Say it with me now: I am an absolute ACADEMIC WEAPON … (and again for emphasis) ACADEMIC WEAPON.

You may or may not have heard this phrase uttered during your last finals season. What is it? An expression of motivation, of drive? A battle hymn of the procrastinator? Or maybe it’s the noun alternative to the slang “locking in”?

Regardless, we’re here to clear the air. Academic weapons — what are they? And how do they differ from their less locked in counterpart, the academic victim?

What is an academic weapon?

According to Urban Dictionary, an “academic weapon” refers to a person who embodies traits “seen by many as scholarly.” 

Reading into the phrase some more, “weapon” also signifies aggression, a tool with a violent level of power. Add “academic” to that, and an “academic weapon” becomes someone with fierce drive in their studies.

The first use of the slang can be traced back to 2013, but it annually resurfaces online on platforms like TikTok and Instagram during exam seasons in colleges across the globe. 

Back in 2022, the phrase “academic weapon” was popularized by student-influencer Bradley Kraut from the Pennsylvania State University.

In a viral TikTok, he’s sitting in the front row of a 700-person lecture, and declares that he is “an absolute academic weapon,” and repeats the phrase again for emphasis (“ACADEMIC WEAPON!” he declares).

How do you become an academic weapon?

There are many ways people have become an “academic weapon” — for a start, you can search the entire web for productivity techniques, motivational mantras, or the ways students at top universities study. 

But owing to the internet-y nature of the phrase, we thought it best to scour Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok for the ways people online are becoming “academic weapons.” 

For “academic weapons,” there are a number of recommended practices inside and outside the classroom. Here’s what the internet had to say:

Best Practices in Class

1. Teach Others: It’s no wonder strategies like the Feynman Technique are so effective. Psychologists have often shown how sharing knowledge helps reinforce understanding and memory.
2. Effective Study Methods: Engaging with your course material is important. To improve your understanding, use active recall and practice questions instead of passive reading or highlighting notes.
3. Stay on Top of Readings: Falling behind can be detrimental, so maintain a consistent reading schedule. (Plus, reading is fun and good for you!).
4. Engage in Class: Actively participate by answering and asking questions to improve retention. In many cases, class participation is a huge chunk of your final grade. And even in cases when it isn’t, leaving a positive impression on professors and teachers always helps. 

Best Practices Outside of Class

5. Organize Assignments and Exams: Keep track of all due dates and prioritize tasks to avoid getting blindsided.
6. Proper Sleep: Ensure adequate sleep to maintain focus and comprehension.
7. Balance with Fun: “Too much of anything is good for nothing” — remember that balance is always important! Schedule time for relaxation to prevent burnout. 
8. Avoid Addictive Apps: Minimize distractions from social media.

Some tips that we DON’T recommend (OR, how to become an academic victim)

The internet is a weird place — so besides the 9 tips we suggested, there are other tips online there that we do not recommend: 

Some suggest having no social life to focus entirely on academics (seen especially through trends like the “sigma” and “monk mode”). This can be harmful for you. Building good relationships is important for our mental health and for future careers. But making connections in school can also give you a support network in your studies.

Others suggest only relying on yourself. It’s important to use office hours, tutoring, and peer support to address difficulties before they escalate. Studying with friends too can make the process of becoming an “academic weapon” easier and much more bearable.

These practices can easily lead to burnout, to becoming what we call the “academic victim”:

“Academic victim,” was coined at some point in 2023 by TikToker Zoey Waiz. 

What you find is that an academic weapon, if left unchecked, can easily become the academic victim.

Here’s how that happens: out of an overwhelming expectation to achieve, the academic weapon sacrifices everything healthy in their life. No friends, no fun, no exercise, and eating an unhealthy diet to top it off too. 

Working at every waking hour, they slowly begin to detest what they’re doing. Their mind fixates on the pain of studying and they forget why they’re working so hard in the first place. If you’ve ever felt like this — burnt out and unable to focus anymore during the semester — it might be you. 

Remember this: an academic weapon is always a healthy and balanced one

While intense hard work and “locking in” are completely necessary, so is rest. To be a truly effective student, or to be scholarly, it’s important to have healthy habits that don’t push you straight to burnout.

“Academic weapons” are only as strong or powerful as they are healthy. You can’t think on an empty stomach (or a sleepless, relationship-deprived mind, for that matter!).

Ready to become an academic weapon? Read out comprehensive Back to School Survival Guide for 2024

With pointers everything a student needs: study tips, tech recommendations, digital stationery sales, and, of course, how to LOCK IN.