Austin Scholar #100: My top 100 pieces of advice for teens and parents (from 100 newsletters)
& what I’ve been up to…
Hey, y'all!
This week from Austin Scholar…
My top 100 pieces of advice for teens and parents (from 100 newsletters)
Scholar’s Sources: What I’ve been up to…
Welcome to Austin Scholar’s 100th newsletter!! I’m absolutely thrilled and proud of myself for making it this far – and I’m grateful for all of you, who have been on this journey alongside me. My deepest gratitude and thanks to you for being along for the ride <3
PS – this newsletter got a little long, so just click “View entire message” if it gets cut off.
My top 100 pieces of advice for teens and parents (from 100 newsletters)
Because it’s the 100th newsletter, I thought I’d do something a little different. There’s now a vast amount of content from this newsletter, which could seem overwhelming for someone to work through.
So, this week I’m going to write 100 pieces of advice to help your teenager crush school, life, and all the challenges of growing up.
Each one of these is from a different newsletter (and putting this together was a trip down memory lane).
My top 100 pieces of advice for teens (and parents of teens):
When you learn through apps (in 2 hours every day), you can spend the afternoon doing incredible, seemingly-impossible, Olympic-level projects.
Austin’s app analysis: The best education is adaptive and comprehensive.
The Sheep God of Catan: Combining your interests and skills in a unique way allows you to become the world's expert in your own domain.
Giving teachers more work won’t solve our educational crisis. Online, adaptive, AI-powered apps are what allow each student to have a personalized education.
Knowing Knewton: Austin’s app analysis: If you get stuck on a problem, ask ChatGPT 4 or other trusted sources or videos, or google the learning objective for more information.
Teenagers need to take control of their education. You can start by holding your kid’s hand as they begin their education journey, but there comes a time when you need to let them stand on their own.
Teenagers need to learn how to write online. Writing online allows teenagers to connect with a wider audience and share their ideas. Their future relies on the internet, so they should prepare for it.
Work harder, not longer. Improve your work ethic by learning how to do deep work, building habits, and giving yourself incentives.
The accounting disaster of sixth grade: Living a balanced life isn’t about spending equal amounts of time on each part of your life, but instead about living life according to your Values Pie Chart.
Let teenagers take naps. Don’t call your kid lazy for sleeping in on the weekend. They probably really need it.
Finding your tribe: Find people who share similar passions and interests with you and who can motivate you and help you improve.
Managing May: To crush AP tests, the most important thing is to take a bunch of practice tests.
The pros and cons of Khan Academy: Don't cheat an app even if you can. Taking the easy route burns you in the long run. Take the extra time to actually memorize what it's teaching you.
Even if it’s not your kid…: True, not every child is affected by poor mental health. Maybe it’s not your kid, but it might be your kid’s best friend, or your best friend’s kid, so make sure you’re prepared to listen and learn.
The secrets to communication: Teenagers want to be treated with respect. We want to be treated as though we are more than just stupid kids (even if sometimes we are).
Your teen’s mental health knowledge shouldn’t come from Reddit. Make sure to foster healthy discussions about mental health in your family. If you don’t, your teen will learn about it from other – more unhealthy – means.
How you should respond if your teen comes out: Even if you don’t understand something your kid is doing, make sure they know you’re there for them no matter what.
Do educational apps really work? Yes, but they work best if your kid owns their education.
How Jayson Tatum used YouTube to become one of the NBA’s greatest players: Teach your kid how to learn and they’ll become an expert in anything.
Three rules for getting your teenager to read over the summer: To get your kid to start a reading habit, send them an article every day. Not only will they start reading more, but you can connect and have conversations about it.
What your kid can learn from the Kardashians: The three things that set the Kardashian family apart from anyone else is their expertise in their unique areas, their unrelenting drive, and their ability to turn something negative into something positive.
How to help your kid find value in their summer: To have a productive conversation about your kid’s summer (or anything else), make sure you don’t lecture. A lecture just turns your teen off and triggers a series of "It's fine"s and "I don't care"s, instead of allowing real ideas to flow.
Making friends 101: the Survivor social game: If your kid struggles to make quality friends, challenge them to try to make Survivor alliances.
The science of compression (and how it can help your kid go viral): The internet is a competition of who can compress ideas the best. Learn compression, win the contest.
The real-life magic of Harry Potter: Non-fiction isn’t the only valuable type of reading. Encourage your kid to read something magical, and you might find a new love of reading unlocked in them.
Three ways to get your kid ready for the school year: Spend your time in alignment with your values.
ESSENTIAL resources for going back to school: Increase productivity through time-blocking and surrounding yourself with the resources you need.
