Customer Reviews

How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

*read the comments below this review for more info if you really need help! :D*

I saw the raving reviews for this book so I bought it. I must say, I rather enjoy it. It gives simple, concise advice. No BSing around. Only the bare minimum of what you need to make straight As. I agree with what everyone has said.

The problem comes when you've got a learning disability. I have reading and ADD. Some of Newport's advice simply will not cut it for me. For example, he talks about how you shouldn't waste time reading the assignment before class. Instead, go to class taking good notes (& of course there is a section explaining his minimalist approach to good notes). This plan of action is disatrious for an ADD student. We struggle to pay attention. We have a tendency to not "move on" to the next topic without an understanding of what we see. We miss the lecture, essentially. For me to NOT do the reading before hand is actually a strategy for failure. Reading material beforehand gives me understanding of the lecture so I can focus, ask questions, etc.

That was just an example of how some methods in this book may not work. So, unfortunately, not all of us can cut as many corners as Cal could... For some of us, we need to take time, but we can be smart about how the time is used.

So i you get this book and find that something is not working for you, don't blame yourself. Find a new strategy and check out other books.

But no matter who you are, if you are beginning your research on the most effective study plan FOR YOU, this book is an awesome place to start. It will give you a good foundation of no-nonsense, modernized concepts that permeate throughout the "how to study" book options.

Currently, I am using more of the "Guaranteed 4.0" system which is more detailed & I feel its effectiveness immediately (whereas Cal Newport's method makes me feel scared it may not work). I'm also reading "What Smart Students Know" since it is a classic. I would not be able to stomach these study techniques if it weren't for getting used to Cal's minimalism.

This is the book that really made the difference for me, just wish I would of read it my freshman year instead of my the end of my sophmore semester. I think I would of been a lot less stressed out if I had. Around the same time I read htis book I also came across something called "brain drugs" (yes they are legal lol), and after experimenting with them for the last 6 months; I've become convinced of their effectiveness and anyone reading this book could probably also benefit from the results you get from them.

They are called nootopics and were first discovered 30 years ago and used to treat medical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ADHD. They worked so well that the marketing companies got a hold of them and started selling them as cognitive enhancers to the public, they became a very popular brain supplement.

A couple weeks after I took these I scored the highest I ever have on a physics test and got OVER 100% on a chem. Quiz the same day. A week later I had a bio test and although I haven't gotten the results back yet, I feel more confident than I have with any test previous. I didn't change my study habits at all really. I read this book well over a year ago and still use many of these study techniques the author speaks about, but my studies have become more focused. I get "in the zone" so to speak and just pound down the homework.

This supplement will not make you "smarter" but they have allowed me to unlock some hidden potential in a way I cannot describe. There are many different types of nootropics currently available, the only one's I have tried thus far are below;

Piracetam Powder (250 Grams) 50 Grams Oxiracetam Bulk Powder 5 times stronger than Piracetam

I feel sharper, quicker, noticeably more able to find the right words when I need them. Remembering simple details or more complex diagrams seems less difficult. Its weird, because I'll look at a diagram a couple times and then kinda discover that the next time I look at it I remember more than I thought I would. It's like an added clarity. The entire phenomenon is difficult to describe because you don't feel different but yet you will notice things about your brain functioning being... just better. I've been telling every soul I've encountered about these supplements, totally needed these in high school too!

I rate this book 4 stars only because there is tons of great study advice on his blog that should be included in this book! This book does have some "basic" advice in it as other reviews stated, but combined with the info on his blog and your own personal study habits you can really cut down on "grinding".

For instance, in this book Cal points out the pitfalls of highlighting: You have to go back and read it again, which wastes time. He also discusses taking notes in the QEC format, and mentions how having your readings for technical classes available during class make lectures easier to follow and understand. While QEC notes are great, it is hard to do this in class, even with a laptop. His blog mentions the "morse code method" where you essentially identify the components of your potential QEC notes by marking a dash next to main ideas in your reading material, and mark dots next to information supporting that idea. When I'm in class I jot down as many questions as possible. These questions capture big ideas of the lecture, and help me create a practice quiz for later. During slow moments in lecture I skim the reading and mark up my book with the morse code method. I then read the text after class (as recommended in this book) and take QEC notes based on the questions I captured during lecture, and the morse code marks I put in my book, which makes note taking that much easier. This is more efficient than highlighting, because it doesn't just say "hey this is important" but also says "this is a big idea, and this over here supports this idea."

