The Weight of Two Words 

Rhythm Patel

“Lock in!” are the words I hear spiraling in my head day and night. And I get it. School is important for my future. If I want a high-paying job like a doctor, I do indeed need to lock in. But is this phrase a motivation or a pressure? As an Indian, my parents do, in fact, care about my academic performance, and they are 50/50: some good, some terrible. I hear this term more from my parents, even when school is already stressing me. How can I lock in when I am just plainly stressed and overwhelmed? “Locking in” started as a motivation for me, but later turned into pressure.

The idea of locking in is indeed ubiquitous. It has gotten popular among social media apps. As I lay in my bed, doomscrolling on my phone at 1 am on TikTok, I see videos of college students with their study vlogs. How do they make “locking in” fun? Well, it’s college, a fun and important part of your life, since you are studying what your future will be like, and you get to face new experiences. So much more amazing than high school, right? These students exhibit the mindset to lock in, since their future is coming closer to them than they think. I, on the other hand, well, it’s the opposite. I do lock in most of the time, but it just turns out to be a jumble of stress. Not only does it provoke my stress, but it also makes me

feel inferior.

See, my brother was something else. He never submitted any assignments and would skip school. Yet, he got a 1560 on the SAT with multiple 5s on the AP exams. I, on the other hand, who actually lock in for school, tend to get 4’s and a lower SAT score. During junior year, my parents pressured me to lock in on the SAT. I have been studying for this stupid test for months to get a good score like my brother, but I just don’t achieve the result I want. You know what happened? They said I should’ve studied more. I studied my whole life on this test; yes, I “locked in". But I guess it wasn’t enough to meet the standards of my parents. This can truly mean that there are different and efficient ways of “locking in.”

To truly achieve this idea, you have to evaluate efficient study methods. One way is active recall. This is the process of studying content for multiple days, and then shortening the time span of studying this content, and you gain a better idea of the concept. It is a better way of memorization. One way is to pretend to teach it to a 5-year-old, or your pets, if you have any. Otherwise, if you are fine with your way of “locking in,” you do you! Romaticizing studying is a popular idea: it’s a process of enjoying studying.You need to make studying aesthetic, such as colorful notes and organization. But don’t just focus on the visual; also focus on the concepts that are crucial. College students tend to romanticize studying; they are

studying their future! Must be fun, right? In high school, we study the required courses, but not gonna lie, most of the courses are fun. As a math person, I do enjoy math courses, but the test grades tend to get me. 

Overall, the term “lock in” has its distinct meanings. Some people love it, some people hate it. Just focus

on achieving good grades. Everyone should adapt their own process for achieving good grades. If you feel

motivated, you are on the right track! If you feel pressure, like me, ease yourself. Go for a walk, get a

sweet treat, draw a picture. I get it, high school can be stressful, and outside influences can make the

experience stressful. But just know you got this!