This month was a mix of studying and working, but I want to share two new tools that made a huge difference for me.

I had one course with A LOT of slides and information to understand and remember. A friend recommended NotebookLM, which is an AI-powered tool that, when given study materials, creates a two-person podcast that actually sounds pretty natural. I listened to these podcasts several times, and it helped me ace two of my exams! I will certainly be using it more in upcoming courses. Honestly, it might be the most underrated AI tool (which often works the other way around), as I’ve never seen anyone talk about it online.

I also caught myself spending a lot of time on random YouTube videos. All the algorithms, autoplay, and non-stop suggestions made me watch things that I wasn’t even really interested in. I found a Chrome extension that allowed me to get rid of all of them and redirect me directly to the subscriptions page every time I open it. Now, YouTube is more like a tool than a distraction—I only watch what I actually want to see or search for. It’s such a simple change, but it’s made a big difference in my focus.

Quote of the Month:

“Focus is a matter of deciding what things you’re not going to do.” – John Carmack

Bookmarks:

• NotebookLM – Game changer for students
• UnTrap for YouTube – Focus on the things you really need