How To Learn For Your GCSEs Without Burnout - What Every Teen (and Parent) Needs to Know.
Right now, thousands of teenagers are sitting at kitchen tables, highlighters in hand, staring at revision notes—wondering if they’re doing enough.
The pressure to perform in GCSEs is intense.
Parents want the best for their kids.
Schools push for results.
And students feel like their future is riding on a single exam paper.
But what if that pressure is doing more harm than good?
And what if there was a better way to learn—a smarter way to succeed?
In this episode, we sit down with Aaron, who was once a quiet, underconfident student labelled “not academic.” He wasn’t top of the class. He didn’t believe he was clever. But something shifted—and today, he’s applying for a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology, driven by a passion for understanding how we learn, grow, and perform under pressure.
Aaron’s story is proof that confidence and potential can be built.
And it starts with understanding how the brain really works.
Whether you're a GCSE student or the parent of one, this episode gives you practical tools to reduce stress, improve focus, and make learning stick—without burning out.
👩👧 This episode is for you if…
- You’re a student who feels like you’re working hard but nothing’s going in.
- You’re a parent trying to support your child through GCSEs.
- You want strategies to learn faster without burnout.
🎯 What You’ll Learn:
- How stress and pressure impacts the brain—and why it kills motivation.
- The #1 biggest revision mistake most students make that stops learning.
- 3 Tools to learn faster without spending hours reading materials.
- Why rest, recovery, and exercise are more important than revision.
- The role of neuroplasticity in confidence, learning and changing your brain at any age.
- How Aaron rewired his mindset from a lost boy to a Dr of Sport Psychology.
- What parents should and shouldn't say during exam period.
Timestamp Highlights -
00:00:00 Introduction & Aaron’s return to the podcast
00:03:00 School stress, migraines, and pressure in exams
00:07:50 Aaron's backstory & strength training at 12 years old
00:13:10 Strength training as the gateway to self-confidence
00:17:30 From “the grey man” to self-belief
00:25:40 GCSE pressure, identity, and performance anxiety
00:33:00 What sparked Aaron’s journey toward psychology
00:41:30 Keir’s powerful story: from factory burnout to university
00:52:40 The moment learning clicked (for both of us)
01:00:30 Why every student should understand neuroplasticity
01:12:00 Purpose, pressure, and exam overwhelm
01:17:45 Best strategies for memory and revision (spaced repetition, active recall)
01:27:50 The role of sleep, recovery, and exercise in learning
01:34:20 Final tips for students and parents.
Links:
Episode 1 with Aaron
How to connect and link up with Aaron -
Connect and link up with Keir -
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