Modern WisdomHow To Study For Any Exam - Unjaded Jade | Modern Wisdom Podcast 368
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
115 min read · 22,979 words- 0:00 – 2:02
Intro
- JBJade Bowler
This, actually, I think is one of the most important things that people should understand, because so much of how people often revise is passive. It's where you're looking at information, and it makes you feel intelligent because, of course, everything you're looking at is right. You know, you're looking at a diagram with everything already labeled for you, and you're nodding away, feeling like you're putting it in your brain. You're flicking through that textbook. You're re- re- rereading your notes. You're spending hours rereading, and it just feels like you are full of information. But in reality, none of that is going in.
- CWChris Williamson
Hi, Jade. Welcome to the show.
- JBJade Bowler
Hello, Chris. It is an honor to be here.
- CWChris Williamson
Tell me about your university. You're doing this multi-city-
- JBJade Bowler
Oh, it's crazy.
- CWChris Williamson
... thing, right? What is it?
- JBJade Bowler
(laughs) Yes, so I go to a relatively new university. It's called Minerva. It's based in San Francisco, and it's like a super international cohort of people. But every semester, we move. So, me and all my friends, we move to different cities that have been predefined by the university, and so it's kind of a study abroad, but built into the fabric of how the degree works. So, my first year, I spent in San Francisco, and then last year, I lived in Seoul, in South Korea. This time, I'll be studying in Berlin, in Germany. So it is this crazy whirlwind of a degree, for sure.
- CWChris Williamson
Are you becoming one of those Russian secret agent things? 'Cause this sounds like-
- JBJade Bowler
I didn't... I don't wanna expose myself. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
This sounds like one of those prep... Yeah. Well, I mean, that's also what a Russian secret agent, that's exactly what they would say to try and cover their tracks.
- JBJade Bowler
That is true. I am just packaged in a innocent-looking girl. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah, perhaps. So what are you studying? Do you still choose courses in the same way?
- JBJade Bowler
Yes. So because it's the US system, um, you can do a major and a minor, and I've chosen to do a double major in cognitive neuroscience and business brand management. So, very different things, which I think gets across how indecisive I am, but I really love learning, so... Yeah, kind of got the science in there, but also the more practical business stuff.
- 2:02 – 14:16
Learning How to Study
- JBJade Bowler
- CWChris Williamson
I like it. Yeah, so given that you've made a, a YouTube channel and released a book specializing in study tips, why do you think it is that no one ever actually teaches us how to study in school? 'Cause there's obviously a demand for this.
- JBJade Bowler
For sure. This is a question I ask myself a lot, because I think a lot in the school system would be solved if only there were dedicated classes teaching you about the science of learning, about, you know, how humans learn. And I think they try sometimes. There's things like, "Oh, are you a visual learner or an auditory learner?" Which often misses the point because you're asking, you know, students to work out themselves, as opposed to looking back at real research about how all humans learn, and then using that as a base for you to then go away and practice your own revision techniques which work for you. Um, honestly, I think a lot of the school system is outdated, so it's probably just something that hasn't been caught up with yet.
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah, I don't know. It's... Part of me thinks that it would make the teachers' lives a lot easier. Like, i- if-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... what you're fighting with, for the most part, is just combating the fact that the students don't understand how retention works or don't understand how to link different-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... concepts together. So-
- JBJade Bowler
For sure.
- CWChris Williamson
... if I was a teacher, no matter what subject it is, why not just spend the first couple of days of whatever course it is, or even at university, like if you took-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... if you took the first hour of the first lecture just about, "Look, this is what, how learning works."
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
"There you go." It would just make the rest of the-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... lot of your life so much easier.
- JBJade Bowler
For sure, and especially because so much emphasis is put on your exam grades. Like, effectively, you know, your whole school life is thinking about, "How can I condense this textbook into my mind and then put that onto a piece of paper to get a grade, which is gonna determine the university that I go to, potentially the job I get, where I live, like, the whole rest of my life?" And that crucial step between, you know, first learning it in the classroom and then getting those exam results is missing from the education system. That middle part of how to revise is up to students.
- CWChris Williamson
How would you characterize the sort of student that you were and are?
