How to Become a Straight-A Student summary

Procrastination is something most college students know intimately – that sneaky troll who makes you work the whole night through to finish that final paper on time, just a few days after it told you that you had all the time in the world.

So how is it that some people are actually capable of avoiding this tendency to let things go until the very last second?

Your exam is creeping ever closer, so instead of going out to have a drink or two (or three) with your friends, your Friday night will be spent in the library trying to read just a few more pages.

If this sounds familiar to you, you’re doing it all wrong.

Here’s an obvious study tip that will save you a lot of trouble: always go to class!

It doesn’t matter how tired, hungover or busy you are – going to class is the most efficient way to conquer the material.

If you want to scale a wall, you won’t get very far running into it head first over and over again. Effective study habits are much the same way – they don’t depend on brute force but on the right technique.

To study effectively, start by defining exactly what you need to learn.

You’re in the classroom at your desk with your dreaded statistics exam in front of you. You’re nervous, your mouth is dry and your hands are shaking. Failure feels inevitable.

Yet, there’s no need to worry! If you’ve studied well, just use the following three-part technique and you’re bound to succeed:

Throughout your education, you’re sure to write many papers on a wide array of subjects. Regardless of how long it is, each paper is a huge undertaking. So where’s the best place to begin?

A common trap most people fall into is the belief that they should spend most of their time on writing the papers.

When you research, do you find yourself trapped in a labyrinth of books? Many people end up lost because they’ve made the mistake of reading too many sources. Consequently, they have too much to remember, too much to cover and are thus wasting their time.

However, there is a better way: learn to research effectively.

By now you’ve laid the foundation for your paper, you have both an intriguing thesis and organized research material. Now it’s time to shape a powerful story.

In order to make your thesis worth the paper it’s printed on, you’ll have to connect your theories into arguments in a novel and interesting way. Unfortunately, there’s no single system for accomplishing this. Every paper is different and requires a unique approach.

So you’re done with researching and you have your structure; now it’s time to put pen to paper.

But, before you start fancying yourself the next Dostoevsky or Shakespeare, just remember: your essay isn’t the place for you to express your literary aspirations.