One thing that is definitely lacking in this book is advice on how to deal with memorization. You've all been there: languages, cellular respiration, medical terminology, taxonomy and phylogeny, functional groups. I'd say that the best way to deal with this is quiz and recall (as Cal introduces in his book) with a twist. For chemistry, make a list of functional groups, write some elements and ions on some post-it notes, write some dashes for single and double bonds on post it notes of a different color, then Q&R the functional groups- rearrange the post-its until you've built each one without checking your textbook. Then save your post-its for later. Same goes for cellular respiration: write down the enzymes and substrates, and reorganize them in order until you've got it memorized. For taxonomy, I'd write the characteristics in jeopardy style questions on index cards, Q&R, and then group the cards into groups. Then shuffle and repeat. For terminology, write composite words on index cards for Q&R. In a notebook, fold each sheet of paper into two columns, and write the root (suffix, prefix, whatever) in one column, and the meaning of the root on the other. Q&R the meaning of the vocab word based on the roots in your notebook. For tissues bones, and other anatomical structures, scan pictures from a photographic atlas, shrink them to fit on the largest index cards you can find, and glue the image to your card. On the back of the card write the number and name of each structure. On the image, number each structure and then cross out the name of the structure if it is labeled. Then Q&R.

There are plenty of great things on his blog that when coupled with the information in his book really do cut down on the amount of time you spend studying. With respect to other reviews, I would also have to agree that this book is excellent for undergraduates, but probably won't help people who are in grad school. I haven't finished undergrad yet, but I assume its balls-to-the-walls-all-hell-breaks-loose with respect to the demands of studying, synthesizing information, and learning in grad school ^-^. There does seem to be more emphasis on nontechnical study tactics in this book, but if you adapt his advice to your courses you'll get a lot out of this book. For example, his advice for master problem sets is applicable to more than math courses. Chemistry and physics students would greatly benefit from these same strategies. His QEC notes are great for nutrition, psychology, physiology, and environmental science. The time management tips are great for a foundation, but I'm a bigger fan of his "visual panic schedule" which is published on his blog. While the case studies in his book are realistic and refreshing, the case studies on his blog are much more inspiring! I highly recommend the book, because there are a lot of useful tips that are *only* published in that book and do not reappear on his blog. BUT there is a lot of stuff on his blog that I find equally helpful (and there is more of it). Buy the book, and read the blog.

I'm currently a student at Tufts University, and before reading this book I was a real "grinder" when it came to trying to get a good GPA. I really didn't have a stellar social life because, due to my previous study methods, I needed to study for hours on end in order to excel academically. I did well, but not insanely well, and it always felt like I was under a time crunch to finish my work.

But the most frustrating aspect of my early college career was the sacrifices I had to make to my social life to get an above-average GPA. Every time I tried to make time to go out and have fun, my grades suffered.

Enter Cal's book. After reading this book and applying his techniques, I was able to take the hardest course load I ever took (5 science/engineering courses), play rugby, and go out, on average, 3 times a week while pulling off a 3.8 GPA for the semester.

The techniques in this book will vastly improve your quality of life in college. His time management techniques are worth the price of admission alone. I HIGHLY recommend it, Two thumbs up.

This book really got me excited about my second semester of college. Immediately before reading this, I had just finished reading and learning the method in Adam Robinson's "What Smart Students Know" - which Newport bashes rigorously in his introduction. I too was under the impression that Robinson expected too much of the typical college student, and Newport's book was totally the relief I was looking for.

What I loved about "Straight-A Student" was that it provided a great framework for understanding the system that you have to work within. The time and focus management, and organizational part have helped tremendously. It also separated out the difference between technical and non-technical courses and the methods by which you should approach them. Even the writing portion makes sense. My total approach to college and classes has been simplified by these things.

