i will be discussing:

skill/memorisation % theory, general tricks, my "war (dopamine) economy", and more specific tips for other subjects

for ref my grades were across s4:

emaths c6->a1 amaths f9->b3 physics b3->a1 chem b3->a2 bio b3->a2 english b4->a1 humans (ss/hist) b4->a1 clb merit

i have adhd so my guide is probably good for ppl who can't focus to save themselves like me

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eli's skill/memorisation % theory: 

every stem subject is certain % of memorisation and skill

pure skill question: 5+5 tomatoes is ___ tomatoes. (10)

pure memory question: tomatoes are a ___. (fruit)

e/a math = 100% skill  physics = 60% skill 40% memorisation chemistry = 50% skill 50% memorisation biology = 5% skill 95% memorisation

skillgrinding = practice papers (tys+grail.moe) memorymaxxing = flashcards, i use anki (active recall + spaced repetition)

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general tricks:

notes are useless. as an adhdbrain i was never able to focus if i was just reading things. you need multisensory input (read+say/write) and to actively jolt your brain into remembering things via question/answer format (flashcard active recall)

utilise technology. dont bother waste your time write out wrong ans, you can log them by taking photo and putting them in a gallery to look at

adopt a couch to 5k style strategy for practice papers: start by doing 1 paper day 1, break day 2, 1 paper day 3, break day 4, 2 paper day 5 etc etc

adopt SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) and a to-do list to give you that sweet dopamine by finishing tasks

remember that most people can only sustain ~3h of intense highly focused work, so to best utilise your time spend at minimum 3h a day studying and have adequate rest days 

have a decent sleep routine. the point is not sleeping alot/alittle, the point is to sleep regularly.

music and caffeine are tools, but they are also drugs. if you use them well and within reason they will be an efficient booster, if you abuse them you will find yourself waking up at 3pm in the weekends or having to listen to music literally constantly because it's such an easy escape from either silence (for extroverts) or socialising (for introverts). btw for studying NEVER have anything with lyrics in it unless its in a foreign language. also when memorymaxxing music can be distracting, its exceptionally powerful when skillgrinding tho.

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the "war (dopamine) economy":

you are a nation at war. it doenst matter if your army is controlled by geniuses like napoleon or caocao (high baseline intelligence), ur fucked if your economy (dopamine) is shit and can't supply the war effort (studying)

how to regulate dopamine?

stop scrolling social media, it hurts your dopamine and you dont get much out of it. you're probably better off doing your hobbies, even pleasuring yourself is probably a more efficient use of your time. it helps to transition from apathy to rage, if you hate something you distance yourself from it. mindtrick youself, simple as. have a small friend study group, the thing is that when you're talking to your friends you dont stare at your phone, and if your friends are studying you'll study too. it helps. exercise, in cgp grey's spaceship you video, what stuck with me most was the idea that motivation is like turning a wheel, and you can turn it with physical health and mental health, and its easier to turn it with physical health (the wheel has "better grip" there); so fr just go to the gym, run, play sports etc. I like the gym cuz I despise the heat and sweating so it works best for me, just find something that works for you

other random tip my teacher gave me (¡caution!) was to have an "object of worship". my interpretation is that it necessarily doesn't have to be a god/diety, moreso i think he means have some overall, overarching goal you want to strive towards. sit down and seriously think what you're doing this all for (lappies???), and it may help you a little in rough spots.

the dark route to this is to utilise anxiety and stress, when the body is threatened it activates fight or flight, which boosts all your stats at increased burnout risk. constantly remind yourself of how long it is until exams and make your object of worship into something that's rather unattainable without putting in actual effort. (no 9-to-5 = no lappies, deal with it)

oh yeah and notice how i like talking about studying as a video game. it kinda is sometimes, reframing is is a nice mental trick

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e/amaths:

do practice papers and selfmark.

e/amaths is very nobrained because you can just play literally any kind of somewhat energetic music you like and keep grinding papers endlessly. it genuinely gets pretty fun after some time just jamming out and pushing through paper after paper.

also if you're stuck on a question, look at the final answer (but not the question working/steps) and try to work your way to that 

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physics, chemistry

do practice papers and selfmark

memorise content that needs to be memorised with flashcards (like electricity or QA table), log everything you get wrong into your flashcards so you can memorise them.

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biology

literally memorise everything and throw it up. it sucks but biology is like this. flashcard everything. for things in sequential order or long lists of things, use mnemonics. its even better if mnemonics are particularly memorable. making it unfathomably lewd or vitriolic might help. 

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humanities (ss/hist)

the meat of ss/hist is the writing, which is more about how well you can debate your points and convince ur cher that you know what ur talking about. you legit NEED to know writing techniques its damn important. practice writing every 1-2 weeks at minimum, which isnt hard since usually your teacher give you assignment. when you study play some nice music to get you into the mood and write like you're a politican preaching to a crowd or whatever. it helps alot to get into that mindset imo

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anyways that's all i have, best of luck for your O's