Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
According to Goodreads, I started reading this book on October 21st, 2021. At the time, I was an AI student about eleven hundred kilometres from home going through a Java programming course, among other courses that made me humble the first lecture I attended those courses.
Needless to say, I needed a bit of guidance like oxygen.
I had heard of Thomas Frank beforehand through a couple of his YouTube videos (plus he gives this book away for free as a PDF - go check that out!) and I decided to read this book about his college experience, considering he had written a blog about college for six years by that point.
It's short, concise, and genuinely helpful. I took quite an extended break from actually reading this book (matter of fact, I started it from scratch three days ago because I didn't feel that the notes I took for the first few steps were copious enough).
After finishing and looking at the start date, I found it interesting to zoom out a little and look at me now, six months later.
I am taking only English courses this semester, something I enjoy much more and that comes easier to me. I'm not exactly sure where this path will lead to, but I know that whatever the hell ends up being my college/university journey - I've got a banging book by my side to help me be prepared for whatever may come my way.
Needless to say, I needed a bit of guidance like oxygen.
I had heard of Thomas Frank beforehand through a couple of his YouTube videos (plus he gives this book away for free as a PDF - go check that out!) and I decided to read this book about his college experience, considering he had written a blog about college for six years by that point.
It's short, concise, and genuinely helpful. I took quite an extended break from actually reading this book (matter of fact, I started it from scratch three days ago because I didn't feel that the notes I took for the first few steps were copious enough).
After finishing and looking at the start date, I found it interesting to zoom out a little and look at me now, six months later.
I am taking only English courses this semester, something I enjoy much more and that comes easier to me. I'm not exactly sure where this path will lead to, but I know that whatever the hell ends up being my college/university journey - I've got a banging book by my side to help me be prepared for whatever may come my way.
I am one of the fans if Frank for his Youtube videos and I have been watching his videos before he wrote this book. The book all about 10 skills to get awesome grades.
I've summarized the first 3 chapters of the book and will do for the full book later Insha'Allah. So, there a gift for you guys the summary of the first 3 chapters:
Focus on getting good grades while also gaining skills outside of class, building things, doing extracurriculars, making connections and - yes - making time to have fun.
“Ideas are just a multiplier of execution.”
* CHAPTER 01
* Pay Better Attention in Class
Since your Class Time is a constant rather than a variable, I think it makes sense to prioritize Learning Quality first.
* CHAPTER 02
* Take More Effective Notes
Notes that focus on learning rather than simply recording.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Five Excellent Note-Taking Methods
[]The Outline Method
Simplest note-taking method.
To use it, you just create bullet lists out of the lecture material or book you’re reading.
• Main ideas are at the top level
◦ Supporting details become nested
◦ Eventually you build an organized, hierarchical outline of the material
• This is pretty meta
I have a habit of reading a book for at least 15 minutes a day, and whenever I f inish a chapter, I immediately go over to Evernote and type out some notes on what I read. When I do this the Outline Method is my system of choice.
Also, if you prefer to take your notes on a computer, the Outline Method is one of the easiest to use.
[]The Cornell Method
To take notes in the Cornell style, you divide your paper into three sections:
1. The Cue column
2. The Note-taking column
3. The Summary column
The Note-taking column will be the most familiar to you, as it just contains the notes you take during class. You can use any style you want, though in most cases people will use the Outline Method. As you take your notes, you’ll use the Cue column to formulate questions based on main ideas and important details from the Note-taking column. Once class is over, you should immediately write a small summary of what was presented in the Summary column. By doing this, you’re processing your notes for efficient study while you’re still in class. When it comes time to actually study them, you’ll find that you’re already halfway to creating a great study guide, as you’ve already written down questions. You should also have a clearer understanding of the material already, since you took the time to summarize it.
[]The Mind Map Method
Method for creating a tree of connected ideas, and I f ind that creating mind maps helps me to better flesh out ideas I want to write about. They’re a great way to visualize a lot of information. To create a mind map, start with a single “umbrella” term in the middle of your page. Then, start branching out from it by drawing lines and writing down words that flesh out that main idea. Mind maps are very visual, so you should experiment with using different colors, drawing pictures next to your terms, and doing other things that help you understand and remember the information more clearly.
For me, mind maps are best used when I’m trying to get a clear picture of all the details underneath a certain topic.
But what if you want to integrate small mind maps into your notes? Can you create a hybrid system?
[]The Flow Method
Your brain stores information in a messy web of tangled facts, ideas, memories, and references.
Flow notes are meant to be an on-paper representation of your mental picture of a subject.
