The Bottom Line
How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less will help your college student achieve with more confidence, more organization and less stress. Cal Newport has really nailed it with these strategies. This would make an excellent gift for high school graduation - or just pick it up for the next time you see your college student.
Pros
- Peppered with quotes from real college students - they speak loudly to their peers.
- The student is taught how to deal with procrastination.
- Easily sectioned for quick reading.
Cons
- A how-to read this book if you’re ‘in the middle of it all’ would be nice addition.
Description
- The book is divided up into three main parts: Study Basics, Quizzes and Exams, Essays and Papers.
- Each part has a detail list of how to attack and accomplish the tasks at hand.
- Each part has a ‘cheat sheet’ outline of the important points of the section.
- Practical advice is given throughout the book for the overall student, not just advice on academics.
- Teaches organizational skills: to-do lists, calendars and prioritizing.
Guide Review - How to Become a Straight-A Student
From the Book Description:Looking to jumpstart your GPA? Most college students believe that straight A’s can be achieved only through cramming and painful all-nighters at the library. But Cal Newport knows that real straight-A students don’t study harder—they study smarter. A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, How to Become a Straight-A Student reveals for the first time the proven study secrets of real straight-A students across the country and weaves them into a simple, practical system that anyone can master. You will learn how to:
- Streamline and maximize your study time
- Conquer procrastination
- Absorb the material quickly and effectively
- Know which reading assignments are critical—and which are not
- Target the paper topics that wow professors
- Provide A+ answers on exams
- Write stellar prose without the agony
A strategic blueprint for success that promises more free time, more fun, and top-tier results, How to Become a Straight-A Student is the only study guide written by students for students—with the insider knowledge and real-world methods to help you master the college system and rise to the top of the class.
Denise’s Thoughts
Do not turn away from this book if you feel there is no way your child will ever see an A in college. While the book helps students strive for that goal, it’s teachings on organization and time management will aid every student. I recommend this one highly and feel Cal Newport has done an excellent job.
