A brief summary of the book,

Written by,
Haindavi Kandarpa
BTech, II year, Mechanical Engineering
me18b053@smail.iitm.ac.in

CH 1: Don’t do all of your reading

Skim the chapter ahead of class but put the bulk of your energy into concentrating in class.

Class lectures + HW problems are more effective than class lectures + readings.

CH 2: Create a Sunday ritual

Sunday sets the tone for the week that follows. You can build momentum on Sunday that carries you through the day.

Engage in the same focusing ritual every Sunday morning. With peak intellectual energy + strong focus start working.

Take control of Sunday to take control of the week.

CH 3: Drop classes every semester

Avoid bad courses at all costs- unreasonable requirements or bad professors.

Sign up for 2 / 3 extra ones and drop your least favourites. Check the professor’s teaching, syllabi, required materials & workload from previous students.

CH 4: Start long term projects the day they are assigned

Finish some amount of work on a big project the very day it’s assigned (> 30 mins or so).

Because of this, you’re ahead! And this makes you want to stay ahead and reduce the tendency to delay. Start small but start immediately!

CH 5: Make your bed

Make it an unbreakable habit and never leave clothes around.

A clean room creates a focused mind and a messy room creates a distracted mind and makes it really hard to be energised.

Also, never truly feels like your life’s organised.

CH 6: Apply to 10 scholarships a year

Any student can create an impressively large list of awards.

Search for scholarships and awards related to you or at companies that interest you.

Find 10 and just apply blindly every year.

CH 7: Build study systems

Never begin studying without a systemised plan for what you’re going to review, in what format and how many times. Why? It breaks up a formidable task into accomplishable chunks. It frees up energy to focus on learning rather than on the state of preparation.

Build a checklist with big boxes ready to be checked off. Why? Free from worry about being ready or not.

Make interesting and comprehensive study systems. Why? Without a study system, a lot of time and energy is wasted.

Planning is as important as the process.

CH 8: Befriend a professor

If you want to become a standout student you must befriend a professor.

Make them your mentor, and aware of your overall academic plan, life goals, concerns and triumphs.

Letters of recommendation, informal introductions, expert advice and nominations for awards are all wonderful things to come out of this.

Spend time at their office or discuss homework problems or different ideas and build a strong rapport. Keep in touch and take their courses.

CH 9: Become a club president

You absolutely have to run a campus organisation. Find a club that excites you, join soon, work hard, attend all meetings, take up a position and develop a strong idea for it.

CH 10: Read a newspaper every day

Expand your intellectual horizons- international & domestic affairs, politics, business or fine arts.

CH 11: Do one thing better than everyone else you know

Develop a skill you can be known for. Guitar, writing, shooting hoops or cooking. Be self-assured, proud and modest.

It helps you develop a healthy & stable sense of self.

Do very little that is ordinary.

CH 12: Avoid daily to-do lists

Your schedule just might be too complicated & unpredictable. Daily to-do s might bog you down.

Opt for a more flexible scheduling method.

CH 13: Learn to give up

Giving up is a tactical skill, not a weakness. Unreasonable commitments and unsolvable problems can be delegated or step down and seek help respectively.

Productive work is any work that is efficiently accomplished in a known amount of work.

CH 14: Never nap

Takes up large amounts of limited time and leaves you drowsy & unfocused. Also, throws you off your sleep schedule and eventually becomes an addictive bad habit.

An alternate way to re-energize: Go outside / play a game for a while / brisk walk to get your heart pumping.

Snack on fresh fruits and ice cold water to build a streak of energy.

Do simple tasks when drowsy and head to bed early instead.

CH 15: Sign up for something your first week

CH 16:Always be working on a ‘grand project’

Something common between successful, intelligent students is a wonderful sense of possibility. Get excited about BIG goals!

Have an ‘Anything is possible’ attitude and constantly work on a grand project. If you could be anything in 5 years from now what would it be? Something that elicits a ‘Wow!’ response.

CH 17: Take art history & astronomy

CH 18: Blow the curve once a term

Stand way out for 1 assignment per course. Impress the professor and …. And in a class that excites you and not too many competing obligations.

CH 19: Ask one question every lecture

One of the most effective ways to stay engaged and interested during lectures.

CH 20: Jump into research as soon as possible

Research is where all the action is.

It’s strength training for your intellect, impressive and gives you the opportunity to build a close rapport with a professor.

CH 21: Pay your dues

If you pay your dues with grace and enthusiasm and be mindful of the opposites. Maximise the positive benefits of participating.

CH 22: Study in 50 min chunks

50 min chunks is the most efficient way of learning material possible for the human brain.

