How to have the right mindset for school

Hey everyone, this is Seth from sethpro.com. I hope you’ve had an awesome summer.

Today I want to talk about the mindset you should have as you begin this school year.

I don’t care if you’re in middle school, high school, college, or graduate school—it doesn’t matter. There are certain mindsets about school that will help you be successful, but not necessarily in the way you might think.

For example, I do not care about letter grades. I don’t even believe in letter grades. I think they are a necessary evil for a lot of you.

So I may not be saying things in a traditional sense, but I’m going to try to give you some helpful mindset tips.

First, as you approach this school year, you want to keep in mind the purpose of education.

What are you doing in school?

The purpose of education is to help you have an awesome life—not a mediocre life, not a sad life, not a hopeless life, but an awesome life.

Of course, education doesn’t always provide everything you need. Part of that is your responsibility: to grab the tools and get what you need out of it.

Sometimes you get amazing teachers—brilliant people who care about you, inspire you, and give you tools to believe in yourself.

So the purpose of education is to give you a toolkit, a toolbox, or a roadmap to build an incredible and authentic life—one that aligns with what you truly believe, not just what society or others expect from you.

Always keep that in mind. If education isn’t meeting that purpose, advocate for yourself, change classes if needed, and make adjustments. Education is for you.

Of course, you will do things like busy work or homework that may not feel valuable. You should listen to yourself when you question whether something is actually helping you. There’s a reason for that feeling.

So don’t ignore it. Think critically and address it in a healthy way.

Next, let’s talk about grades.

Again, I don’t believe in letter grades. I think they are morally questionable and a poor way to assess learning. They don’t reflect effort, growth, or understanding. They are often inconsistent because different teachers use different criteria.

So don’t put too much pressure on grades.

If you’re someone who always wants straight A’s and stresses over them, I want to caution you: that pressure may not serve you in the real world.

In life after school, things are not measured by grades.

Yes, grades may be a necessary evil in your school system, but what you should really focus on is learning, growth, and meaningful experiences—not just scores.

It’s okay to have goals, but think critically about what those grades actually represent.

Next is testing, especially standardized testing—like SAT, ACT, GRE, or state exams.

Somewhere along the way, people decided standardized tests would be a good way to measure ability. But they only provide a very small snapshot and don’t show the full picture.

I don’t personally believe in them. They are also a necessary evil.

So my mindset for you is: don’t stress too much.

These tests are not that important in the big picture of your life. They are called “high-stakes” because people put a lot of pressure on them, but that doesn’t mean they truly define you.

Go in, do your best, get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, and stay as relaxed as possible. The more nervous you are, the worse you’ll perform.

Do your best—and then let it go.

Remember: your education is for your future, so you can self-actualize and build the best life possible.

But it is also for your present.

If your current life is full of stress, overwork, or exhaustion, then something is wrong. You should also be able to enjoy your present life while building your future.

There is no point in sacrificing your entire present for a future that may or may not come.

Some students try to rush through school or overload themselves with work to finish faster. But they often lose their present life in the process.

Think about your balance. Take your time. Life is not going anywhere.

Now, what is success?

Is it grades? Test scores? Money? Social media followers?

No. That is not success.

Success is happiness and well-being.

It includes good relationships, emotional stability, and a strong support system.

In my model, there are four parts of a successful life: physical, emotional, social, and cognitive.

The physical part includes sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Are you taking care of your body?

The emotional part is your ability to regulate emotions like stress, anger, sadness, and anxiety. Can you manage your emotions in a healthy way?

The social part includes relationships and community. Do you have healthy friendships? Can you set boundaries? Do you feel like you belong?

The cognitive part is your learning and thinking. Do you understand how you learn best? Do you know your learning style? Do you study in ways that actually work for your brain?

All four areas affect each other. The healthier each one is, the better your overall well-being.

The goal is to build balance in all four areas so you can live a successful and meaningful life.

Finally, remember: education is not only school.

If school isn’t meeting your needs, you can learn from books, videos, experiences, and other people.

Take control of your education.

That’s it for this video. I hope it was helpful.

If you liked it, please share it with someone you care about. Have an awesome school year, and I’ll see you soon.