How to Become a Straight-A Student

A common complaint I hear from students is that they never seem to have enough time to finish all of their work. They vent about how many hours they spend late nights reviewing in the library, weekends sacrificed to paper writing but no matter how hard they try, there always seems to be something else due. As Matthew, a straight-A student from Brown, explains, it s easy for college students to become stuck in a state of permanent catch-up. Understandably, these students feel like they have reached their academic limit; they believe that unless they forgo sleep or any semblance of a social life, there are simply not enough hours in the day to stay on top of all their schoolwork.

Let s start by getting one thing clear: This belief is false. The problem here is not the amount of available hours, but rather how each hour is spent. I know this from firsthand experience. While researching this book, I spent time with some of the country s most accomplished students, and I can assure you that no matter how diligent you think you are, there is a Rhodes scholar out there who fits in three times the amount of work and activities you do and probably still manages to party harder than you would ever dare. I don t mean to imply that everyone should aim to become a drunken Rhodes scholar (though it would certainly be fun to try); rather, my point is that a surprising amount of work, relaxation, and socializing can be extracted from a single twelve hour day. A lack of time, therefore, isn t enough to explain why so many students feel overwhelmed. So what does explain this phenomenon? The answer, as it turns out, has much more to do with how we work than what we're trying to accomplish.

As humans, our minds have evolved to prefer short-term tasks such as run away from that lion or eat food. Therefore, when you walk into the library on a Sunday morning with the goal of finishing all of your homework and writing a paper, your brain isn t happy. The idea of spending eight

Cal Newport graduated from Dartmouth College, earned a Ph.D. from MIT, and is now an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University. He s the author of five books, including most recently the Wall Street Journal business bestseller Deep Work. He also runs the popular blog Study Hacks, which explores the impact of technology on our ability to perform productive work and lead satisfying lives. His contrarian ideas have been featured on many major media platforms, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Economist and NPR. Visit him online at calnewport.com.

A smart, concise, fun, and above all informative guide on how to ace college by being smarter about how to work . . . This book is a must-have for anyone who wants to do well at college and enjoy it too. M. Cecilia Gaposchkin, Assistant Dean of Faculty for PreMajor Advising, Dartmouth College
 
  This book delivers on its title 100 Percent. I wish I'd had a copy when I was in college I would have had a better GPA and a better social life! Jason Ryan Dorsey, author of My Reality Check Bounced!