CH 23: Schedule your free time

It’s dangerously easy to lose too much productivity to the allure of recreation and feel guilty every time you relax.

Set 10 pm as the end of your workday with no impromptu breaks. This could help you relax better.

CH 24: Dress nicely for class

It makes you feel better about yourself and makes the day official.

CH 25: Decorate your room

Your room decor should create a space that is both comfortable and a healthy reflection of your personality. It helps in improving performance and not sap your energy.

CH 26: Start studying 2 weeks in advance as a rule of thumb

No hardcore all-day study sessions! Break up 15hrs into 2-hour chunks over 2 weeks.

For the 1st week spend an hour or so every day. Do small chunks of work to get familiar with the material and a good feel for the information. Clock in some extra hours over the weekend.

Over the 2nd week, spend 1 or 2 hrs per day. Rack up review hours and over the last 2 days spend 3hr sessions to cement the material.

CH 27: Write outside of class

Become really good at writing and take every opportunity to do so.

CH 28: Eat alone twice a day

Take the time to eat a social meal but just once.

CH 29: Find an escape

You need to journey to a place where you will be cut off from everyday student life.

Schedule an escape every single week.

CH 30: Take hard courses early on

Start taking higher-level classes ASAP after checking prerequisites.

CH 31: Don’t study in your room

Weigh convenience against the effectiveness of studying. Study at the library instead which is designed to maximise academic productivity.

CH 32: Don’t study in groups

Best way to learn difficult material is to go over it yourself as you test your concentration.

Test your understanding or specific problem with a study group.

CH 33: Join an honours program

Better education than the regular academic program in the same time.

CH 34: Do school work every day

Key to preventing bad slumps is consistency. When you take long breaks from work it’s harder to get back to the rhythm.

Do some amount of work every day which leaves you motivated every day!

CH 35: Attend guest lectures

Try to attend at least 2 every month.

They inspire you, ignite a passion within yourself and leave you stoked.

CH 36: Exercise 5 days a week

It increases physical energy and mental motivation.

Don’t let exercise become debatable.

Early morning or afternoons are optimal as there are fewer distractions.

On Mon, Wed, Fri always go to the gym at the exact same time and for the same duration.

For optimal energy and health stick to a 1-hour routine.

On Tue, Thurs engage in some cardio and on Sat and Sun, some light supplementary workout will do.

CH 37: Stay in touch

Stay in touch not only with your family but also friends back home.

CH 38: Take on an extra major/minor

Plan well and plan early

CH 39: Meet often with your advisor

CH 41: Use 3 days to write a paper (short ones)

3 days aren’t for research or collecting material but actually writing. Before you begin, draw an outline and write a thesis.

Day 1- Power through the outline and build rough drafts of the paper

Day 2- Tighten the wording. Remove any excess arguments, redundant parts and add support to those.

Day 3- Polish. Make sure the paper flows logically and check the grammar, introduction and conclusion.

CH 42: Don’t undersleep don’t oversleep

Once you have a magic number of sleep hours, keep to it consistently.

CH 43: Relax before exams

You need to put in relaxation time to function under pressure. Instead of being jittery, unfocused or with too much adrenaline, an hour before the exam just relax and be confident and calm.

CH 44: Make friends #1 priority

Never take your friends for granted; they’re your social safety net.

Don’t let busy schedules come between you and your friends. If a good friend needs you, drop everything and go.

CH 46: Ignore your classmates’ grades

Too many factors and contributions lead up to individuals’ grades.

CH 47: Seek out phenomenal achievers

They’re not only a source of inspiration but also show you ways to achieve similar goals.

CH 48: Learn to listen

Much more important that you spend your undergraduate developing an ability to synthesize ideas and learn- Constructive debates!

Never be the 1st to give your opinion it not only increases respect for you but also gives you the opportunity to learn from the debates.

CH 49: Never pull an all-nighter!

After 2 am your mental ability is practically dead like it’s inside of a toaster oven. And on top of everything you are, for all purposes, a zombie tomorrow.

A seriously sleep-deprived mind is equivalent to a fully asleep brain and your academic performance is badly affected by it.

CH 50: LAUGH EVERY DAY

CH 51: Use high- quality notebooks

A need to search to find information decreases the retention of material.

Highly organised and high-quality supplies are mental cues for serious work.

CH 52: Keep a work progress journal

Most advantages of starting work early are diminished if you don’t work regularly once you’ve begun

Every night just jot down what work you’ve accomplished that day towards a long-term goal.

CH 53: Seek out fun

Sophomore slump - Immediately after 1st year

CH 54: Inflate your ambition

Inventory your goals- Does it make you stand out? Award nominations? Prompt a professor to mention your name?

