Before iCanStudy: “Maybe I’m just not smart enough.”

In middle school, Khoi was a high achiever. But high school was a different story. Despite copying the study techniques of his smartest peers, the results didn’t follow.

“They would say, ‘This just makes sense to me.’ And I would think—why doesn’t it make sense to me? I did what they did, sometimes even more. So what was wrong with me?”

He spent hours on YouTube watching study tutorials, bought Skillshare courses, and patched together a Frankenstein system from influencers and “study gurus.” Still, he plateaued.

“If everyone puts in the same eight hours, and I do what they do, but I’m still not getting it—then is it just talent? Is there a ceiling for me?”

By sophomore year, Khoi was getting straight A’s—but at a steep cost.

“My whole life was studying. I didn’t do anything else. That’s when I realized I couldn’t keep it up. I needed a different path.”

Joining iCanStudy: “What if talent can be trained?”

Khoi was hesitant at first. Other programs had only asked him to study more, stack on more techniques, and memorize more material. But iCanStudy offered something else entirely—a way to retrain the way he learned.

“This was the first time someone told me, you can train deep processing. You can actually build talent. That idea completely changed my mindset.”

He started applying the system to his most difficult subject, IB Chemistry.

“Before, I would just fill in the blanks from the lecture slides and retain nothing. But with mind maps and diagrams, I could absorb it faster, remember it longer, and actually understand what was going on.”

He estimated his efficiency doubled.

“I was getting maybe 50% before. Now it felt like I was getting close to 100%. And I could recall the content days later with just a glance at my notes.”

Real-World Results: From B’s to A’s to Stanford

By junior year, Khoi wasn’t just maintaining his grades—he was doing it with far less effort.

“I got all A’s, but this time, I wasn’t killing myself. I had time to be president of three clubs, enter hackathons, and do real extracurriculars.”

In senior year, he took things further. While most students handled eight classes, Khoi took nine—including AP Calculus BC online, in his own time, on top of college applications and leadership roles.

“That’s how I jumped from class rank 22 to class rank 2 out of 400.”

And his college admissions?

“I got into Stanford through early action. I also got into or waitlisted at seven or eight other schools.”

A Shift in Identity

Khoi no longer believes that success is about natural ability. He believes it’s about having the right system—and working that system consistently.

“You don’t have to be perfect to do well. You just need a structure that helps you get better every day.”

The biggest change wasn’t just academic. It was personal.

“I used to think talent was fixed. Now I know it can be trained. And once I saw that, everything changed. I stopped doubting myself.”

On Value: “It’s not a vitamin. It’s a painkiller.”

Khoi worked part-time as a waiter and invested heavily in his own learning—often putting half his earnings toward courses.

“iCanStudy was the most I had ever spent on a program. But it was worth more than any tutor, because it gave me something I could use in every subject and every part of life.”

He puts it simply:

“If studying is your priority, this isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the tool that fixes the root of the problem. And it’s a skill you’ll use for the rest of your life.”

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