How to Study Like a First Class Student

If you’re curious about how to study like a First Class student and whether aiming for top grades is the right approach for you, this episode is your guide.

I explore the benefits of adopting a First Class mindset and study habits, explaining why every student can benefit from aiming high, regardless of their current grades or personal circumstances.

Then, I'll walk you through practical strategies to help you achieve your academic goals and enjoy the process.

We’ll delve into the importance of strategic study techniques, effective note-taking, and cultivating a resilient growth mindset to enhance your learning journey.

I’ll also share actionable steps to transform your study habits and boost your confidence, empowering you to take control of your education.

Whether you’re balancing studies with work or family life, this episode offers insights to help you study smarter, not harder, and reach for that First Class degree.

This post originated as a podcast episode which you can listen to below or search for episode 164 of the Chloe Made Me Study podcast. Or, if you’re more of a learn-by-reading student, carry on for the rough-and-ready blog version based on the podcast script.

In this week’s episode we’re going to be talking about a pretty big topic – how to study like a First Class student and how to achieve a First Class degree. Now, I’m going to preface this by explaining that I’m talking about a First Class degree as the top grade for many undergraduate qualifications in the UK (and beyond). But you may have a different grading system for your university or course, so feel free to sub out First Class with YOUR possible top grade – whether that’s an A, a distinction, a GPA (grade point average) above a certain level.

While I’m here, in case you’re not familiar, here’s the grading system for most degrees in the UK.

• First Class is the top grade – a First.

• Then we have Upper Second Class as the next grade – known as a 2:1

• Then there’s Lower Second Class – known as a 2:2

• Finally there is Third Class – known as a Third.

I also want to preface this episode by saying that this topic could be seen as a little controversial, and it could get your back up a little. Talking about grades can bring up a lot of shame and self-judgement and limiting beliefs as, for the majority of us throughout our childhoods, grades have been consciously or unconsciously attached to our self-worth and the worth placed on us by others.

So I invite you to listen to this episode with curiosity, noticing any thoughts and feelings that come up for you with an open, kind mind.

OK, let’s crack on.

Should you be aiming for a First Class degree?

Here’s where my controversial statement comes in.

I believe every student should be aiming for a First-Class degree (or whatever the highest grade is for your qualification).

Hear me out.

Not every student needs a First Class degree to go onto their chosen career/further education.

If you’re aiming to study for a postgraduate qualification after then maybe you have to score a 2:1 or above. Or if you’re hoping to get into a graduate scheme or certain profession, maybe you’ve been told that you don’t need the top grade for the qualification.

Not every student can prioritise their studying alongside other life commitments and stressors.

We all have differing priorities that shift moment to moment and sometimes studying has to fall way down the list. Now, we could have a bigger conversation about prioritisation here because sometimes there are avoidable factors that if resolved could allow you to prioritise studying at no extra time cost. But, for this episode, let’s just focus on the fact that sometimes, for some students, life really gets in the way.

Not every student has long enough left on their course to increase their grades up to a First Class level.

I almost didn’t want to include this one because I’ve worked with a lot of students who’ve incorrectly believed this – that they’ve left it too late to get a First. You may have calculated your grades so far and realised that even if you achieve top marks in all your remaining assessments a First Class degree is still not achievable. That is probably the only scenario that is factual. Other times, limiting beliefs come into play. And I get it. If you’ve been achieving grades hovering around the 50-60% mark throughout your degree then why would you believe that you can jump massively to start achieving top marks?

But I’ve seen it done over and over with the students I work with. Who learn how to study like a First Class student and then their grades climb and climb as they’re studying more efficiently, effectively and strategically. 

The First Class way of studying is the BEST way

OK, so yes there are some circumstances where students may not need or be able to achieve a First Class degree.

HOWEVER…every single student should be studying in a way that could get them a First Class degree.

Because it’s the best way to study.

If you’re going to follow a blueprint for the smartest, most efficient, most effective way of studying, you would follow the First Class blueprint, right?

It wouldn’t make sense for you to follow the blueprint of a 2:1 or 2:2 or Third Class student – because you’d spend more time studying than necessary, your study techniques wouldn’t be as effective which will stress you out more…anddd you’d be capping your potential at the top grade of that blueprint, a 2:1 or 2:2 or Third.

So, even if you don’t need a First Class degree, even if you don’t think you want a First Class degree (though I’d ask you to get curious about this), and even if you don’t think it’s possible for you to achieve a First Class degree – I’d invite you to start studying with a First Class degree as your goal.

How to study like a First Class student

So how can you do this? I’ve boiled it down to four key steps.

1. Become the expert of your course so you can play the First Class game

This is THE most important step so definitely focus your study improvement energy on this part first.

First Class students are STRATEGIC. They don’t try to study like everyone else and they don’t take every bit of studying advice they’ve heard and smush it together and call it their study plan.

Your specific subject and course has specific boxes that you need to tick to achieve top grades. So you need to become the expert of your course, a detective who’s going to work out what those boxes are and then study in a way to tick them.