- JBJade Bowler
Oh, I love learning. So I'm, um... I was kind of that nerdy student in the back (laughs) who would sort of keep my head down and just get on with my work, and I really liked what I was doing. Um, and I went to a very average state school, so I often felt quite alienated for loving learning as much as I did. And, um, yeah, I was just kind of... Thought of myself as very uncool, and there were times where I, um, I, you know, tried to dull the fact that I like learning and to, you know, to fit in or to pretend to be cool or more popular. Um, but, I don't know, now I think I've really embraced it, and that's part of why my YouTube channel, where I, I pioneered a space called StudyTube, which is all about learning and other students who want to get better at learning or enjoy it. Um, it was a really big thing for me because it sort of validated this, this love of school.
- CWChris Williamson
That's what the internet's done, right?
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
It's permitted people that were niched down so hard that they couldn't find someone to resonate with in the real world... It's allowed them to find other people that they can build a community around.
- JBJade Bowler
For sure.
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah.
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah, and I never expected it to take off. Can you imagine my surprise when I was (laughs) there making videos like, "Study with me for half an hour. Study with me for an hour." I would literally be revising something for a test I had the next day and would just record it on my phone, and videos like that would sometimes get a million views. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
And think about how hard it is now to get a million views. Look at all of the work-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... that you have to put into a video, going to places, doing things.
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah, for sure.
- CWChris Williamson
Nightmare. Should have just put... Just, just put it on loop.
- 14:16 – 20:16
Most Effective Study Methods
- CWChris Williamson
how-
- JBJade Bowler
Yes.
- CWChris Williamson
... we study and how we learn.
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
What are the most effective study methods?
- JBJade Bowler
Okay. So, um, I list 10 in my book, uh, one of which is, I know you don't like the word-
- CWChris Williamson
It's awful.
- JBJade Bowler
... blurting. It is awful.
- CWChris Williamson
Disgusting.
- JBJade Bowler
But you know what? You're gonna blurt out your knowledge, so it is memorable.
- CWChris Williamson
Blu- bl- (laughs)
- JBJade Bowler
Blurt, blurt that knowledge, Chris. (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
Awful.
- JBJade Bowler
So... (laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
All right. So let's learn, let's learn that one first.
- JBJade Bowler
Yes. Okay. So the idea is you take something that you're trying to learn, trying to remember, maybe it's, um, a process in science that's just, you know, not sticking with you and you're like, "Cool, I'm gonna revise this." What you do is you write yourself a few prompt words about the process or about the chapter, and then you effectively write down, you blurt down everything you can remember from your brain, like everything based off these prompt words. So, you're listing out the process, you're listing out key words, you draw diagrams, uh, whatever you can remember. If it's, you know, English literature and you've- you're wr- you're, um, you're trying to blurt a theme or about a character, you're just writing down whatever you can remember. And then you're going back and you're comparing what you've written down to your notes or to a textbook, and straight away you can see how much you do and don't know. Like, there's no lying to yourself anymore. There's no reading the textbook.
- CWChris Williamson
Is the aim to try and replicate the textbook as closely as possible? Is it just sort of rote memorization here? What are we actually aiming for?
- JBJade Bowler
Yes. It depends on the subject. So, unfortunately, the way that our academic system often works is a lot of rote memorization is necessary. So, especially science topics, you have to get things almost word for word as the mark scheme wants it in order to get a grade, and so tho- these are the moments where you do want to be able to produce that from your head. You don't wanna just understand it, you wanna be able to, um, yeah, recall it. So blurting is where you can write that down and then compare it to your notes and straightaway see what you're not strong in. But I think it's also a good way to test your understanding, because it's one thing to say that you understand how a historical event happened and understand the causes, but when it comes to writing it down or explaining it to a friend, teaching someone else, you instantly see these gaps in your knowledge, and then writing it down is just a more formal way of testing yourself and then looking back and being able to fill in those gaps.
- CWChris Williamson
All right. What's another one?
- JBJade Bowler
Uh, flashcards. Simple, easy. I'm, I'm sure you're familiar with the flashcards, right?
- CWChris Williamson
Are we talking Anki or are we talking highlighters on the top of a piece of paper?
- JBJade Bowler
Yes. So you can do both, but the beauty of Anki, I don't know if all the listeners are familiar with it, um, it's a flashcard software that already has the idea of space repetition built into it. So you've made your flashcard and they will go back and test you on things that you get wrong. They're gonna test you at regular intervals. So, it supports the science of learning within the app. But you can also do this with, you know, with your, your classic pen, your paper, um, and the beauty of flashcards is you can put test questions on it, you're writing something on one side, and then it invites that active recall from yourself because you're not seeing the answer straight away. You have to turn over the flashcard to get the answer out of yourself. So that's a really good technique.