So, how do you actually take Flow-based notes? Here are the basics:
• Connect terms and ideas with arrows
• Deliberately write things down in your own words
• Create backlinks - links ideas back to related terms and details mentioned earlier in the lecture
Flow-based note-taking isn’t perfect for every subject; as Scott Young emphasizes, it’s best for subjects where the ideas are easily connected to other ideas.
[]The “Write on the Slides” Method
If your professor is nice enough to provide the lecture slides to you before they’re actually shown in class, then printing them out and taking notes right on them can be an excellent method of note-taking.
* CHAPTER 03
* Get More Out of Your Textbooks
( ◜‿◝ )♡Don’t Do All Your Assigned Reading:
You can’t do all of it. And you probably shouldn’t.
While the material in those textbooks is objectively useful, remember the theme of this book - reducing your study time! Your time in college is extremely limited, especially if you’re making good use of it by working on projects, building relationships, staying involved in clubs, etc. Oh, and maybe a bit of time to actually relax as well.
But how do you figure out which assignments are necessary, and which ones aren’t? The first piece of advice I can give you is this: Readings can be separated into different categories:
1. Primary readings
2. Secondary readings
* Primary readings generally include the required textbook for the class and possibly other readings based on what you’re learning. In general, you should make your best effort to do these readings.
* Secondary readings are things like smaller books, articles the professor wants you to read, case studies, etc. These are for either quick scanning or skipping altogether.
Be mindful of how much overlap there is between what’s presented in class and what’s in the textbook. Pay attention to how much of your exams actually focus on things you could only get from the reading.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Know How You’ll Be Assessed:
• Multiple choice tests
• Essays and written questions
• Data analysis in labs
• Reports and class presentations.
The type of assessment you’ll be facing should help you define the specific information you need to pull out of your readings. You can’t remember it all, so the most efficient strategy is to figure out precisely what you need to learn and focus on that.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Don’t Read Textbooks Like Newspapers:
When you read your textbooks, you’re reading to learn and apply the information.
passively running your eyes over the words in a textbook won’t help you really learn the material. And trying to re-read it multiple times won’t yield much of an improvement either.Instead of reading passively, read as if you were having a conversation with an intelligent friend.
This type of reading is called active reading.
( ◜‿◝ )♡5 Active Reading Strategies:
The only acronym-based reading system I recommend is SCAR:
• Stop
• Complaining
• And
• Read
[]Use the Pseudo-Skimming Technique
Filler paragraphs can include:
• Background story
• Asides
• Exceptions (because professional scholars want to be thorough)
• Extra details In many cases,
Information of these types won’t make up the bulk of what you’ll be tested over later - so paragraphs containing those types on information should be quickly scanned. However, a good number of paragraphs in any reading will contain important material that you should learn.
Enter Cal’s pseudo-skimming method; essentially, you’re going through your readings at a staggered pace. One moment you’ll be quickly scanning through paragraphs, the next you’ll notice an important paragraph and slow down to take it in fully.
[]Read the Chapter Backwards
Before you dive into a chapter, flip to the back of it and see what’s there. Usually, you’ll see a list of key vocab terms, review questions, and other helpful stuff.
[]Create Questions While You Read
* ActiveRecall - the practice of forcing your brain to actually retrieve information instead of just passively exposing yourself to it. Doing this helps you learn much more efficiently.
An easy way to prep for Active Recall-based study sessions is to create questions while you do your reading assignments. You should definitely take notes when you read - either during or immediately afterward - and a great way to process these notes for easy studying is to pull details from them and rework them into questions you can quiz yourself on later.
[]Pay Attention to Formatting
Text in your reading assignments that’s bolded, italicized, or
• sitting nicely
• in lists …
should be given special attention.
[]Mark Up Your Book and Take Notes
Lastly, find a way to make reading a more interactive process by either marking up your books or taking notes on what you’re reading.
For me, using a pen/pencil works so much better. Not only can you easily underline and bracket important terms, but you can also write short notes in the margins of your book. Remember why Harry Potter’s Potions book was so useful in The Half-Blood Prince? Margin-notes can really help jog your memory later because they help you connect the reading material to things you already know, making it easier for your brain to solidify your understanding of the topic.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Summarize What You Read:
[]I want to put special emphasis on summarizing, as it’s about the most useful implementation of an Active Recall strategy.
[]Teaching something results in higher retention in your own brain. This is because you’re intensely processing the information with a goal of being able to communicate it in a form that will be understandable to someone less knowledgeable than you.
[]You should definitely be paying close attention to your syllabus and what your professor says).
