out the problem - fix the problem
- Find out why you want to grow
- Finish strong

How to Make an Academic Comeback

All I ask is that you actually do these things if you want to see the results you want.

1. Figure Out The Problem - Fix the Problem

You can’t fix what you can’t name. 

The reason you’re failing is not that you’re 'not smart'. It’s because you're either studying incorrectly, or not studying enough.

Studying Wrong

Studying is quite simple. It's hard, yes. But the process is meant to be straightforward.

However, many people don't know that. 

They try rereading their notes, highlight their textbooks, copy slides, make aesthetic flashcards and color-coded mind maps. 

Pay attention: you need to stop wasting time trying to feel productive. 

If you can’t explain a concept in your own words without looking at your notes, then you don’t know it. Simple. 
If you freeze when a question is asked, then you don’t know it. 
And until you can answer questions from your memory, even half-asleep, you’re not ready.

All you have to do is ask the right questions and answer them, over and over again, until the answers are burned into your brain. That’s literally it. 

Almost every “study hack” you’ve heard of—active recall, spaced repetition, Feynman technique—is just a dressed-up way of doing that.

If you really want a comeback, then:

- Get your questions.

Past papers, end-of-chapter questions, flashcards, anything that forces you to produce an answer without looking.

- Study, then shut the book.

Ask yourself: What did I just read? Say it out loud. Explain it like you’re teaching someone else because you will have to break it down until the 'person' understands fully.

- Be curious.

If you’re studying metabolism, don’t just read “Glycolysis has 10 steps.” Instead, ask: What are the 10 steps of glycolysis? What enzyme controls each? What happens if this step is blocked?

- Answer those questions over and over.

Not once. Not twice. But until you don’t even need your notes to back you up. Until you can solve it under pressure, without hesitation.

- Fill in the gaps immediately.

Every time you miss a question, don’t feel bad. You're not meant to know it automatically. Go straight back to your notes, fix the hole, and test again.

- Make it harder on purpose. 

Mix topics. Change the order of the questions. Do them under time limits. The goal isn’t to feel good; it’s to get so solid you can’t be shaken.

It's hard, I know. You’ll feel resistance. You’ll want to stop because you think you already know it. But if you really knew it, then why are you scared of proving it?

Stop lying to yourself. Do the hard thing. Ask the questions. Answer them until there’s no doubt.

Are you getting this academic comeback or what?

Not Studying Enough

Sometimes the problem isn’t how you study. It’s that you barely study at all. And you know it.

Stop scrolling, stop procrastinating, stop using fancy studying aesthetics and techniques just to feel productive. 

Stop making excuses. 

You can’t have an academic comeback on thirty minutes of scattered studying a week. It doesn’t work like that. 

Even if you’re “smart,” you’re not immune to reality. 

Have the mentality that your grades will reflect the quality and quantity of the work you put in.

If you’re serious about a comeback, then:

- Set fixed study hours. Pick fixed blocks—60 to 90 minutes, twice a day.  For one week, write down roughly how you spend every hour outside of class. Start seeing when you can study instead. 

- Make studying non-negotiable. This is your new job. Which means you have to show up no matter how you feel.

- Start with the hardest subject. Stop saving them for “when you’re ready.” Do them first, while your brain is fresh.

- Cut distractions ahead of time. Our parents were right. It's our phones. Put your phone in another room. Block the unnecessary websites. Tell people you’re busy. I delete my social media apps. Just get rid of the distraction.

-Always track how you study. Not how many hours you studied. That's not as important. Track, instead, how many questions you've answered, the topics you've mastered, and the practice tests you've done.

The same way you wouldn’t skip workouts and expect your muscles to grow, that's how you shouldn't be skipping your study sessions and expecting a comeback.

2. Find Out Why You Want To Do Better

You say you want an academic comeback. But why? 

Don't just say you want "good grades". Everyone wants that. What is the real, 'ugly', personal reason?

Because without that, you will quit the second things get uncomfortable.

Right now, your “why” isn't strong enough. Which is why it's easy for you to get distracted. 

If your reason isn’t burning a hole in your chest, it won’t drag you through the days you don’t feel like trying.

Firstly, be specific.  

“I’m done feeling bad after exams. I want to graduate with so much happiness. I want to prove to myself I’m not a failure.”

Write it out. All of it. The ugly, the bad, the promises you're making to yourself. And make sure you see it every day, not just think it.

And don’t just write one “why.” Write a short-term and long-term 'why'.

Short-term why → “I want to ace this semester and fix my transcript.”

Long-term why → “I want to get into that program /that scholarship /that career path.”

Remember, this is not just a want. It's a mission. 

3. Finish Strong

If you want a real academic comeback, then you have to stop acting like everybody else.
What makes a comeback is not the start, but the ending.

Anybody can start. 

Scrolling TikTok for “study motivation” counts as starting. Buying cute stationery counts as starting. Sitting at your desk and making an aesthetic study playlist counts as starting. 

But none of that matters. Not truly.

To finish well, you need discipline. 

And that discipline can be achieved in two major ways:

Cut more than you add.

Stop scrolling until midnight. Stop studying with five tabs of social media open. Stop the fake productivity — colour-coded notes, endlessly “organising” instead of working. Cut it all out. Then use the time you free up to actually study.

Reset instead of quitting.

Did you missed a study session? That's fine. Don’t burn the whole plan down. Reset and keep going. 

You had a lazy day? That's Fine. Start again tomorrow. 

A comeback is not ruined by one bad day—it’s ruined when you stop trying. 

So, stop trying to look for an excuse to give up.

Remember, you have to show up every single day. Not when it’s easy, not when it’s fun. Every day.
You owe it to yourself.

Copy this oath and put it somewhere you will see every day if you need motivation

I Must Make an Academic Comeback (Oath Edition)

- I will wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends.

- I will sleep early because late-night scrolling is sabotaging my mornings.

-I will set a fixed study start time instead of waiting to feel “motivated.”

-I will cut social media an hour before studying—my focus needs it.

-I will avoid sugar and heavy meals before study sessions.

-I will drink water and stay hydrated to keep my brain sharp.

-I will study in 60–90 minute blocks and keep my breaks short.

-I will start with the hardest subject while my brain is fresh.

-I will break topics into small, clear tasks I can actually finish.

-I will review what I studied out loud every night to make sure I know it.

-I will plan my week, not just my day, so I don’t panic if I miss one session.

-I will set up my desk the night before to cut morning delays.

-I will stop wasting time on pretty notes and focus on notes that work.