5 Tips for Becoming a Top 0.1% Student

Learn 5 strategies for improving your grades.

Every week, I distil what really works for improving results, memory, depth of understanding, and knowledge application from over a decade of coaching into bite-sized emails.

=== Paid Training Program ===

(Designed for busy students and professionals aiming to achieve top results without endless studying. 77% of our students cover the same amount of study material in 30% less time within 1 month.)

=== Timestamps ===

0:00 NZPMC
1:49 Why Top 0.1%?
2:56 I promise I'm not trying to brag
5:51 What you should do instead
9:42 Do you want to do what all the top students are doing?
11:18 Tip #1 Beware of norms
12:06 Tip #2 Don't chase outcomes
13:49 Tip #3 Assume you're wrong
18:38 Tip #4 Work smarter, not harder
19:54 Tip #5 Hard work is not more work

=== About Dr Justin Sung ===

Dr. Justin Sung is a world-renowned expert in self-regulated learning, certified teacher, research author, and former medical doctor. He has guest lectured on learning skills at Monash University for Master’s and PhD students in Education and Medicine. Over the past decade, he has empowered tens of thousands of learners worldwide to dramatically improve their academic performance, learning efficiency, and motivation.

[JustinSung]

Every week, I distil what really works for improving results, memory, depth of understanding, and knowledge application from over a decade of coaching into bite-sized emails.

[Dank_Lulu]

It's very easy to say "you can do it!" but it takes stupid amounts of work to tell someone *how* to do it. So thanks for putting in the legwork, Dr Sung!

[alishba.]

1. Beware of norms
2. Don't chase the outcome (focus on the process, and on fixing your mistakes)
3. Assume you're wrong (Dunning-Kruger Effect)
4. Work Smarter, Not harder (At the top, everyone is willing to work harder)
5. Hard work is NOT more work (if you are in comfort zone, you are used to it. You have to go through the fear zone to learn new things)

[kisankumarsiya]

I was a competitive exam aspirant in India and I used to study 17 hr a day for 1 year I can feel what he is saying about hallucinations

[obnoxiouscommenter]

I've hit that 0.1% ceiling. Before then I was an absolute academic tryhard. I wasn't gifted with natural intelligence (~90 IQ) but I compensated it with efficient and sheer hard work. When I entered the top university in my country, I was horribly outclassed. This was at the level where you'd see people that would understand difficult topics in a few days of study, human calculators, exceptionally creative people with their continual out of the box ideas. Ego death. I was nothing compared to them, not even with the many study techniques I tried over those 5 years. I realized all these years my achievements have been artificially inflating the expectations of everyone around me, far above my maximum capabilities. Chasing and achieving the best results wasn't meant for me, now I direct my focus on learning to understand and make good use of that knowledge

[techmentormaria]

Learning how to LEARN is soooo critical and so personable. Everyone works different and there are plenty of books out there that teach you how to study better with your own model.

[judewiles]

As a uni student, these 5 tips still apply. Within this video, the one that was the most surprising to me was "Don't chase outcomes" I think in school and uni, as students we are pressured to always be the best and if you don't get a higher grade in general or higher than your fellows than you're worth less, which isn't true at all and for me personally its has been very hard to not chase the outcome, as the UK education system is so strict in regards of grades and they way the assess us, in exams or assignments, However, this video was very interesting. What an amazing video.

[pismobiics]

Justin, I just want to tell you that you are making so much more positive impact teaching students to learn efficiently than you could as a doctor. Very inspirational!

[qiaowang]

Note for myself:
Tip #1 Beware of norms
Tip #2 Don't chase outcomes. Outcome = your action + others action + chance
Tip #3 Assume you're wrong. Chart 15:20. Ask myself when feeling comfident (maybe when buying a stock), Am I confident because I know a lot or just because I'm ignorant?
Tip #4 Work smarter, not harder. Leave time to pause and think
Tip #5 Hard work is not more work. Hard work is not doing the same things for long hours, but to strategically challenge youself during work, such as step out of your comfort zone, etc

[kenyonbissett]

My recurring dream before exams was that I studied, I knew the material inside and out. I showed up to take the exam and it was in Chinese or Italian or Russian. I pulled out the syllabus to see if I missed that part, but no, no mention of the exam being in any other language. It was a lucid dream, so real.

[williamchamberlain]

"As long as you die slowly enough, no-one can tell that you're dying" is a great insight. Useful for yourself, useful if you want to become a lead researcher leading a team.

[allanchyaromont]

I stopped counting how many times I got in to the Fear Zone and few months later I watched myself in the Growth.
Since I was 10 I hear from my mom that I needed to study hard. I have been at the top 0.1% brazilian schools, but when I got into the 0.1% college, I has been 5 years at the Comfort Zone without realise it.
Now, it is the second year in a roll that I got switching between Fear-Learning-Growth. Best two years of my life. Im not even a smart person, but now Im trying to reach the 0.1%. Just working smater (and harder).

[LaylaMiki]

For a long time in my life, I've worked hard and not smart and at some point, I felt totally overwhelmed by the amount of information.
Your videos have really helped me to leave this vicious spiral. Thank you so much Justin!

[xxsometeawouldbenicexx]

I think a good way to improve as a student is to hone your language skills. Being able to describe or think about something in a variety of ways, and practicing this, can help with understanding a topic more easily and quickly. Reading a lot helps, and gives you some general knowledge.

[ashes.a]

That euphoria you get after leaning something as a beginner from absolute zero is so true . I have to remind myself to chill and move past this stage . What I do is see someone who is a little beyond this stage not far so now my next target is clear .

[aur]

18:26 reminded me of a bible verse in proverbs 26:12 - "Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.". Thanks for the video

[raymeester]

No one:


No one at all:


Justin Sung: I'm going to react to myself

[temirkhansmagulov]

I like how you say things explicitly and exactly so that I feel the knowledge which can be grabbed and absorbed

[yuvrajsaini]

The figure at 20:28 is so significant in not just learning, but in all aspects of life. We should all aspire to implement this progression in every aspect of life. Thank you so much Justin

[aerenmoore]

I love how you give your story - I can actually relate to you at some points. Most YouTubers who give techniques and all these tools for learning don’t really seem to have the dark experiences to go with it. They’ve always just been good at study and are capitalising on it now🙆‍♀️ which is good for them… but I want to be able to emotionally relate to them~ and you do this SOOO well.