Cal Newport's How To Become A Straight-A Student

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The life of a college student is very complex and is easily overlooked. Everyone knows that it is difficult, but they do not realize what it takes to become a successful college student. Part one of Cal Newport’s How to Become a Straight-A Student shares how many students believe that they are winning at college by doing certain methods they see others doing, but they are not being productive. That is what is important about college. Newport gets these tips from different straight-a students from Ivy League schools, such as Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia. The first point Cal Newport makes is that college students often think that they are getting a lot of work done if they cram for tests and stay up late studying, but that is not …show more content…
He swears that it will only take you five minutes in the morning to get organized for the entire day. It turns out that you only need two items that will keep your day well-arranged: a calendar, and a list. It does not matter what kind of calendar you are using; it could be a day-to-day planner, an online calendar, or anything where you can record what you will be doing that day. However, Newport says on page 21 it has to have “enough space to record at least a dozen items for each day.” It does seem like a lot, but, honestly, we do way more than a dozen things a day. The point of this calendar is to be organized with said items. The calendar does not have be carried with you at all times, but the list does. The list’s objective is for you to update yourself throughout the day. For example, you could list what you are doing and for how long you will be completing that task. Director always uses lists (he has shown us his journal before) and he always seems to be efficient with his time, so that just shows that you can use Newport’s methods can work with everybody who has the mentality to be successful. When sticky note lists were first introduced to us last year, I started using them, and started sticking them on my 11th grade planner. Now that I reflect on it, I was really productive and turned everything in on time during the last weeks of my Junior year. For some reason, I stopped doing this in my …show more content…
Even a straight-a student at an Ivy League university has these days. Newport gives a plan similar to the one in the paragraph above: keeping a work progress journal. It is like having a list, but I feel that a progress journal is to be updated even more. A work progress journal is for the most important tasks of the day. I thought it was smart to write a quick explanation on why you did not get something done. That way, you can transfer that assignment to the next day, and not make the same mistake on why you could not complete the task in the first place. Another point Cal Newport makes is this: no matter how busy your schedule is, you should always find time to eat. Food is the fuel to the human body. Without fuel, we will not be able to function correctly, thus not completing any types of tasks, no matter how simple they are. You cannot eat just any food that you find in the pantry, which is usually something I do. I know I have to eat at some point, but I usually end up eating some kind of junk food to fuel me up. Part 1 states, “When studying, carefully choose snacks that promise a long-term energy boost” (Newport, 45). For example, fruits, vegetables, natural granola bars, and things that do not have refined carbohydrates. Aside from this, you also have to drink plenty of water, which makes me want to buy a big bottle of water like I used to and have a goal to finish it in one
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