Most people think that they can brute force studying while ignoring their mental health. Without looking at a study or googling anything, answer this question for yourself: If my ability to focus on nothing increases, will I be more or less likely to succeed on the ISEE? The answer is yes. Focusing on nothing is exactly what meditating trains your brain to do. Every time you loose your focus while meditating and you bring it back, it’s like a push up for the brain. Meditating trains your mind to recenter its focus after being distracted. Do this enough and you will be able to focus on anything at will. The ISEE is a long exam and you most likely have not had to focus for three hours straight on anything before in your life ever. So you may want to meditate. Here’s how: Start simple. You don’t need a fancy course or app or incense candles. Simple put a timer on your phone for five minutes, sit down and focus on breathing. When some other thought pops in, recenter your mind to the breath. That’s it. If you do that everyday, you will see a marked improvement in focus and you will be more prepared to concentrate on test day. If you want to really get the most out of it, here are some tips: - Progressive overload: increase the time by a minute every couple of days. Hopefully, you get to like 30 minutes by test day. For me, that is the highest ROI amount of time to meditate for daily. - Quality over quantity. Staying fully focused for five is better than letting you mind wander for fifteen. Make you sessions count by making an effort to hold your focus. - Stack meditation and practicing. Meditate before practice — it will make your practice more effective - Consistency is key. Meditating daily for five is better than one session every Sunday for 30mins. Meditation is hard but is one of the biggest non-studying levers you can pull to succeed on the ISEE. Not to mention the various ways it will benefit your day to day life. But, at first, even three minutes will be difficult. Don’t let it discourage you. We live in a very overstimulated world. Short form content has probably cooked most of our attention spans, but meditating can fix it.

Most people treat standardized tests like a monster under the bed. They panic, cram, burn themselves out, and then wonder why their performance never matches their potential. Here’s the truth: The test is not your enemy. It is simply a mirror. It reflects your habits, your focus, and your ability to manage your mind under pressure. If you adopt the right mindset, practice will be less daunting and more rewarding. Here’s how: - Focus on growth, not perfection. Every mistake is data. It tells you exactly where to aim your effort. Use mistakes as an opportunity for learning. - Consistency beats cramming. One hour a day for a month will take you further than thirty hours the weekend before the test. - Confidence comes from proof. Don’t try to “feel” confident. Track your progress and let the numbers speak. - Quality over quantity. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about mastering what matters most. Don’t cheat yourself: make sure you are engaged fully during your practice session. Take the time to truly understand your mistakes . - Control what you can. Sleep. Food. Pacing. Attitude. These are your tools. The rest will never be fully in your hands. And on test day? Don’t fight your nerves. Use them. That energy is your brain switching into high gear. Remember: your preparation isn’t just about this test. You’re training a way of thinking that will carry you through debates, school, and every challenge you’ll face later on in life. Treat the test like practice. Treat your preparation like training. And treat your mistakes like teachers. Do this, and the test will stop feeling like a threat— and start feeling like an opportunity. Best, Julian PS. You can sign up for a free one on one lesson with me where I can coach you on your mindset or teach you a concept you struggle with. Shoot me a DM and we will set it up!