- CWChris Williamson
All right. Give us one more.
- JBJade Bowler
Uh, ooh. Mm... Maybe, like, quite a niche one, just because that's fun. Um, I don't know if you've heard of Sherlock's Mind Palace.
- CWChris Williamson
I have heard of Sherlock's Mind Palace, yes.
- JBJade Bowler
You have, yes. Um, so the idea is it's like object association. So, what Sherlock did in order to remember a lot of facts is he would create rich retrieval cues, and those retrieval cues can be objects. So, thinking about in your house, imagining yourself walking into your living room can be a prompt for you remembering a fact or a piece of knowledge. So, um, if you think every single time that you're gonna look in your mirror, you're gonna repeat a certain fact to yourself in your head, then when you're trying to recall that fact, you can just think back to a certain location and it will just be a prompt for you to remember that.
- CWChris Williamson
How similar is that to the associations thing that you brought up earlier on? That just sounds like a direct, sort of a direct correlation.
- JBJade Bowler
Oh, you mean the, the concept of association and memory?
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's like the most direct way to do it, clearly.
- JBJade Bowler
It's ... exactly, exactly, yes, which is why it's kind of supported by evidence and science of learning that it works. So if you were to go through that SAD framework on each of the techniques I just mentioned, it sort of ticks all the boxes as being something that is actually effective.
- 20:16 – 25:53
How to Schedule a Timetable
- JBJade Bowler
used effectively.
- CWChris Williamson
Cool. How should people schedule their study timetable?
- JBJade Bowler
Okay, so, um, this again is, is personal preference. Some people like to schedule minute-to-minute, but something I discuss in my book is sort of your dos and don'ts for timetabling, based off of, um, other people's experiences and research. Yeah, so what you've gotta do to create a good timetable is practice. (laughs) Like, you need to get good at estimating how long things take you to do. When you've got 24 subjects, uh, 24 exams, sorry, at GCSE, some people, you know, take 12 or 13 subjects, you've got a lot of things to juggle. And the beauty of a timetable is you're using, you're optimizing your time before that exam to make sure that you're going over everything most effectively. Um, but in order to plan stuff, you need to know how long it's gonna take you to go over flashcards, you know, or y- how long it's actually realistically gonna take you to do some blurting for that thing that you don't remember. (laughs) Um, so yeah, so I really recommend just even for t- for today or for tomorrow, look at your afternoon, um, and just, just try. Like, go on Google Calendar, schedule, like, 5 to 10 minutes for whatever you're trying to learn, and instantly you'll probably see you're, um, uh, you're underestimating how long it takes you to do stuff. So then you can go back, you can improve upon your methods of how, how your estimation works. Um, I'd say always be super generous with yourself as well when you're planning things, uh, like leave an extra 10 minutes. Something which I see people not doing a lot is leaving shuffle time, like plan shuffled time in between-
- CWChris Williamson
What's shuffled time?
- JBJade Bowler
... activities. Shuffle time is you putting away your folders, you getting out your textbooks, you opening up Anki. So when you're going from one activity to another, people will often on their timetable just sort of put it at the same time. So like, "When I get to 6:00 PM, I'm gonna stop writing flashcards and I'm gonna start, uh," I don't know, "blurting." But then they don't leave this 5 to 10 minutes, and then all of a sudden you're, you're running to catch up with your timetable because you're a few minutes behind. So leaving like 10 minutes in between is just a really good way to be generous with yourself, to leave time to, um, I don't know, go get a drink of water. Yeah. And then some-
- CWChris Williamson
How should people, how should people break this up? Should they break it up by topic?
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
Should they break it up by learning style? Is it best to spend an entire day on, let's say that it is GCSEs or it's university or whatever, is it best to stick to one module for an, an-
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
... entire day or are you supposed to interleaver? Talk to me about that.
