Advice for Ronin students, based on my own realizations

🔺 Things I want readers to be aware of (For those who are about to become or are currently Ronin students / For high school students who aren't focused on their studies)

1. Having "time" is by no means an advantage

Ronin life certainly provides time. However, managing that time and using it in a meaningful way is harder than you might imagine. "Having time" does not mean "having freedom," but rather "being in a state where you must be prepared to fight loneliness."

2. Almost no one can improve their grades while being easy on themselves

I might have had a certain level of natural intelligence and a knack for languages, but most people don't. If you mistake being a Ronin for "free time," you will realize it too late. No matter how efficiently you study, the results are what ultimately matter. It is important to treat time management skills as part of your actual ability and to work on developing them.

3. A nocturnal lifestyle will inevitably erode your mental health

You might get the illusion that you can concentrate better late at night, but in reality, reversing your day and night cycle thins your connections with others and disrupts your mental balance. "Waking up in the morning" is one of the most effective countermeasures for Ronin life.

4. "Avoidance studying" is meaningless

Focusing only on English, only on vocabulary, or only on summarizing notes. It makes it look like you're working, but you won't improve. You cannot conquer entrance exams without facing the subjects or difficult areas you are weak in. When I was a high school student, I hadn't touched English, so this avoidance-based studying worked out for me. I was running away from math.

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❌ Mistakes I made (Reflections from the author himself)

1. I couldn't make good use of the cram school system

I lost sight of the purpose of attending, stopped going to classes, and only used the self-study rooms and my commuter pass as "tools." It wasn't that I couldn't receive support from the cram school; I closed myself off from it.

2. I ran away from relationships with others (parents, cram school staff)

I couldn't even say which school I wanted to attend, couldn't express my true feelings, didn't go home, and didn't answer calls from my parents or the cram school. "As a result of avoiding the friction of relationships, I couldn't use anyone's support"—this also became a cause of my isolation.

3. By continuing to avoid mock exams, I became unable to face reality

I created a situation where I could only compete in the actual exam. Even if mock exams were scary, it was necessary to know my "standing" from which I had been running away.

4. I used romance, sex, and entertainment too much as an escape for my emotions

Romance and sexual experiences temporarily mask anxiety and impatience, but they don't solve any fundamental problems. In fact, they can sometimes return later as even greater self-doubt.

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💡 Tips/Useful realizations

1. Have a "place where you can be alone"

If your cram school doesn't suit you, just having a place where you can be calm and alone without talking to anyone during the busy days of being a Ronin student or preparing for exams will make you feel much more at ease.
If cram schools or prep schools don't suit you, McDonald's, Starbucks, a library, or even a park bench is fine.
The important thing is to have a "personal sanctuary" where you can think, "If I come here, I can feel a little relieved."

✅ A place you can drop by when your heart is restless
✅ A "space where no one interferes" restores your concentration
✅ A place for studying, and at the same time, a shelter for your heart

2. Create an "environment where you have no choice but to study" through self-investment

I recommend using your own money and time, not your parents', to go to a cafe or McDonald's to study.
Even if it's just a few hundred yen, the fact that you paid for it yourself creates a mindset of "it's a waste if I don't do it."
If you make that a habit as a "place for studying," you will naturally create an environment where you can concentrate.

✅ Paying for it yourself makes you determined
✅ Investing in a place turns on your "study switch"
✅ You develop the value that studying is not a wasted expense

3. Accept your past self without denying it

Days you skipped studying, days you couldn't go to class.
Instead of blaming yourself and saying, "That was bad,"
accept it by saying, "At that time, that was my own choice."
Not denying your past self becomes the strength for your current self to recover and restart.

✅ "Acceptance" rather than reflection is the first step to a fresh start
✅ If you can think, "I am who I am today because of that," you can become stronger
✅ You can start over while still carrying your past

4. Get a boyfriend or girlfriend!!!

Honestly, there are days when you can't move just "for your own sake."
But the moment it becomes "for her sake," you might find yourself working harder than you can even understand.
Having someone important, wanting to get results for that person, wanting to look cool. This isn't just about studying.
That feeling becomes the best driving force to move yourself forward.

