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How to become a straight "A" student, unconventional strategies…

- - - - A calendar
      - A list
    - - What does stephen do first?
      - During the day on monday
      - The aftermath
  - - - Jot down to-dos and deadlines on a list whenever they arise
      - Transfer these to-dos and deadlines to 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
    - - 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
    - - Try to fit as much work as possible into the morning and afternoon, between classes and obligations
      - Study in isolated locations
      - Take a break every hour
- - - - Always go to class and try to take the best notes possible
      - For nontechnical courses, capture the big ideas by taking notes in the question/evidence/conclusion format
      - For technical courses, record as many sample problems and answers as possible
    - - Work a little bit each day on your assignments; avoid suffering from day-before syndrome
      - Read only the favored sources on the syllabus in detail. To decide how much time to spend on supplemental sources, remember the importance hierarchy
        
        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).
      - Take reading notes in the question/evidence/conclusion format
      - Work in groups on problem sets, solve problems on the go, and write up your answers formally the first time
    - - Figure out exactly what the test will cover
      - Cluster your notes for nontechnical courses
      - Build mega-problem sets for technical courses
    - - Embrace the quiz-and-recall method. It's the single most efficient way to study
      - Spread out memorization over several days. Your mind can do only so much at a time
    - - Eliminate the question marks for topics coveted in class or from the reading that you don't understand
    - - Look over the whole test first
      - Figure out how much time you have to spend on each question (Leaving a ten-minute cushion at the end)
      - Answer the questions in order of increasing difficulty
      - Write out a mini-outline before tackling an essay question
      - Use any and all leftover time to check and recheck your work