Students, how to FAIL this semester

20 Quick Tips for How to Fail This Semester

Hey, what’s going on? It’s me, Seth Perler, an executive function coach based in Colorado. I help struggling students navigate this thing called education so they can have an awesome life.

In this video, I’m going to give you 20 quick tips for how to fail this semester.

These tips are based on my own experience because, believe me, I failed quite a bit.

This video is for middle school, high school, and college students who want to fail this semester. Here’s exactly how I did it.

—

1. Tell Your Parents You’ve Turned Over a New Leaf

Start the semester by telling your parents:

> “I’ve got it.”
>
> “Leave me alone.”
>
> “I’m organized now.”
>
> “I’m motivated.”
>
> “I’ve turned over a new leaf.”

Make sure they think you have everything figured out.

2. Don’t Let Anyone Help You

Don’t let your parents help.

Don’t let your teachers help.

Just keep saying:

> “I’ve got this.”
>
> “Leave me alone.”
>
> “Get off my back.”

Promise them everything will be fine and refuse support.

3. Don’t Use a Planner

Try to keep everything in your head.

Use random sticky notes.

Write reminders in different places.

Trust your memory completely.

4. Don’t Be Proactive

Wait until the last minute.

Or better yet, pretend assignments don’t even exist.

Ignore them until they become emergencies.

5. Don’t Check Your Grades

Avoid checking online grade portals.

Don’t ask teachers about your grades.

Just assume everything is fine.

6. Don’t Advocate for Yourself

Never ask for help.

Don’t:

* Visit office hours
* Talk to teachers
* Ask questions before or after class
* Request clarification

Just struggle silently.

7. Don’t Take Responsibility

Use excuses.

Blame everything except yourself.

Adopt a “poor me” mindset.

It works great if your goal is to stay stuck.

⁠8. Don’t Think About Your Future

Assume everything will magically work out.

Maybe you’ll win the lottery.

No need to connect today’s actions with tomorrow’s outcomes.

1. Do Bare-Minimum Homework

Don’t focus on quality.

Just do enough to get by—or at least try to.

1. Don’t Organize Yourself

Keep stuffing papers into your backpack or locker.

You can make things look organized, but don’t actually create systems.

11. Don’t Really Study

Convince yourself that skimming or casually reviewing is enough.

Assume you’ll remember everything without putting in the work.

1. Don’t Take Care of Yourself

Skip the basics:

* Sleep
* Nutrition
* Exercise
* Hygiene

Those things definitely won’t affect your executive function at all.

1. Add More Clutter

Bring more clutter into:

* Your room
* Your backpack
* Your mind
* Your inbox

Never take time to clear things out.

1. Don’t Be Honest With Yourself

Tell yourself stories that aren’t true.

Avoid reality.

Distract yourself from difficult truths.

1. Ignore Your Inbox

Let emails pile up.

Don’t respond.

If you do respond, make it:

* Extremely short
* Unprofessional
* Barely polite

Avoid clear communication.

16. Embrace Distractions

Instead of focusing on important tasks, focus on whatever distracts you.

Procrastinate whenever possible.

1. Rush Through Your Work

Don’t take time to produce quality work.

Don’t dive deep.

Don’t revise.

Just get it done as quickly as possible.

1. Don’t Have a Dedicated Study Space

Study:

* In bed
* On the couch
* On the floor

Keep your phone nearby.

Keep lots of tabs open.

Surround yourself with distractions.

1. Stay Stuck in Your Mindset

Keep telling yourself:

> “I’m lazy.”
>
> “I’m a failure.”
>
> “Nothing will change.”

A fixed mindset is a great way to stay exactly where you are.

1. Don’t Invest in Yourself

Don’t develop your:

* Strengths
* Interests
* Passions
* Talents

Instead, spend all your time on things that don’t help you grow.

—

The Truth

I almost failed high school.

I failed out of college.

I dropped out of a second college before I could fail out there too.

I was not a successful student.

And many of the habits I just listed were things I actually did.

—

If you follow this advice, you’ll likely fail classes, limit future opportunities, and make life much harder than it needs to be.

But here’s the good news:

I changed my life.

It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I did it.

And if you struggle with executive function, you can do it too.

—

The world needs you.

You have strengths, talents, gifts, and abilities that nobody else has.

For me, creativity comes naturally. Generating ideas is easy for me.

For you, it may be something completely different.

Yes, executive function challenges are real.

Yes, some things may genuinely be harder for you.

But that does not mean you are broken.

—

Over time, I learned to see my challenges differently.

I began to view them as gifts.

They helped me:

* Become stronger
* Learn what I’m good at
* Learn what I’m not good at
* Build systems and supports
* Focus on my strengths

Those challenges helped shape who I became.

—

One of my favorite quotes comes from Jim Rohn:

> “The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming.”

When you stretch yourself, grow, and maximize your potential, it changes you.

It brings you alive.

—

Never Ever Give Up

My final message for you is simple:

NEGU.

Never Ever Give Up.

Never ever give up.

Yes, it’s hard.

Yes, it takes time.

Yes, it can feel like climbing a mountain.

But keep going.

You can accomplish your goals.

You can build a great future.

You can contribute something meaningful to the world.

—

When I stopped doing those 20 things and started doing the opposite, my life changed.

I realized I wasn’t worthless.

I realized I had something valuable to offer.

I took my future seriously.

I started viewing challenges as opportunities to grow.

And everything began to turn around.

So do your best.

Then do a little bit better.

Have a fantastic day.

Have a fantastic semester.

And remember:

Never. Ever. Give. Up.