- JBJade Bowler
Yes. Um, it's cool you bring up interleaving actually. So there is science which suggests that if you go between topics, you're more likely to recall them than just being deep in one for too long. So, I think the best way to do it is firstly write down all the topics that you've got to learn, like every, every chapter, every module, um, and sort of plan how you're gonna do your timetable by looking at how difficult you find things, how much attention they need, um, and the urgency. So this is a, a process that I, I go through in my book of ranking your subjects and where you're at with them. Um, so if you know that one thing is gonna, is a lot harder, you can rank it as a red or an amber or a green. And based off of that, funnel it into your timetable, um, based on how long it needs, and then when you're looking at individual days of planning it, I think it's also worth thinking about when you work best. So some people that's early morning, some people, you know, do work better late at night, um, and thinking about tackling the hardest subjects at the time that you're naturally the best and most on it. So for me, that tended to be the morning. Um, so you could put those tasks in the morning, especially the ones that you're not looking forward to, like writing practice essays or, or lengthy ones, um, and then interleaving it in between with subjects that just have a lower cognitive load for you based off of how naturally you find it.
- CWChris Williamson
What about taking breaks or moving in between-
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
... stuff like that? Because getting out of flow and getting back into flow can be difficult, and sometimes taking a break can be more detrimental, but then-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah. Sure.
- CWChris Williamson
... after a while you get diminishing returns. Have you got any advice on how long people should try and block for?
- JBJade Bowler
For sure. So this actually runs into the next chapter, which is the Pomodoro Technique. I'm sure you're familiar with it, it's an amazing productivity hack, but also a great way to plan your timetables. Um, the idea is that you set a timer for 25 minutes, which is one Pomodoro, and you choose just one task to focus on for the full 25 minutes. And if you get distracted, you start the timer again. And it really encourages you to not be half revising, where you're half on your phone and half doing one thing, or jumping around between topics. So you spend the 25 minutes doing that one, one, one thing, and then you reward yourself with a five-minute break. And I find five minutes is a really good amount of time to actually relax, but not get distracted. So, you know, you, you're being intentional, you're going to the toilet, you're getting a drink, you're doing whatever, um, but because you've set the timer up, you're not gonna get distracted. Like, you're not gonna overly scroll or get too lost in messaging someone or FaceTiming a friend, because you know that you've got your next Pomodoro already ready to go, and it's only one co- one task that you're gonna be focusing on again.
- 25:53 – 36:17
Biggest Productivity Mistakes & Hacks
- JBJade Bowler
- CWChris Williamson
What are some of the biggest mistakes that you think people make with regards to productivity?
- JBJade Bowler
Oof. Um, so many. (laughs) Um, I think one of the biggest mistakes in productivity is thinking that you have to be on all the time, and almost the definition of what productivity is. To me, productivity is spending time well, that's the definition. Um, and when we're thinking about the grind or the hustle in exam season, that can often be equated to just sitting there and doing work of some kind. You know, that's like, studying smarter or studying harder, I think productivity is often equated to this study harder. You know, revi- like, flick the textbook more, keep inhaling more information, just do, do, do, and not stopping to question what the productivi- what the productive activity actually is, and what the output out of it should be. Um, and I, I go through an equation in my book of how I define productivity and what makes up successful productivity. Um, I can go through that if that's helpful?
- CWChris Williamson
Yeah, absolutely. I think just to, just to kind of bookend that, I think you are correct that the hustle side of productivity suggests that you should have your nose on the grindstone, but the number of times that I was in uni and I'd look across, and people would be in the library for the entire day just to be able to say that they'd been in the library for the entire day. But they hadn't spent more than-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... an hour or a couple of hours doing their revision. So you've had a miserable day in a place that you don't want to be, surrounded by crap food, where-
- JBJade Bowler
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
... you, you haven't actually achieved anything, and then you get home and you're completely ashamed of yourself and super guilty. You've had a rubbish day but you haven't even been able to benefit from the fact that you didn't do revision, which is actually what you did. You didn't, you didn't get-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... much revision done-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... uh, and you just decided to kind of, I don't know, tether yourself to the library in a desperate attempt to make some revision happen.
- JBJade Bowler
For sure. Yeah. And I think what's truly productive is getting the meaningful output, getting that deep work, but also scheduling, like, fun stuff, you know? Like, getting off of the desk and relaxing, or doing mindfulness, watching your favorite TV show, spending time with friends. All these equally productive activities, because they're, they mean you're also spending your time well and that you're gonna be refreshed when you do go back to sit down at that desk.
- CWChris Williamson
What's an overhyped productivity tool or strategy?