( ◜‿◝ )♡Don’t Overload The System-
Take Care of your physical health:
The system he was referring to is your brain, but I’m going to take it a step further and define the system as your body.Your mind does all the work involved in earning awesome grades, and the performance of that mind is dependent on the state of your body.
[]1. Eating healthy 90% of the time
[]2. Working out regularly - this can be fun exercise; join an intramural sport or get addicted to DDR like me!
[]3. Getting enough sleep - at least 6 hours a night.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Sit Up Front and Be Present:
Sitting up front and making a deliberate effort to be present actually does help your focus, attention, and energy levels. And it all starts with choosing that row the moment you walk into the classroom.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Come Prepared:
To make sure you’re prepared in class as much as possible, create a mindfulness habit. To me, being mindful means regularly considering the things that your life, and your goals, depend on - especially those that lie outside the current moment.
For instance, a non-mindful student would only think to start looking for an apartment one, maybe two months before he’s supposed to move. A mindful student, on the other hand, would have asked landlords a year in advance what the best time to start looking is, learned it was 7–8 months beforehand, and then started his search at that time.
[]If you find that you’re not as mindful as you’d like to be, an easy solution is to create a reminder.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Get Help from Your Professor (The Right Way):
Not only will you get the help you need, but you’ll also start building a relationship with that professor.
“Before you do, ask yourself this question: What is it that I don’t understand?”
[]When you go for help, you should be able to show the professor all that you do understand up to an exact point – and even show what you understand afterwards.
[]15 Minute Rule
* 1. When you get stuck, push yourself to solve the problem for 15 more minutes.
* 2. During that 15 minutes, document everything you do, keeping in mind that someone else will need those details if they’re going to help you.
* 3. After that time, if you’re still stuck, you must ask for help.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Keep Those Hands Moving:
Being an active participant is almost always better than being a passive observer.
[]When it comes to lecture-style classes, the best ways to be active are to speak up in class discussions and to take lots of notes.
[]Forcing yourself to take notes can be hard, though - so you’ve got to turn it into a habit. To do that, you could:
* Form a study group and compare notes on a regular basis
* Use a habit-tracking tool like Habitica or Lift (more about Habitica - my tool of choice - later in the book)
* Elevate the importance of your notes.
* Make them public.
You should still find a way to build a habit that keeps those hands moving when you’re in class.
That's all.
In short, the book is just a combination of Frank's knowledge from deferent books & blogs he has read. I didn't read all of those books yet. As a result, these informations are new for me. So I have learned many things from this book & those are applicable and workable. So, for me this is a Five star rating book.
Thank you Frank for the free pdf.
I've summarized the first 3 chapters of the book and will do for the full book later Insha'Allah. So, there a gift for you guys the summary of the first 3 chapters:
Focus on getting good grades while also gaining skills outside of class, building things, doing extracurriculars, making connections and - yes - making time to have fun.
“Ideas are just a multiplier of execution.”
* CHAPTER 01
* Pay Better Attention in Class
Since your Class Time is a constant rather than a variable, I think it makes sense to prioritize Learning Quality first.
* CHAPTER 02
* Take More Effective Notes
Notes that focus on learning rather than simply recording.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Five Excellent Note-Taking Methods
[]The Outline Method
Simplest note-taking method.
To use it, you just create bullet lists out of the lecture material or book you’re reading.
• Main ideas are at the top level
◦ Supporting details become nested
◦ Eventually you build an organized, hierarchical outline of the material
• This is pretty meta
I have a habit of reading a book for at least 15 minutes a day, and whenever I f inish a chapter, I immediately go over to Evernote and type out some notes on what I read. When I do this the Outline Method is my system of choice.
Also, if you prefer to take your notes on a computer, the Outline Method is one of the easiest to use.
[]The Cornell Method
To take notes in the Cornell style, you divide your paper into three sections:
1. The Cue column
2. The Note-taking column
3. The Summary column
The Note-taking column will be the most familiar to you, as it just contains the notes you take during class. You can use any style you want, though in most cases people will use the Outline Method. As you take your notes, you’ll use the Cue column to formulate questions based on main ideas and important details from the Note-taking column. Once class is over, you should immediately write a small summary of what was presented in the Summary column. By doing this, you’re processing your notes for efficient study while you’re still in class. When it comes time to actually study them, you’ll find that you’re already halfway to creating a great study guide, as you’ve already written down questions. You should also have a clearer understanding of the material already, since you took the time to summarize it.