✅ Romance is the ultimate motivation device
✅ "For someone else" goes beyond "for yourself"
✅ Even if a girlfriend is impossible, a parent or friend you can trust is enough of a weapon

5. View your Ronin life as a "time for self-dialogue"

Being a Ronin student is not just a period to spend a year raising your test scores.
Days when things don't go as planned, times when you feel crushed by loneliness and anxiety.
Even so, the experience of having strayed from the path for a year but not running away from the goal will definitely become a "life skill" in the future.

✅ You can get to know yourself as much as you have worried
✅ The time you spent standing still creates depth in your life
✅ "Even if it seems like you're doing nothing, you are properly building up"

6. Restore your afternoon concentration with a 15-minute nap

Take a 15-minute nap after lunch.
It is even more effective if you consume carbohydrates for breakfast and lunch right before that.
I recommend playing Gento Kono's 15-minute nap video on YouTube while you sleep.

https://youtu.be/AEDcJXO6Qfo

If you are very sleepy, up to 30 or 45 minutes is okay.
Affirm that "being tired is proof that yesterday's self worked hard," and go ahead and rest.

✅ Turn "sleeping" into a strategy, not slacking off
✅ Even a short sleep makes it easier for your head to feel clear
✅ By resting, your self-affirmation also recovers

7. If a reference book doesn't suit you, change it immediately

For reference books, "being a good fit" is more important than "continuing with it." I also only did one field and changed many of them.
If the content doesn't sink in, you don't feel motivated, or it's too difficult—
in those cases, it's okay to change to something else immediately instead of enduring and continuing.
When you find a book that matches your style, studying becomes surprisingly easy.

✅ It's not that "you are no good," it's just that "the reference book doesn't fit"
✅ The decision to switch is more important than the time spent hesitating
✅ Once you find a book that is like a "partner," you can continue naturally

8. The reason I insist on "loose-leaf paper × ballpoint pen"

Not a notebook, but loose-leaf paper. Not a mechanical pencil, but a ballpoint pen.
That is not just a choice of stationery, but "the author's own personal style."
The feel of the pen, the texture of the paper. The sensation of carving your own thoughts into it deepens your learning.
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When "writing" becomes fun, studying also becomes positive
✅ Your own rules become a "motivation switch," and the same goes for study methods.
✅ Small obsessions become the large foundation that supports your habits

9. Moving your body is moving your brain

Have you ever experienced a significant boost in your studies when you kept up with strength training or light exercise? For me, it was playing soccer or doing arm workouts with dumbbells.
Training your brain is actually deeply connected to moving your body.
Improved blood flow not only enhances concentration and memory but also strengthens your mental state.

✅ Moving your body is the best way to activate your brain
✅ Strength training acts as a switch for study mode
✅ The refreshing feeling after moving boosts your motivation

10. I recommend "Weider in Jelly Glucose" for energy replenishment while studying (be careful not to drink too much)

When you are tired from long hours of studying, quick energy replenishment is very important. I often bought them by the box.
"Weider in Jelly Glucose" allows you to easily consume glucose that is absorbed quickly, helping you recover your concentration immediately.
However, be careful, as drinking too much can cause your blood sugar levels to spike rapidly, which may lead to drowsiness afterward.
I tried candies and rock sugar as well, but this was the best. Whatever it is, make sure to find what works best for you.

✅ Perfect for quick energy replenishment
✅ Drinking too much can cause blood sugar fluctuations and lead to drowsiness
✅ Be mindful of the amount and use it to refresh during study breaks

11. The "ability to do things on your own" is the greatest harvest from studying at home as a ronin

For someone like me who studied almost entirely at home, the biggest thing I gained this year was the "ability to do things on my own."
It is the power to sit at your desk by your own will, rather than moving because someone told you to.
There were countless days when I didn't feel motivated, but
even so, the number of days where I "did it without being told" gradually increased.
The point is not to "do it because you are motivated," but
to adopt the attitude of "doing it even when you are not motivated."

✅ The strength to act on your own will, not by someone else's instructions
✅ A habit of not waiting for motivation leads to results
✅ It may be invisible, but it might be the biggest growth of all