How to Become a Straight-A Student

1. Master time management with a simple five-minute daily system

Jot down new tasks and assignments on your list during the day; next morning, transfer these new items from your list onto your calendar; and then take a couple of minutes to plan your day.

The five-minute system. This approach involves using a calendar and a daily list. Each morning, spend a few minutes transferring items from your list to your calendar, then plan your day realistically. This system helps you:

• Keep track of all tasks and deadlines in one place
• Avoid overestimating your free time
• Maintain a clear overview of your commitments

By dedicating just five minutes each day to organizing your schedule, you can significantly reduce stress and increase productivity. The key is consistency and adapting the system to your personal needs and lifestyle.

2. Defeat procrastination through targeted strategies and self-awareness

Procrastination Battle Plan #1: Keep a work progress journal

Combat procrastination effectively. Implement these strategies to overcome the urge to delay tasks:

• Keep a work progress journal to hold yourself accountable
• Feed your brain with proper nutrition and hydration
• Make difficult tasks into events to jumpstart motivation
• Build work routines to maintain steady progress
• Choose your hard days in advance to minimize their impact

By acknowledging that the urge to procrastinate is normal, you can focus on developing strategies to work around it rather than trying to eliminate it entirely. The key is to find methods that work for you and to consistently apply them.

3. Optimize study environments and session lengths for peak performance

Identify a number of isolated study spots spread out across campus and rotate through these hidden locations when you study.

Create ideal study conditions. To maximize your productivity and focus:

• Choose quiet, isolated locations for studying
• Rotate between different study spots to maintain stimulation
• Limit study sessions to about one hour, followed by short breaks
• Schedule your most demanding work during your peak energy times

By carefully selecting when, where, and how long you study, you can significantly improve your concentration and retention of material. Remember that everyone's optimal conditions may vary, so experiment to find what works best for you.

4. Take strategic notes to capture key concepts efficiently

In nontechnical courses, capture the big ideas by taking notes in the question/evidence/conclusion format.

Develop effective note-taking strategies. Tailor your approach based on the course type:

For nontechnical courses:

• Use the question/evidence/conclusion format
• Focus on capturing big ideas rather than every detail
• Utilize formatting to emphasize important points

For technical courses:

• Record as many sample problems and solutions as possible
• Prioritize problem statements and answers over intermediate steps
• Ask questions when confused and mark unclear areas for later review

By adopting these strategies, you'll create more useful and organized notes that will significantly reduce your study time later.

5. Prioritize assignments and readings based on importance

Doing all of your reading in college is a luxury most of us can't afford—especially if you're involved in extracurriculars.

Strategically manage your workload. To handle the volume of assignments efficiently:

• Identify and prioritize "favored sources" that provide core information
• Use the importance hierarchy for supplemental readings:
  1. Readings that make an argument
  2. Readings that describe events or people
  3. Readings that only provide context
• Take smart notes on favored reading assignments using the question/evidence/conclusion format
• For problem sets, work consistently and collaborate with classmates when allowed

By prioritizing your work and focusing on the most important materials, you can maintain good grades without sacrificing your entire social life or extracurricular activities.

6. Prepare for exams using the quiz-and-recall method

If you can close your eyes and articulate an argument from scratch, or stare at a blank sheet of paper and reproduce a solution without a mistake, then you have fully imprinted that concept.

Master the quiz-and-recall method. This efficient study technique involves:

1. Creating practice quizzes from your notes and study materials
2. Attempting to answer each question out loud or in writing
3. Reviewing and correcting your answers
4. Repeating the process, focusing on areas that gave you trouble

For technical courses:

• Solve sample problems and explain concepts aloud
• Use practice exams when available

This method ensures active engagement with the material and helps identify areas that need more attention. It's more effective than passive review and helps you internalize concepts more deeply.

7. Craft standout papers by breaking the process into manageable steps

A common complaint I hear from students is that they never seem to have enough time to finish all of their work.

Approach paper writing systematically. Break the process into these steps:

1. Choose an interesting topic within the assignment parameters
2. Develop a targeted thesis through initial research
3. Seek feedback on your thesis from your professor
4. Conduct thorough, organized research
5. Create a detailed outline of your argument
6. Get feedback on your outline from peers and professors
7. Write your paper, focusing on clear communication of your argument
8. Edit your work carefully

By separating these components, you make the paper-writing process less overwhelming and more efficient. This approach allows you to focus on each aspect individually, resulting in a higher-quality final product.

8. Edit papers effectively without fixating on perfection

You can edit a paper forever and still not be satisfied. So it's important to know when to just print the damn thing out and send it off to its fate.

Implement a three-pass editing system. To effectively polish your paper without overediting:

1. Argument Adjustment Pass:

   • Focus on the presentation and structure of your arguments
   • Make major edits to improve clarity and flow

2. Out Loud Pass:

   • Print your paper and read it aloud
   • Mark grammatical errors and awkward phrasing
   • Make corrections based on your markings

3. Sanity Pass:

   • Quickly review a printed copy for any remaining errors
   • Use this final read-through to gain closure on your work

This system helps you balance thorough editing with efficient use of time, ensuring that your paper is polished without becoming obsessive about minor details.

Last updated: July 21, 2024