CH 55: Get involved with your major department

CH 56: Care about your grades, ignore your GPA

Thinking about your GPA can derail you from larger goals.

Every test is an opportunity to show off your ability to engage. Every paper is an exercise in crafting words.

CH 57: Always go to class

Go to class no matter the circumstance- unless you’re sick.

CH 58: Set arbitrary deadlines

Always break down big tasks into small ones and set deadlines for those.

CH 59: Eat healthily

Eat to maximise your energy. For weekdays, food is nothing but fuel.

CH 60: Volunteer quietly

Keep your experience personal as a way to increase your self-worth, strengthen your identity and solidify your core values.

CH 61: Write as if going for a Pulitzer for explanatory reporting

CH 62: Attend political discussions

This is the only time in your life when you have enough…….

CH 63: Maximise your summers

Summer vacation isn’t really a vacation but an annually occurring grace period. Focus fully on non-academic ambitions and experiences.

To work or not to work? Official paid internship / part-time job/ research assistant / paid publication internships / small jobs at local publications / create opportunities for yourself.

Search all big names in your field of interest and shadow them.

CH 64: Choose goals and explore routes

Remain inflexible in your pursuits. Branch out and try multiple related paths.

Once you’ve decided on a destination, explore many routes to get you there.

CH 65: Don’t take breaks between classes

It slows down built momentum to a halt. You can’t waste energy by repeatedly remotivating yourself. Use the time in between to do stuff you need to like chores or errands.

It also lets you hit the evening with the day’s smaller responsibilities done!

CH 66: Don’t network

The act of purposefully expanding your acquaintances’ circle is very time-consuming. Leave networking to business professionals.

The idea of mutual benefit fails. Instead, chose anti-network: getting what you want by never coming close to asking for it.

Just be curious about why that person is doing this? What is he doing? How? Show confidence and respect. Drop differences to lay the path for memorable conversation.

Periodically send an update email asking very well-informed relevant questions/advice without any favours. Impress without imploring!

Let them grow fond of you and impress with integrity. This builds up strong connections.

CH 67: Publish Op-Eds

On any forum for student voices once every semester.

Choose a topic you know a lot about. Polish your prose and choose controversial (maybe) topics and catch readers off guard. Highlight issues never mentioned before.

CH 68: Using a filing cabinet

Buy a filing cabinet. Never lose anything important which increases stress levels unnecessarily, unsettles us or causes undue frustration.

Worry about the big problems of academic life and don’t let other small things steal your energy.

CH 69: Find a secret study space

It takes a lot of effort to achieve the concentration needed to learn.

Use the space sparingly and don’t associate discomfort with the study.

Make sure the space is well-lit.

CH 70: Study with the quiz-and-recall method

Build your entire approach to studying around the concept that, making yourself recall specific information is the absolute best way to learn.

Draw a quiz for each concept and ace these quizzes without peeking at your notes.

It’s basically a 2 step process:

1. A long and silent review of the material where you jot down the review questions

2. Quizzing

The art of pulling the information from your memory and articulating cements knowledge much stronger than multiple readings.

Trick! Use emotions. Don’t sit and mumble at your desk. Pace your room and give answers out loud. This gives more stimuli to the brain which, in turn, leads to the development of more connections to the material to help you remember and understand it better.

CH 71: Empty your inbox

Organise messages in your email inbox like in paper files.

Every email that you read make sure you either trash or file it.

CH 72: Relax before you sleep

Relax for at least 30 mins before you go to sleep. This indicates a cut-off point for your work. Don’t spend it on schoolwork.

After you’re done with work never move right into sleep because then you’ll have a harder time falling asleep.

Give your mind a chance to recover from pressures of the day.

Talk to a friend/ family, read/play a board/video game. Watch an episode of a TV show that makes you happy.

You’ll also sleep better, happier and you’ll have more energy next day.

Work lost to night time relaxation is more than compensated by your refreshed spirit.

CH 73: Start fast, end slow

Don’t go with start slow, end fast.

CH 74: Spend a semester studying abroad

Explore the world when young and take in other cultures, learn a new language and gain a huge new perspective on life.

Never again in your life will you possibly spend so much time overseas.

Truly understanding another culture is a life changing experience and picking up new languages is good for the resume and a wonderful skill.

Don’t let it pass you by.

CH 75: Don’t have any regrets

Approach life with a sense of excitement and possibility. Be happy about your opportunities not successes.

Succeeding for attention or to prove something to others or because you enjoy praise can’t help you because the fear of failure is lurking right around the corner.

If you fail, why waste time with regrets? Be thankful and ask what’s next?

Always have a hopeful smile on your face.