Exam Study Expert: ace your exams with the science of learning

Today, in the lead-up to exam season, we’re diving right into how to perform well in high-stakes, high-pressure situations with expert Dr Brian Hite. 

And who better to ask about high stakes than a stuntman, former army resilience trainer, sports psychologist and coach who specialises in performance under pressure.

Dr Brain tackles exam pressure and tough questions, the 4 important stages of a high-stakes performance, and real-time t...

Got a lot on your plate at the moment? Today we're helping you thrive in a demanding exam season with the help of "the easy button": specific moves you can make to take some of the pressure off in the short-term and free up a little extra time and brainspace to focus on your studies.

Take a listen, and let us know in the comments where YOU'LL be pressing that easy button in future!

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Perfectionism can feel like ambition for many students, but it often fuels anxiety, procrastination, and a harsh inner critic that makes studying harder than it needs to be. 

We’re joined today by Harvard-trained clinical psychologist, author and perfectionism expert Dr Tara Cousineau, to unpack the psychology and triggers of perfectionism. Dr Tara shares practical skills everyone can employ for putting self-compassion before self-c...

Today, I'm sharing one question that cuts through revision stress and helps you decide what to study next: what kind of learning feels most difficult right now? 

Tune in to find out why mental resistance is a signal to prioritise that work and how you can, rather than leave it to one side, actually lean into it and do more of the practice that matters most.

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Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, indepe...

Many of the students and scholars I speak to struggle with stress, anxiety and overwhelming emotions: about exams, assignments, academic pressure or feeling behind.

So today we're chatting with Dr Jennifer Veilleux, clinical therapist and Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Arkansas. 

Dr Jenn explains all her key practical strategies, rooted in scientific research, that can make up an effective emotional toolki...

Everything's a u shaped curve: don't work too hard, but not too little either, for best results.

Explore how understanding this "sweet spot" principle can help you find the balance in your study routine, as well as get the right balance in other areas of your study strategy too, such as how many spaced repetitions are optimal for you, or the right mix of different study methods for your needs. 

Unlock the secrets behind how a top student in Australia crushed his finals and secured a top 1% score in his state — and learn exactly how you can apply his disciplined strategies to your own exams. Harry's journey proves that success isn’t just about talent; it's about precision, routine, and metacognitive awareness.

We break down:
- The role of consistent daily habits in high-stakes exams
- How to use ...

Small can be mighty when it comes to setting the right study goals, especially at first! Learn why consistency is queen, and how a "do-able come rain or shine" study routine is the key to building and maintaining momentum in your learning, and maximising your progress in the long-run.

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Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to stu...

What if the fastest way to learn better is to understand why and where learning breaks down?

In this episode, I’m joined by leading UK educator and author Alex Quigley to unpack his eight predictable failure points that derail studying — and the practical, research-backed strategies that fix them.

Failure is normal. Success comes from recognising the signals early and responding with the right tools: retrieval practice, spaced learni...

What if improving results across an entire school came down to a handful of simple learning habits, done well, every day? 

In this episode we sit down with two headteachers from top-performing UK schools – Andy Green (Copleston High School) and Peter Lee (Q3 Academy Langley) – to discover how the science of learning effectively has influenced their leadership, teaching approaches, and the learning experiences of their students when ...

What is metacognition? And how can you use it to plan smarter, reflect on exams and evaluate your daily learning with clarity?

We’re joined by Nathan Burns, aka Mr Metacognition, to explore his favourite stackable metacognitive learning strategies that will have you reflecting on and improving your studying at home and in the classroom – from this moment, right through exam season and beyond. 

Discover how to think metacognitively ab...

Join William for a quick pep talk on showing due respect to the exam you're sitting, with surprising benefits for your motivation, enjoyment of the study process and even your end result.

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Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.

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In this episode, learn how to conquer distraction and build a healthier relationship with technology using quick wins for a digital detox.

Our guest is digital detox expert, technologist and TEDx speaker Colin Corby. We explore how constant digital distractions affect attention span, deep learning, reading comprehension, critical thinking, sleep, and productivity — especially for students.

Colin shares practical, ...

In today’s mini episode we’re taking a look at the surprisingly helpful question of what you do on your study breaks.

Choosing the right break activities can help you return to work on time, ready to go again, perhaps with some fresh insights and certainly some fresh energy.

The wrong break activity can suck you into a spiral of procrastination that turns a 10 minute breather into 50 minutes of doom scrolling.

Choose a smarter break w...

To kick off the new year we’re sitting down with neuroscientist, international speaker and author Dr Sarah McKay to translate decades of neuroscience research into straightforward tactics students can use today for better sleep, enhanced focus and improved grades.

Dr Sarah McKay has a distinguished career as one of Australia's best known science communicators. She's passionate about translating brain science into practical...

Today, we're turning good intentions and a long list of things you need to do or should do or would like to do into consistent action!

Key ideas today include:
• fresh start effect as useful motivation
• split goals into one-off and ongoing tasks
• schedule one-off tasks in the diary
• design daily habits with clear what, when, and why
• use weekly blocks for deep, flow-based work
• set seasonal hab...

In this final very special episode to round out 2025, we welcome world-renowned personality expert Professor Brian Little to help us answer the question: who are you really?

As one of the great scholars of our time in the field of personality psychology, Professor Little's wonderfully engaging teaching style has also won him “favourite teacher” accolades at Harvard and found him described as a cross between seeing Robin William...

Discover the three core ways to prioritise better in your studying, to get through what you need to do in much less time with as little impact as possible on the quality of your output.

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Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.

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