The incomplete life of Johnson: Make history like a mystery by asking yourself “what’s been left out?”
The college process (from an admissions officer’s perspective): You don’t have to be perfect. Just show that you are open-minded, curious, eager, self-aware, and would bring a positive energy to a college campus.
Five logical reasons why mental health needs to come first: Better mental health leads to high ambition and more work completed.
Benjamin Bloom and the two-sigma problem: Adaptive apps are the solution to education’s long-time problems.
How to constructively “follow your passion”: Use the Ikigai framework to help your kid give life its own energy.
The truth about mastery: True mastery and excellence isn’t knowing you can get a question right, it’s knowing that you can’t get it wrong.
The science of cognitive distortions (or twisty thoughts): Instead of “should-ing” yourself (I should’ve studied more, gone to bed earlier, etc.), start problem solving.
Why every kid needs a “just for fun” hobby: Help your kid find something active they like to do where they don’t need to focus on the outcome.
The four skills that made this Red Sox a 100 million dollar contract will get your high schooler straight As: “Watch your game film” – go back and review what you’ve done and see how you can improve.
What your kid needs to know to crush the PSAT: Mnemonics are an easy way to memorize formulas.
How to teach your kid history (so they’ll actually learn it): Teach history like a story.
Don’t put screen time limits on TikTok: If you teach your kid to use TikTok constructively, TikTok isn’t a waste of time.
Why we’re teaching gratitude wrong: Make gratitude about something that’s actually meaningful, not just a comparison game.
Yes, you should bribe your kid: Bribing your kid is an effective way to get them to do hard things (and no, it’s not killing their motivation).
How a Jeopardy game helped me improve my studying strategy: The hardest but most effective way to learn is interleaving (basically weaving different subjects and question types together in one study session).
Why your teen should write on Twitter: Writing on Twitter is one of the best ways to build a network in whatever area you find interesting.
From perfectionist to perfector – teaching kids the power of continuous improvement: Help your kid reframe perfection so they don’t get stuck.
Thank you for an amazing 2022: Stop and ask your kid sometimes, “What are some things in my life that “one-year ago me” wouldn’t believe?”
How to set your kids up for success in 2023: Review your kid’s year with them to set great goals for the next.
Life advice from Sahil Bloom (teen’s version): High schoolers are known to be poor decision-makers – they, more than anyone, need decision-making tools. Teach them Razors.
How to teach your kids to write better than ChatGPT: Sharing your personal experiences and emotions will keep you interesting in a world where most things can be created by AI.
How your kid can strategize their way to their dream life: Teach your kid to be adaptable – to have a backup plan for their backup plan.
How to motivate your teen to push their limits: To motivate your kid, create a high-input, high-output reward system.
How your teen can outsmart their brain: To defeat procrastination, get enough sleep, learn how to get in the flow, and create deadlines.
How writing online changed my life in one year: Make sure your kid is surrounded by people who will push them to do their best.
Why Alpha High students score so high on their MAP tests: 50% of our graduating high school seniors know as much math as the highest-performing second grader. Don’t let your kid be one of them.
How texting saved my relationship with my parents: If you’re struggling to communicate with your kid, try texting them instead of forcing them to an uncomfortable in-person conversation.
What Mary Poppins can teach us about education: Don’t just tell kids to learn something. Give it to them with a spoonful of sugar. Make them want to learn.
Math is an art, writing is a science: We’re teaching math and writing backwards – math should be taught through imagination and writing through logic.
Three writing equations your kid can use: If you have a “STEM kid,” they can improve their writing by thinking about it as an equation, not an art.
16 things I learned at 16: When something doesn’t go your way, it’s okay to cry for a few minutes, but then you have to get back up and start problem solving.
My interview with Sadie Sutton (a teen mental health expert): Tell your teens when you see them going through a hard time that “I see you’re struggling, and I’m here for you,”
Why (and how) your kid should use AI to study: Learning how to prompt is the most valuable skill your kid can learn right now.
The slime obsession that taught 6th-grade girls more than their classes did: Your kids can learn more following their obsessions than they can in a classroom.
What AP prep and Taylor Swift can teach your kid about grit: When your kid does things on their own terms, they’ll perform at a higher level.
The magic of a self-care list: Keep an emergency list of things that recharge your energy.
Bad test score or the end of the world? Your kid thinks a bad test score will change the course of their life. Remind them that it won’t.
How generative AI will transform education: Use generative AI to create lessons on topics you’re struggling with.
How an online test can save your family’s internal communication: You can stop unnecessary fighting and miscommunication if you take the Clifton Strengths Finder test.
