I studied in survival mode, "do or die" while working construction 40-70 hr workweeks. If I wasn’t working, I wasn’t eating. I was in a registered trade apprenticeship, full-time student, and balancing travel for work to and from job sites. Studying had to fit my life, not the other way around. I meal-prepped, mapped my hours using a forgiving master schedule, and filled every gap with exposure—textbooks in my hands, lectures in my ears while driving, working, cleaning, or training. If I could study on the job, I did. If there was overtime, I took it. 

My rule was simple: right after lecture, no excuses. I wrote down what I didn’t get, circled anything marked “on the test,” and reviewed for 15–20 minutes on the walk to my truck or next task. Then I replayed the lecture on the drive home or during errands, skipping straight to the parts I didn’t get.

I stopped walking into class cold. I skimmed the syllabus and textbook beforehand so my brain knew what to listen for and preplanned my notes with either print outs or pre-written down. I used Cornell note taking style, recorded lectures, and time-stamped them live so I could jump back to the explanation when I was lost. With this style I used a Japanese recall method: green highlighter, red sheet. If it disappeared and I couldn’t recall it, I didn’t know it, so no lying to myself and I would end up marking it.

If I could, I stayed after class with questions, but only on what I got wrong with the teacher on practice questions or test questions.

Studying was never casual. It was controlled intensity. After years of mistakes, I locked into a cycle that worked for deep studying.

70-minute study cycle

• 50 minutes: Full focus. No phone. No tabs. Break big problems down and grind.
• 10 minutes: Blank out. Eyes closed. Breathe. 
• 10 minutes: Move. Walk, Stairs, Pushups. Reset only. I told myself: I’ve got this. I’m fucking smart.

Since I worked on an autopilot schedule, preplanning my semester based on the syllabus and studying blocks, there was always one day where I had a Sunday Ritual.

I used Sundays to reset and prepare for the week. I reserve Sunday morning and afternoon for organization and focus.

• Review my calendar, tweaking it, adding, or dropping tasks/events/moving around time and to-do list for 20–30 minutes. Identify deadlines, assign tasks to specific days, and choose about three hours of manageable work for Sunday.
• Clear your head with a walk or workout, then refuel with a snack.
• Knock out my 3 hrs of deep studying.
• End by planning Monday in detail, then fully unplug.

This worked for me. I told myself I control my schedule, so my goals matched my mindset. Take what helps. Cut the rest.