- JBJade Bowler
Ooh. Um, hmm. I think screen time blocks on social media are a bit overhyped. You know where people will set a limit of, like, 30 minutes a day for Instagram or TikTok? Because I think people are almost setting a challenge up for themselves to, like, use that up, and then, like, it encourages it, you're like, "Oh, I, you know, I've got that amount allowed today," so you, you sit there and you go on it. And then when eventually the little thing pops up to tell you you've reached your limit, you can just click it away and just continue scrolling, and it's, it's really easy. (laughs) So I think thinking more about systems of how you're learning, and systems for going on social media, as opposed to, uh, like, short-term hacks and short-term limits.
- CWChris Williamson
What's your system for controlling social media use?
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah, um, so it comes back to timetabling for me. Just thinking about my priorities. So if I know I've got an exam in a few days, the priority should be doing effective revision, it doesn't need to take up the whole day. But if I can put that into my s- into my timetable first, you just feel great when you've got, like, the most important things done. And then social media's great too. Like, it isn't just procrastination, like, it's also super enjoyable and you should be able to, like, go and, go on a mindless scroll. Um, so I think it's, it's setting up the other stuff first and planning that in advance so you don't feel guilty when you are doing so-called mindless activities.
- CWChris Williamson
All right. So what about productivity hacks for studying, what are your best ones?
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah. So the Pomodoro Technique is definitely one of the best, um, but I also love the idea of sanctity of space. I don't know if you've heard of this before, it's the idea that you have only one location for a certain thing. So if you think about it, the way you're setting up your brain when you go to the kitchen, you're thinking, "Oh, I'm gonna eat." Or, "I'm gonna make food." Generally, when you lie down in bed, you're thinking, "Oh, I'm gonna relax," or, "I'm gonna go to sleep." So it's thinking about when you are at your desk, what do you wanna be doing? What, what is your brain coming to associate your desk with? Is it, like, scrolling on your phone? Is it also calling your friends and studying? Like, when you go to the library are you thinking, "Oh, cool, like, I can go meet my mates and we can go chat there and sit there and, and just chill"? So if you can develop one space which is where you go to do your deep work, then that is...... that is one of the best techniques, because you're creating a sanctity, a discipline around doing a certain activity there, and it means you're less likely to overstay. You're more likely to be productive and do the work when you need to. Um, yeah, so I highly recommend that even if it is, um, you know, like, staying behind at school or a library, like if home isn't the best place to create that space.
- CWChris Williamson
But think about the environmental triggers that you have when you go to the gym, everyone during-
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
... COVID. No one has ever worked out as hard in their house as they have-
- JBJade Bowler
For sure.
- CWChris Williamson
... when they actually go to the gym. And it's because of the ritual. You pack your bag and you get in the car, and you put Spotify on, and you listen to the thing, and you say hello to the receptionist, and you put your bag in the locker. And it's all part of the priming, those environmental triggers prime you. It's interesting, there's an equivalent in powerlifting. One of my buddies is a, a really high level powerlifting competitor, and he has a playlist of about four or five songs that he only listens to when he's going for a PR or when he's competing. So these songs-
- JBJade Bowler
Oh, wow.
- CWChris Williamson
... if he hears them come on in a, uh, a supermarket, he'll just sprint out of the supermarket or he'll turn the radio off 'cause he only wants to hear that when it's time to be 100%-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... switched on.
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah. And as you say, it's a ritual, right? So, like, for some people, they'll have a certain playlist, like a study playlist, or a certain jumper that you're gonna put on, or, like, an outfit that you go into-
- CWChris Williamson
Have you got a revision outfit?
- 36:17 – 45:27
Excelling in Homework/Coursework
- CWChris Williamson
- JBJade Bowler
There you go.
- CWChris Williamson
... into that. Um, what about coursework and homework? Obviously, not everyone is assessed purely-
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
... through exam. What are some of the tips that you've got for coursework and homework?
