Passing everything after a catastrophic start

Failing all your exams in January is a nightmare for any student. That's exactly what happened to me during my first year in business engineering at Solvay. Yet, a few months later, I passed everything. How? By completely changing the way I worked.

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A default study choice and a chaotic start

I chose my degree somewhat by default. My dad wanted me to do engineering, my mum saw me more in business. In the end, I ended up in management without really knowing why. I had no clear goal and no real study method.

What's certain is that I spent hours at the library 📚, often from 10am to 6pm. I was disciplined, but it wasn't real work. I was giving myself the illusion of studying, using classic methods: summaries, readings, flashcards… Except that deep down, I wasn't learning effectively. ❌

The January results slap

When the results came in, it was a disaster 💥: I had failed all my exams. I couldn't understand how it was possible. I'd been told: "To succeed, you just need to study." I had studied… and yet, it wasn't enough. 😞

The turning point: questioning everything

I never considered giving up 🚫, but not out of motivation. It was more family pressure that kept me from letting go. So I started looking for solutions 🛠️.

It was when I stumbled upon Ali Abdaal's videos that it clicked 💡. He explained that the methods I was using were the least effective for learning. I researched active recall and spaced repetition, and I completely overhauled my study approach 📈.

Passing everything thanks to an effective method

The first results didn't appear immediately. Like at the gym 💪, you had to trust the process. I kept applying the new methods, even when I couldn't directly see the effects.

I didn't become smarter in 6 months 🧠. I simply applied methods that work ✅.

In the end, in June, everything changed 🌟. I had to make strategic choices: decide which exams to take in June and which to postpone to August. By fully focusing on the chosen exams, I was able to pass them all and regain control of my year 🎓.

Lessons learned

1. If it's not working, change something. Repeating the same mistakes won't get you anywhere 🚀
2. Success is a process. What matters is using strategies that are proven to work 📊
3. Don't make excuses. Everyone starts with the same challenges 🧘‍♂️

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