How to design epic summer plans (and why you should): You can spend your summers getting ahead on your projects.
Meeting my YouTube hero Ali Abdaal: People are the internet are real – you can meet them and build a relationship with them if you just reach out.
Takeaways from my junior year (and how they can help your kid): Learn from my mistakes so you can be more successful.
How to intentionally build a relationship with your kid, even if they’re angry at you: Set traditions with your kid that are sacred – where you just have fun and don’t argue about things.
The three equations you need to connect with your kid: To start a conversation with your kid about their day, make it specific, don’t ask about grades or homework, and talk about your own day.
My thoughts on screen time, summer plans, and other reader questions: Use DEARMAN (a therapy skill) to have a productive conversation about screen time.
Helping 500 Ukrainian refugee kids: A handful of teenagers can impact hundreds of lives.
Learning a life skill – receiving feedback: When you receive uncomfortable feedback, own it.
Summer projects to help your kid learn AI: Your kid can use their free months to master AI (one of the most valuable skills) in a fun way.
How to help your kid get better at receiving feedback: To help your kid learn to receive feedback, have them practice giving feedback.
How to use ChatGPT to break through goal paralysis: When your kid is struggling to set goals, ask ChatGPT to give you personalized goals.
How to teach your kid about ambiguity: Rubrics and “fairness” don’t exist in real life.
The negative impacts of social media on your teen (it’s not what you think): The big problem with social media isn’t a lack of self-esteem, it’s that it creates envy, emptiness, and a lack of self-control.
What is a Masterpiece? And why should your kid have one?: Your kids should be challenging themselves as much as if they were Olympic athletes.
Five Masterpieces from my friends at Alpha: Teenagers are capable of way more than we think they are.
2 Hour Learning: You can use AI-powered apps to learn in just 2 hours a day.
How AI is changing the role of teachers for the better: Use AI to answer academic questions and use your teacher as a motivational coach.
How to help your kid build the confidence to post online: The first times you post online are the hardest, so get those out of the way quickly.
To be passionate is to suffer: To find your passion, ask yourself what you’re willing to suffer for.
esports Academy: a game-changing approach to schooling: You can motivate kids to crush academics through video games.
The importance of asking good questions: The questions you ask impact how people perceive you, so make sure they’re good.
My top 5 rules for public speaking, plus Elon Musk’s pitching structure: Whenever you give a talk, engage with the audience.
50 Green Things: Find 50 things that make you happy.
Takeaways from my Twitter Space: Your biggest job is to support your kid’s passions and interests, even if they’re not academically focused.
How to have great conversations over the holidays: Build relationships by reaching out after conversations with a follow-up or a link.
Y-School: If you use the Y-School format, you can build an education around your passion and purpose that is more impressive than things done by most adults.
How my friends and I built an online course in 48 hours: Generative AI can help your kid create content and run a business.
How I got a 1600 SAT score: If you want to get an 800 SAT math score, don’t start learning Calculus, master 8th grade instead.
A year in review: Growing an audience can help you do things you didn’t think were possible.
From spreadsheets to soul-searching – how to review your 2023: Assess your progress based on your values.
Creating New Year’s resolutions for you and your kid (that you’ll actually achieve): Create short term habits to reach long term goals.
I got rejected from Oxford (but it didn’t destroy me): Remind your kid that their failures don’t define them as a person.
Why I love having tests to pass: Give your kid a test to pass to prove and improve their learning.
100 lessons: When you write a lot of newsletters, you end up with a lot of one-sentence learnings that you can share, and that’s pretty cool.
Scholar’s Sources: What I’ve been up to…
I truly can’t believe I’ve made it to 100 newsletters. I’ve been reflecting on everything that’s happened during my daily journaling (yes, I’ve kept up with every single one of my New Year’s resolutions) and all I have to say is that it’s been quite the journey.
On another note, since I don’t have an official math course this year, I’ve needed to re-math-ify myself, so here are some things I’ve been reading:
I loved this novel. It’s super short, punchy, and very thought-provoking. Basically, the narrator (A Square) talks about life in Flatland (two dimensions) and the politics associated with different shapes. And then, there’s the drama of different dimensions, which gets spicy. (It also sneakily goes into Calculus concepts, which was fun to spot). Fantastic allegorical story that I highly recommend.
Half of this TEDTalk is an ad, but I loved the premise: that algebra is hard because it’s the first time when math uses imagination instead of formulas. Most kids don’t realize this, so giving them a mindset shift before they even start algebra could be a huge help.
This video had such a beautiful representation of what math and numbers are – and how they can be understood in the real world. So whimsical and engaging to watch.
Thanks for reading. Go crush the week! See y'all on Sunday.