- JBJade Bowler
Yes. Um, I think routine is the best one. So I wrote a whole chapter about habit formation and drawing on a lot of incredible books like Atomic Habits, I don't know if you've read that book, um, and sort of breaking down what is a habit. Like, if you look at the loop, um, uh, every habit is three things. You've got a routine, which is you performing the habit; you've got something that cues you doing the habit; and then you've also got a reward, so something that you're craving out of getting this habit done. So if you look at, you know, how you brush your teeth every day, what you're looking for is the feeling of cleanliness or that, that minty freshness, and then you've built a routine. Maybe straight away after getting out of bed, you're going and brushing your teeth, um, and then you, you're getting that reward. You're craving it.Um, and thinking about when you come home from school, for example, what are you doing first? Are you taking off your school uniform? Are you, like, getting a snack? Are you talking with friends? Do you go on your phone? And if you can create a routine around getting homework done at the same time every day for a similar amount of time, it just takes out all the stress and the friction. All of routines and habits are eliminating friction because you're making things no longer a choice. You're not choosing to come home and either do your homework or go on your phone. You've decided that every day, you're gonna do your homework for like, half an hour, and then you've got a whole afternoon to do whatever you want. So, yeah, if you can think about when you come home, what is it that you're doing right now and how can, how can you use something that exists in your routine to create a new homework habit? So, if the first thing you, that you do when you come home is get a glass of water, maybe you can say to yourself, "When I grab that glass of water, I'm gonna walk straight upstairs, put it down on the table, and get out my planner and see what homework I've got to do for the day." And then that's, that's more likely to stick to your routine because you're attaching this new habit of getting your homework done at that time to an existing habit of getting your glass of water every day. And then the more that you can repeat this, preferably over 30 days or a month or so, um, then it will, it will just start to not become a chore. You know, you come home, you get your glass of water, you come home, you put it down, and you do your homework and you don't think about it. And then all of a sudden you've got a whole afternoon, evening to do whatever you want.
- CWChris Williamson
This is the equivalent for people who are doing continuous professional development, whether it's at work or-
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
... whatever as well, right? You finished work, you drive home, you get home. "What am I going to do?" One piece of advice that I would try and give people is to probably reduce the number of steps between doing the thing that you already do and doing the thing that you want to do.
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
So, let's say that you do get home. "Oh, well, I might go for a walk for a bit and then make food and then do a bit of stretching and then I'll go and revise." It's like, no, no, no. Just, just get to the thing that you don't want to do as quickly as possible. It's the reason that morning routines work. You, you do the thing-
- JBJade Bowler
For sure.
- CWChris Williamson
... that you're trying to do before you can realize that you've started doing it. You're like, "Oh God, uh, before I knew it, I've actually done the thing and now I've finished?" I think that a lot of the time, it is kind of like low p- low key procrastination that people don't really tell themselves it is when, "I'm gonna do this first and I'll do... Well, yeah, 'cause I deserve a stretch 'cause if I ease my back out, if my back's a little bit looser, then I'm gonna be more upright when I'm sitting and revise." It's like, no, just get it done.
- JBJade Bowler
For sure.
- CWChris Williamson
Good, good.
- JBJade Bowler
Yes.
- CWChris Williamson
Well, if it's got your seal of approval, that will work. So, a lot of students are probably frozen by perfectionism and a fear of failure, and it sounds like, at least at school, that was something that you struggled with. How can people get past that?
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah. Oh, it's such a tough one because there are expectations from everyone to do well, you know? Like, even if you're not that invested in school, you still know that it's gonna affect your life in some way, whether that is next steps, apprenticeships, university, and there, there's often a lot of weight around the grades that you're getting. And I know that for myself, I developed quite an unhealthy perfectionism around getting that next better grade. Like, even if I got 80%, "Well, why didn't I get 81% or 82%?" Um, and I think the way that the school system currently works where you are just given these numerical values often off of what you just ro- memorized, um, you can come to associate your sense of self-worth in these grades that you're getting. And it's not good, it's not healthy. Um, and some things that really help me are taking a step back firstly, and thinking about the whole system in perspective and your place in it. 'Cause I think when you're 14, 15, 16, all... Your whole life is sort of going to school and then doing stuff outside of school and, and that's it, so it's no wonder that you are placing so much thought into these exams. But when you see it in the grand scheme of your life, there are so many skills and parts to you as a person which are far more valuable than this grade you're gonna get. And I think it reduces the perfectionism when you see that you doing your best in that moment with the resources that you've got, with the time that you've got is enough. It really is enough. Like, you are gonna succeed whether you get the 80% or the 81%, whether you miss a grade and, you know, you don't get what you expected to get, whether you go to a different university or plans change. All you can do is your best and things are gonna work out for you. You know, you've got whole personality, people skills, other interests that school can't grade you on. And so, especially with people who aren't that academic, um, it's just worth seeing yourself outside of this very narrow system that you're currently in and trying to put less pressure on it. Still motivate yourself to do well within it and optimize your techniques and develop habits like good discipline, but also not get too caught up in what these grades could mean for the rest of your life.