[]The Mind Map Method
Method for creating a tree of connected ideas, and I f ind that creating mind maps helps me to better flesh out ideas I want to write about. They’re a great way to visualize a lot of information. To create a mind map, start with a single “umbrella” term in the middle of your page. Then, start branching out from it by drawing lines and writing down words that flesh out that main idea. Mind maps are very visual, so you should experiment with using different colors, drawing pictures next to your terms, and doing other things that help you understand and remember the information more clearly.
For me, mind maps are best used when I’m trying to get a clear picture of all the details underneath a certain topic.
But what if you want to integrate small mind maps into your notes? Can you create a hybrid system?
[]The Flow Method
Your brain stores information in a messy web of tangled facts, ideas, memories, and references.
Flow notes are meant to be an on-paper representation of your mental picture of a subject.
So, how do you actually take Flow-based notes? Here are the basics:
• Connect terms and ideas with arrows
• Deliberately write things down in your own words
• Create backlinks - links ideas back to related terms and details mentioned earlier in the lecture
Flow-based note-taking isn’t perfect for every subject; as Scott Young emphasizes, it’s best for subjects where the ideas are easily connected to other ideas.
[]The “Write on the Slides” Method
If your professor is nice enough to provide the lecture slides to you before they’re actually shown in class, then printing them out and taking notes right on them can be an excellent method of note-taking.
* CHAPTER 03
* Get More Out of Your Textbooks
( ◜‿◝ )♡Don’t Do All Your Assigned Reading:
You can’t do all of it. And you probably shouldn’t.
While the material in those textbooks is objectively useful, remember the theme of this book - reducing your study time! Your time in college is extremely limited, especially if you’re making good use of it by working on projects, building relationships, staying involved in clubs, etc. Oh, and maybe a bit of time to actually relax as well.
But how do you figure out which assignments are necessary, and which ones aren’t? The first piece of advice I can give you is this: Readings can be separated into different categories:
1. Primary readings
2. Secondary readings
* Primary readings generally include the required textbook for the class and possibly other readings based on what you’re learning. In general, you should make your best effort to do these readings.
* Secondary readings are things like smaller books, articles the professor wants you to read, case studies, etc. These are for either quick scanning or skipping altogether.
Be mindful of how much overlap there is between what’s presented in class and what’s in the textbook. Pay attention to how much of your exams actually focus on things you could only get from the reading.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Know How You’ll Be Assessed:
• Multiple choice tests
• Essays and written questions
• Data analysis in labs
• Reports and class presentations.
The type of assessment you’ll be facing should help you define the specific information you need to pull out of your readings. You can’t remember it all, so the most efficient strategy is to figure out precisely what you need to learn and focus on that.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Don’t Read Textbooks Like Newspapers:
When you read your textbooks, you’re reading to learn and apply the information.
passively running your eyes over the words in a textbook won’t help you really learn the material. And trying to re-read it multiple times won’t yield much of an improvement either.Instead of reading passively, read as if you were having a conversation with an intelligent friend.
This type of reading is called active reading.
( ◜‿◝ )♡5 Active Reading Strategies:
The only acronym-based reading system I recommend is SCAR:
• Stop
• Complaining
• And
• Read
[]Use the Pseudo-Skimming Technique
Filler paragraphs can include:
• Background story
• Asides
• Exceptions (because professional scholars want to be thorough)
• Extra details In many cases,
Information of these types won’t make up the bulk of what you’ll be tested over later - so paragraphs containing those types on information should be quickly scanned. However, a good number of paragraphs in any reading will contain important material that you should learn.
Enter Cal’s pseudo-skimming method; essentially, you’re going through your readings at a staggered pace. One moment you’ll be quickly scanning through paragraphs, the next you’ll notice an important paragraph and slow down to take it in fully.
[]Read the Chapter Backwards
Before you dive into a chapter, flip to the back of it and see what’s there. Usually, you’ll see a list of key vocab terms, review questions, and other helpful stuff.
[]Create Questions While You Read
* ActiveRecall - the practice of forcing your brain to actually retrieve information instead of just passively exposing yourself to it. Doing this helps you learn much more efficiently.
An easy way to prep for Active Recall-based study sessions is to create questions while you do your reading assignments. You should definitely take notes when you read - either during or immediately afterward - and a great way to process these notes for easy studying is to pull details from them and rework them into questions you can quiz yourself on later.
[]Pay Attention to Formatting
Text in your reading assignments that’s bolded, italicized, or
• sitting nicely
• in lists …
should be given special attention.
[]Mark Up Your Book and Take Notes
Lastly, find a way to make reading a more interactive process by either marking up your books or taking notes on what you’re reading.
