Simarnjeet Jamwal's Key Ideas from How to Become a Straight-A Student
by Cal Newport

is to record the tasks you will have time for into the Today’s Schedule column of your list. As shown in Figure 1, label each task with its time. That’s it. You can now reference your list throughout the day to remind yourself of what you should be doing and when.

‌The main reason you break down your to-dos into time slots is to help you avoid the common student mistake of overestimating your free time.

‌if you’re completing most of what’s on your list at least five days out of seven, then you’re as productive as any student realistically needs to .

Declare War on Procrastination

Procrastination Battle Plan #1: Keep a work progress journal

Buy a cheap spiral notebook, and keep it near your calendar. Each morning, when you work out your schedule for the day, quickly jot down in the notebook the date and the most important tasks that you are scheduled to get done. At the end of the day, if you’ve completed all of these tasks, simply jot down all completed. If you failed to complete some tasks, record this, along with a quick explanation.

Procrastination Battle Plan #2: Feed the Machine

1. Drink water constantly

2. Monitor your caffeine intake carefully

3. Treat food as a source of energy, not satisfaction.

4. Don’t skip meals.

Procrastination Battle Plan #3: Make an event out of the worst tasks

Procrastination Battle Plan #4: Build a routine

The idea is to build a routine in which you use the same reserved time slot each week to do the same thing, with the goal of transforming these slices of work into a habit, something you no longer have to convince yourself to do.

Procrastination Battle Plan #5: Choose your hard days

Choose When, Where, and How Long

When during the day should you study? Where should you go to study? How long should you study before taking a break?

QUESTION: When is the best time to study?

ANSWER: Early

You’re most effective between when you wake up and afternoon.

try to take a book I need to read along with me all the time, in case some free time pops up while I’m doing something else.

QUESTION: Where should you study?

ANSWER: In isolation

QUESTION: How long should you study?

ANSWER: No more than one hour at a time without a break.

‌study for an hour, then take a break