- CWChris Williamson
That's a microcosm for the rest of your existence.
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
People obsess over a very sort of narrow band of things that they're trying to do, whether this be becoming a chartered accountant while they work at one of the big four accountancy firms or whether it's getting to a level of body fat percentage whilst they're in the gym, or whatever it might be. We presume that... We magnify the impact that this particular one pursuit is going to have, and obviously when you're younger, if you are 14, 15, 16, you don't have that breadth of experience.
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
But I don't think that the compulsion goes away. As you grow up and you get through your twenties, one of the things that I noticed that happened, I never had the perfectionist trap for academia-
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
... ever. Uh-... very, very sort of average student, 2:1 at uni, and then a master's with a, with a pass, like a high pa- no, merit, sorry, a high merit. But I never once felt that lack when it was, "Oh, I got 67 instead of 68."
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- CWChris Williamson
I'm like, "Thank fuck I got 67."
- JBJade Bowler
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
"I thought I was gonna get 57."
- JBJade Bowler
"Made it through."
- 45:27 – 58:30
The 24 Hours Before an Exam
- CWChris Williamson
in the face. Right. 24 hours leading up to an exam, what should people do?
- JBJade Bowler
Oof, okay. So, I think so much about going into an exam is all about mindset. You've had all the time in the world to do your last-minute cramming, to revise everything. And while I do think you should go over a few, a few things, like a few concepts that you potentially feel weak on, what you should focus on the night before is setting yourself up for being calm. So, I'm a big advocate of mindfulness, um, meditation. Like, it's not just a hippie thing where you, you sit there and, and pretend you're breathing. (laughs) Like, it's, it's an amazing technique with a lot of science behind it to prove that. Even spending two minutes of just with your eyes closed and doing intentional breathing, so breathing in for a count of six and breathing out for a count of eight and just repeating that, um, that can change your brain chemistry already to be calmer. And I think this is a skill that you should develop so that by the time the night before an exam rolls around and you are starting to feel that anxiety or pressure about what's to come, you sort of can lean on that breathing technique and find some calm within it. But it's un-
- CWChris Williamson
So why are you wanting to be calm?
- JBJade Bowler
Mm. So, your brain works a lot better when you're calm. You can access information more easily. You're more rational. You're, you see time more rationally too. You're not rushing to get things done or, um, when you're, you know, hitting that exam room and there's a question that you don't understand, instead of, you know, getting stressed and panicked and seeing every part of your future suddenly falling away from you, you can bre- come back to that breathing technique, find a sense of calm, and then work through it as methodically as possible.
- CWChris Williamson
If someone is feeling that anxiety and they know that they're a little bit behind in their knowledge for the exam the next day, what would be the best strategy for getting the most information in the quickest?
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm. Yes, um, so I recommend having a cheat sheet. Uh, it's a bad name. You're not cheating. But just having a sheet of paper where as you've been going over, uh, going over all the topics, there are things that you feel weak on, you just shove them on the cheat sheet, cheat- on the cheat sheet. And then, the night before an exam, you can just go back through those. And I really do recommend blurting. It's a brilliant technique. You, you pick those things, and you just write them. You write whatever you can remember about that topic, and then you go back, you check your notes. Whatever you don't remember, you add it in, and then you do it again. You just blurt it out again to yourself. You write it down, hopefully remembering those new things that you've just looked at in your notes. And you just keep doing that until you feel like you have more of a grasp on that, that last-minute concept.
- CWChris Williamson
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter before an exam?
- JBJade Bowler
Not a full all-nighter, no. But like, I've definitely done the cramming, and it's, it's not... I think it's overrated, personally.
- CWChris Williamson
As a revision strategy?
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
It's not enjoyable.
- JBJade Bowler
Like-
- CWChris Williamson
I can tell you that much.
- JBJade Bowler
It's not enjoyable, yeah. Like, you're trying so hard to lean on your short-term memory, but then you're sacrificing the thing that compounds your memory, which is sleep. Because when you're sleeping, everything that you're learning is going in, you know? (laughs) It's, if you're skipping the most crucial part of the night, then the next day you're not gonna be as rational. You're more prone to stress, especially if you've been leaning on coffee, you know, you've got a higher heart rate. Um, so I don't think it is the best strategy, but I understand why people do it. You feel compelled to stare at as much information and put it in your head as much as possible.
