How to Become a Straight-A Student Summary 2024 - Deepstash

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How to Become a Straight-A Student Summary

About How to Become a Straight-A Student Book

Looking to jumpstart your GPA?

Most college students believe that straight A’s can be achieved only through cramming and painful all-nighters at the library. But Cal Newport knows that real straight-A students don’t study harder—they study smarter. A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, How to Become a Straight-A Student reveals for the first time the proven study secrets of real straight-A students across the country and weaves them into a simple, practical system that anyone can master.

You will learn how to:

 • Streamline and maximize your study time
 • Conquer procrastination
 • Absorb the material quickly and effectively
 • Know which reading assignments are critical—and which are not
 • Target the paper topics that wow professors
 • Provide A+ answers on exams
 • Write stellar prose without the agony

A strategic blueprint for success that promises more free time, more fun, and top-tier results, How to Become a Straight-A Student is the only study guide written by students for students—with the insider knowledge and real-world methods to help you master the college system and rise to the top of the class.

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How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” -Michael Jordan

Short Summary

Short Summary

How To Become a Straight A Student

  1. Streamline your study habits to learn more in less time.
  2. Take smarter notes (Less is more).
  3. Manage your time in 5 minutes each day.
  4. Always have a plan.
  5. Be organized.
  6. Take care of your physical health.
  7. Don't cram — instead, use a periodic review system.
  8. Form a homework group.
  9. Set up a distraction-free study area.
  10. Clarify your doubts immediately.

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CAL NEWPORT

“The more you try to do, the less you actually accomplish. They elaborate that execution should be aimed at a small number of “wildly important goals.” 

CAL NEWPORT

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Manage Your Time And Work In Short, Intensive Bursts

Manage Your Time And Work In Short, Intensive Bursts

  • The work you accomplish equals the amount of time spent times how intense your focus was on what you were doing.
  • Studies show that the optimal learning period is roughly 50 minutes so you should give yourself a break (don’t use phone on break) after working for one hour.

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"Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself."

Part 1. Study Basics

Step 1 :Manage Your Time in Five Minutes a Day

Step 2 :Declare War on Procrastination

Step 3 :Choose When, Where, and How Long

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Step #1. Manage Your Time in Five Minutes a Day

  • Jot down to-dos and deadlines on a list whenever they arise.
  • Transfer these to-dos and deadlines t your calendar every morning.
  • Plan your day each morning by labeling your to-dos with realistic time frames and moving what you don’t have time for to different dates.

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Step #2. Declare War on Procrastination

  • Keep a work progress journal, and every day record what you wanted to accomplish and whether or not you succeeded.
  • When working, eat healthy snacks to maximize your energy.
  • Transform horrible tasks into a big event to help you gather the energy to start.
  • Build work routines to make steady progress on your obligations without expending too much of your limited motivational resources.
  • Choose your hard days in advance to minimize their impact.

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This is part one idea i learnt in this book , this book is useful for every student , either you in school, in university ( regular or distance)

Need To Keep In Mind

Need To Keep In Mind

work accomplished = time spent x intensity of focus.maximizes intensity in order to minimize time.

‌the ability to get work done quickly and with a minimum of wasted effort.

‌to obtain the highest possible levels of intensity, you need to choose the right locations, times of day, and durations to study.

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Part 1 Study Basics

Part 1 Study Basics

#Step 1

Manage Your Time in Five Minutes a Day

1. A calendar

2. A list

How to apply:-

(1) Jot down new tasks and assignments on your list during the day; (2) next morning, transfer these new items from your list onto your calendar; and (3) then take a couple of minutes to plan your day.

‌Update Your Calendar Each Morning

‌Try to label each of your to-dos for the day with a specific time period during which you are going to complete it.

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<p> is to record the tasks you...

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 .

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Here is the second part of this books i reviewed, hope it will be useful to everyone.

Part-2 quizzes and exam

Part-2 quizzes and exam

Step 1

Take Smart Notes

‌Gather the Right Materials

‌Take Smart Notes in Nontechnical Courses (What’s the Big Idea?)

**Nontechnical course” refers to any course outside of math, science, economics, and engineering.

‌Format Your Notes Aggressively

‌Capture Big Ideas by Using the Question/Evidence/Conclusion Structure

Question

Evidence

Conclusion

‌A Brief Example

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<p>Take Smart Notes in Technic...

Take Smart Notes in Technical Courses (Where’s the Problem?)

‌The key to taking notes in a technical course is to record as many sample problems as possible.

‌Don’t Read Your Assignments, but Do Keep Them Handy

Prioritize Your Note-taking

‌First priority: Record the problem statement and answer.

‌Second priority: Question the confusing

‌Third priority: Record the steps of the sample problem.

‌Final priority: Annotate the steps.

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Step 2

Step 2

Demote Your Assignments

‌Work Constantly

‌every Sunday night and plan out the week

‌complete one problem a day, one hour at a time.

‌reading assignments—knock off a chapter a day

‌Don’t Read Everything

‌It’s important to triage your assignments: What do you need to read? What do you need to skim? And what can you skip entirely?”

‌Always read the assignments from favored sources

‌Readings that make an argument are more important than

‌readings that describe an event or person, which are more important than

‌readings that only provide context (i.e., speech transcripts, press clippings).

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Active recall

The best method for study is active recall. Once you recall the main idea then it will stick in mind.

Once you read something, recall the main idea out loud as you lecturing a class.Do not see on notes during recall.

After recall see what you missed,and fill the gap by reading notes.

It is hard to explain a concept or maths problem but once you do it,you will not forget it.

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If you want to become a straight A student,you must decide that you want to be a straight A student

Manage Your Time And Work In Short Intensive Bursts

Manage Your Time And Work In Short Intensive Bursts

Are you struggling to manage your time and workload efficiently? Here are some tips to help you get more done in less time!

  • Work in short, intensive bursts: Instead of trying to tackle your entire to-do list at once, break it down into smaller, manageable tasks and work on each one for a short period of time. This will help you stay focused and avoid procrastination.
  • Set specific goals: Determine exactly what you want to accomplish with each burst of work and stick to it. This will help you stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked by other tasks.
  • Take

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Fight Procrastination

Fight Procrastination

There are many effective strategies that can help you fight procrastination. Here are some simple ways to get started:

  • Set realistic goals: Start with small, achievable goals, and then gradually increase the difficulty.
  • Create a schedule: Planning out your day can help you stay on track and avoid wasting time.
  • Eliminate distractions: Turn off your phone and find a quiet place to work without interruptions.
  • Reward yourself: After completing a task, treat yourself with something you enjoy.

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Finding The Right Time,Place And Energy Levels

Having the right time, place, and energy level is important for success. Here are some tips to help you find them:

  1. Choose a time of day when you have the most energy.
  2. Find a quiet and comfortable place to work.
  3. Eliminate distractions such as phones and social media.
  4. Take breaks and pace yourself to maintain energy levels.

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Study Basics

Never seem to have enough time to finish work

Avoid "pseodo-working" , like flipping through chemistry notes on the couch while watching TV.

Results - headache, stress, etc.

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Work Accomplished

Work accomplished = time spent X intensity of focus

2

Don't read everything

Don't read everything

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