For me, using a pen/pencil works so much better. Not only can you easily underline and bracket important terms, but you can also write short notes in the margins of your book. Remember why Harry Potter’s Potions book was so useful in The Half-Blood Prince? Margin-notes can really help jog your memory later because they help you connect the reading material to things you already know, making it easier for your brain to solidify your understanding of the topic.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Summarize What You Read:
[]I want to put special emphasis on summarizing, as it’s about the most useful implementation of an Active Recall strategy.
[]Teaching something results in higher retention in your own brain. This is because you’re intensely processing the information with a goal of being able to communicate it in a form that will be understandable to someone less knowledgeable than you.
[]You should definitely be paying close attention to your syllabus and what your professor says).
( ◜‿◝ )♡Don’t Overload The System-
Take Care of your physical health:
The system he was referring to is your brain, but I’m going to take it a step further and define the system as your body.Your mind does all the work involved in earning awesome grades, and the performance of that mind is dependent on the state of your body.
[]1. Eating healthy 90% of the time
[]2. Working out regularly - this can be fun exercise; join an intramural sport or get addicted to DDR like me!
[]3. Getting enough sleep - at least 6 hours a night.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Sit Up Front and Be Present:
Sitting up front and making a deliberate effort to be present actually does help your focus, attention, and energy levels. And it all starts with choosing that row the moment you walk into the classroom.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Come Prepared:
To make sure you’re prepared in class as much as possible, create a mindfulness habit. To me, being mindful means regularly considering the things that your life, and your goals, depend on - especially those that lie outside the current moment.
For instance, a non-mindful student would only think to start looking for an apartment one, maybe two months before he’s supposed to move. A mindful student, on the other hand, would have asked landlords a year in advance what the best time to start looking is, learned it was 7–8 months beforehand, and then started his search at that time.
[]If you find that you’re not as mindful as you’d like to be, an easy solution is to create a reminder.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Get Help from Your Professor (The Right Way):
Not only will you get the help you need, but you’ll also start building a relationship with that professor.
“Before you do, ask yourself this question: What is it that I don’t understand?”
[]When you go for help, you should be able to show the professor all that you do understand up to an exact point – and even show what you understand afterwards.
[]15 Minute Rule
* 1. When you get stuck, push yourself to solve the problem for 15 more minutes.
* 2. During that 15 minutes, document everything you do, keeping in mind that someone else will need those details if they’re going to help you.
* 3. After that time, if you’re still stuck, you must ask for help.
( ◜‿◝ )♡Keep Those Hands Moving:
Being an active participant is almost always better than being a passive observer.
[]When it comes to lecture-style classes, the best ways to be active are to speak up in class discussions and to take lots of notes.
[]Forcing yourself to take notes can be hard, though - so you’ve got to turn it into a habit. To do that, you could:
* Form a study group and compare notes on a regular basis
* Use a habit-tracking tool like Habitica or Lift (more about Habitica - my tool of choice - later in the book)
* Elevate the importance of your notes.
* Make them public.
You should still find a way to build a habit that keeps those hands moving when you’re in class.
That's all.
In short, the book is just a combination of Frank's knowledge from deferent books & blogs he has read. I didn't read all of those books yet. As a result, these informations are new for me. So I have learned many things from this book & those are applicable and workable. So, for me this is a Five star rating book.
Thank you Frank for the free pdf.
Come for the tips, stay for the personality. Seriously though, this is a 100-odd page CIG video (which is to say, an amazing balance of fun and content). An absolute must-read for students, or anyone who's just trying to be more productive
Great book! Lots of informed things that I really wish I learned in freshman year and not junior year of college. But better late than never you know!
I 100% recommend to any incoming or even current college students, as well as all of Thomas Frank's articles and other information at College info Geek!
I 100% recommend to any incoming or even current college students, as well as all of Thomas Frank's articles and other information at College info Geek!
It felt like a collection of bits and pieces from all the other productivity books. Nothing particularly new...
informative
fast-paced
Just finished the book and it’s super helpful!
I really enjoyed the familiarity that the author had with me as the reader and the amount of post-it notes I have in it is.... let’s just say a “reasonable” amount. Love it and I will be applying it to my studies. 100% recommend
I really enjoyed the familiarity that the author had with me as the reader and the amount of post-it notes I have in it is.... let’s just say a “reasonable” amount. Love it and I will be applying it to my studies. 100% recommend
If I didn't know most of these tips, it would have been quite the comprehensive guide to help people with spending less time on their studies through actionable steps and practices. It's interesting to see how most of the stuff isn't on studying, but more on lifestyle and psychological tidbits to help support one's studying endeavors. Seeing as I have to study for two midterms I'll be taking next week, it was a nice refresher :)
Very detailed and helpful for whoever is willing to learn.