Whether you’re wanting or needing a First Class degree or not, studying strategically IS the most effective way and there are other benefits. Unstrategic students have to study for longer each week because the techniques they use aren’t the best matched. They experience more overwhelm and confusion and stress – again because their study techniques are just not that great.

So, what can you do about it?

Take the time before your next module or class begins to investigate your course. Read all the possible guidance and info about the course structure and how you will be assessed. Identify the learning outcomes and criteria that you’ll be judged on. Find the rules for your assessments such as referencing and formatting styles. Read all your course information so you can distil the golden rules – then you’ve just gotta follow them.

I’m running an awesome programme this September which will help you with exactly this. It’s called Your Best Academic Year Yet and, as you can probably guess, it’s designed to help you have your best academic year yet. The programme consists of four virtual workshops (and lifetime access to the recordings) and live support from me which will guide you through creating a personalised blueprint and action plan of exactly how you’re going to study for YOUR unique studying situation – so you can study less each week, have an easier studying life AND achieve the grades you really want.

I’ll be opening the doors publicly at the beginning of September so stay tuned for more details. I ran the programme last year under a different name, and the students found it so helpful to be able to start the academic year feeling confident and ready.

2. Build study habits that could lead to a First Class degree

Your academic success (and how much you enjoy the process) depends on your study habits.

Yes, you may be motivated and determined to achieve your qualification, but whether you come out of it with the result you really want comes down to what you do in the 500-1000 study sessions it takes to complete it.

And what you do in these sessions comes down to habits. Whether or not your planned study sessions even happen, or whether you sack lots of them off. How much progress you make in your study sessions will come down to your ability to maintain focus and productivity. How much progress you make each week and month will come down to your habits in organisation, time management and prioritisation.

The easiest way for you to get started is to download my FREE study session planners. This is a one-page planner, with six different variations, that you can use throughout each and every study session if you want to. Either type directly into it on a device or print and complete by hand. It’s specifically designed with the art and science of effective study habits in mind.

You’ll create your own simple, productive study plan in just a few minutes, so you can make the most out of your scarce study time, get more done in less time, and make faster progress towards your dream university grades. Head to the link in the episode description to download these for free.

3. Choose note taking, essay writing and exam prep strategies that will allow you to score First Class grades

This is an extension of the first point about studying strategically. You need to pick the strategies that are going to work for your course. So once you’ve worked out what the golden rules are, the boxes to tick for your course, you can then have a think about the potential strategies to use.

For example, reading and note taking will likely take up a hefty proportion of most students’ study time each week. But the output of all this reading and note taking often doesn’t actually translate to great grades. I often see students who are reading too much for the type of assessments they have. Or they’re reading and understanding but not taking notes that will actually help them in their essays and/or exams.

So, take what you learned from your investigation of your course, and identify study strategies that align.

For example, if your course is mainly assessed through essays that occur at the end of each unit of material, then you would want to adopt an essay strategy of breaking down the question BEFORE you start studying the relevant material. And you would want to adopt a note taking strategy of not just summarising the material in your notes but adding your own thoughts and ideas through the lens of your essay question, so your notes will actually help you write your essay (rather than laying forgotten in your notebook or on your laptop).

If this is an area you’d like support with then I would encourage you to enrol in Your Best Academic Year Yet as you’ll learn how to identify the right study strategies for you, and I’ll be on hand for two weeks to help you personally if you get stuck.

4. Develop the resilient growth mindset of a First Class achieving student

Without a strong, confident mindset, studying can be a real struggle. Obstacles WILL always come up in your studies, the same for every student. Overwhelm, confusion, imposter syndrome, boredom, disappointment, fear of failure, procrastination.

What separates the First Class student is that they have a toolkit of techniques to reduce the downtime spent being caught up in these obstacles. They bounce back from challenges quickly, rather than losing whole study sessions, days, weeks or longer to them.

They also develop a growth mindset which is the belief that all your abilities are changeable and improvable. You can become smarter and a more organised / focused / productive / motivated student with effort, smart strategies and the right support.

One way that you can start this process is to build your evidence bank that you can become the student you want to be.

Think of something that you think a First Class student does, or a focused / productive / disciplined student does.

Then do it. Accrue evidence, piece by piece, that you can be that student. Keep going. If you fail, that’s OK, just accrue a positive piece of evidence soon after. Over time, you’ll start to change your beliefs because you’re DOING the thing.

In the Your Best Academic Year Yet programme you’ll breakthrough your limiting beliefs and build a toolkit of simple, empowering mindset techniques to lift you out of low motivation, procrastination and fear so you can *finally* believe in your learning abilities and achieve your goals. Whenever you’re feeling low, unmotivated, doubting or in a bit of a funk – you can turn to your workbook to find your own personalised Confident Learner techniques to get you back into a positive, productive headspace.

Focus on the First Class process and then the First Class result will take care of itself

So let’s round this out. You’ve likely heard the analogy to shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars.

When you study like a First Class student, you may not achieve a First Class degree, but you’ll be a goddamn happier student as you’ll be studying in a more streamlined way that sees you achieving more in less time.

You may not achieve the First Class degree, but you’ll likely achieve higher grades than you thought.

You may not achieve the First Class degree…but what if you do?