- CWChris Williamson
I remember one exam, there was this drip somewhere in the house that I was living in at uni, and it was dripping randomly about once every seven seconds really loudly, and it kept me u-
- JBJade Bowler
Oof.
- CWChris Williamson
... it kept me up until f- it was like Japanese water torture. And, uh-
- JBJade Bowler
Oof.
- CWChris Williamson
... I ended up sleeping on the couch, woke up three hours later, bleary-eyed. One of the boys came down and was like, "All right, mate, have you pulled an all-nighter?" Like, "Not quite, kind of."
- JBJade Bowler
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
"Kind of, but it wasn't... I wasn't revising." All right, so, um, we've...... done some breath work, we've made sure that we feel nice and calm and cool and controlled. Cheat sheet and some blurting to... I hate that word. To get-
- JBJade Bowler
(laughs) But you remember it.
- CWChris Williamson
... I... Well, yeah, but, uh, remembered it in the same way as stepping in a pile of- sort of something unsavory is memorable-
- JBJade Bowler
(laughs)
- CWChris Williamson
... because it's- it's terrible. Um, so, we've done that in the nighttime, we've tried to get as much sleep as we can do.
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah.
- CWChris Williamson
Waking up the next morning, what then?
- JBJade Bowler
Okay. So something I really recommend is positive visualization. So the idea is close your eyes, kind of similar- similar to meditation, and you imagine yourself in the exam hall. And for some people, just the thought of doing that will bring up feelings of fear, because, you know, you're imagining a past exam where you ran out of time, or where you didn't understand something, and just noticing whatever feeling comes up, and then instead, doing the opposite and visualizing it going really well. You're visualizing yourself being really confident in that seat. You're visualizing going through being calm, being rational, being methodical with all these questions, approaching something that you don't understand, working through it, and just imagining the best version of yourself in that exam hall. And I think the whole fake-it-till-you-make-it thing is amazing for mindset on the day of an exam. But more practically, something I go through in my book is kind of a... It's like a tick box, um, under the acronym of MORNING. So, from my memory, it's M is materials. So you're gonna go through, you're gonna check that you have everything, from your pen to your calculator, especially if it's a maths exam. There is no greater stress than someone having forgotten their calculator on a calculator maths exam (laughs) . Um, secondly in MORNING is O, organize early. I think waking up even 20 minutes earlier than you might usually do, it just reduces stress. It allows for that early bit of traffic in the morning or something going wrong. Um, thirdly, revise. This is optional, but I think leaning on your cheat sheet again, going over anything last minute that you feel a little bit uncomfortable with. You can do this on the bus to school. Um, fourth is no-stress conversations. I think this is a- honestly, one of the biggest things that makes people get into that exam scared, anxiety height before an exam is, you know, your mate going up to you and being like, "Oh my God, Jade, I heard that the question's gonna be about..." Insert topic that you know that you have no idea about, and it's just really hard. And you're like, "Oh my God, what if this comes up? Like, I'm done, my future's gone." Um, or people, you know, asking you to explain concepts and you realizing that you don't know it. I think there is something so stressful about that lead up. So if you can, trying to step out of these stressful conversations is a really good way to set yourself up for success. Um, and then, in the MORNING acronym, I is for inhale/exhale. Leaning on breathing techniques as you're going into an exam hall is great, just to set yourself up. Um, and then the N and the G are just to, like, finish off MORNING. N is for nice reward. What are you gonna be doing after this exam? It's not gonna last forever. Tonight you can go home, you can watch a series. And then G is for go for it, and just smash it (laughs) .
- CWChris Williamson
There's an equivalence to the no bad conversations thing before CrossFit workouts.
- JBJade Bowler
Mm-hmm.
- 58:30 – 59:06
Where to Find Jade
- CWChris Williamson
And if people want to check out more of your stuff, where should they go?
- JBJade Bowler
Yeah, so you can find me on YouTube at Unjaded Jade. I'm also the same on TikTok, Instagram, and most other social platforms.
- CWChris Williamson
Cool. Enjoy Berlin.
- JBJade Bowler
Thank you. Thanks so much for having me, Chris.
- CWChris Williamson
Thank you very much for tuning in. If you enjoyed that, then press here for a selection of the best clips from the podcast over the last few months. And don't forget to subscribe. It makes me very happy indeed. Peace.
Episode duration: 59:06
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