So why only three stars? Well, in my literature class I applied all the "big idea" methods and did great in all my discussions and essays. I couldn't believe how easy it all was. Then I took my first exam. It was hard for me let go of my usual "grind" ways and trust the process, so I decided to study half Newport's way and include half Robinson's way (which requires a lot less time than the author suggests). You couldn't imagine my dismay when I open the exam only to find that the questions were requesting very technical details of the reading material I demoted because neither the teacher nor students ever referred to them at all.

On the half of the questions that applied to the material I studied using Robinson's method, however, I didn't even have to think. I knew the answers and was able to answer easily. The problem is that getting half of an exam correct results in a failing grade - the first one lower than an "A" I received since I began school.

I really wanted to trust that this book would be the answer to my long study hours, and in truth, it has helped a great deal. My only inclination that something might not be quite right was in the introduction. Newport insists his method is superior to other popular authors. Usually I take this attitude to indicate that something is missing - and now I remember why. This book, in combination with Robinson's, will save you tons of time, increase your focus, and improve your grades. Just don't totally trust it as the only solution - there is no such thing.

I've read many many books on this subject, and this is the best one I've found so far. Cal Newport does a fantastic job presenting his finds on how to get straight A's, without the BS that you'll get from 90% of the books out there.

The main source of information for this book was interviews with real, straight A students at schools like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, etc... Newport sent out surveys around the country to these students, and even interviewed many in depth in order to devise the strategies that these students are using.

The book is broken up into three sections: Study Basics + Time Management, Quizzes + Exams, and Essays + Papers. In each section, Newport carefully outlines the strategies real students use to gain an academic edge. Some of these include how to plan out your day in only five minutes, how to win the war on porcrastination, and how to come up with killer ideas for essay topics. At the end of each section, the author presents a "Case Study" on one or two student, where he goes through a typical day/week with a college student who implements these strategies. At the end, I found myself feeling empowered and motivated, like there was no academic challenge I couldn't overtake.

And here's the real good stuff: the author shows you how to do this WITHOUT having to study for 16 hours a day, only get 3 hours of sleep, and spend every spare waking moment with your nose in your notes. In fact, Newport deliberately discarded any interviews with students who followed strategies such as this.

I'd reccommend this book to any student at any level who wants to learn how to live up to their full potential. It's easier than you think.

For perhaps the first time in my life, I finally found a book that truly lives up to its title. Personally, I dont review many books, but I just had to let everyone know that this book is AMAZING!

Well...maybe i'm getting ahead of myself. You should also check out his other book too!

I've read a few other books on college. However, they were bloated with too many pages, a boring writing style that failed to capture my attention, and were generally repeating common sense that students have heard way too many times.

However, what sets this book apart is that, unlike 99% of college success books, the advice isn't biased. It doesn't involve one person's experience, but instead from fellow straight-a students. In fact, it isn't even written by a professor! The great part about this is that, although not every last tip will apply to everyone, it gives you a good pool to work with when formulating methods to get ahead in college. Personally, I found 95% of the stuff applicable to me.

That being said, I found this book to be helpful because it follows the simple phrase: "Study smarter, not harder". Even with this simple phrase in mind, everything branches out to include often surprising "secrets" that WILL improve your college experience. Although much of it is common sense, Cal describes it in such a manner so that you can easily understand it, why it is important, and become inspired right away! Cal also writes very well that I found it very hard just to put the book down! He writes in such a manner like he is an older sibling who is passing on his knowledge to his younger brother or sister. Its really funny and definitely a far cry from those monotonous "college success" guides.

Even then, this book more than delivers on its title. Although good grades in college are no doubt important, college is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is full of new experiences waiting to be discovered. With this in mind, Cal proves to the reader that good grades are not the entire point of college. He defeats this common mindset by telling the reader to keep a good balance that were used by the straight-A students he interviewed. He used the phrase "star students" to describe them. These were people who actually HAD a life outside of the classroom: They had stellar grades, good friends, and were immersed in extracurricular activities. In essence, these students wanted to "stand out" right from the beginning. This piece of advice will definitely be hard to come by with other books. A's B's and C's are NOT the "currency" of academia.

An important thing to remember is that this book is more in depth than his previous book. Even so, i'd buy BOTH books!

If you are skeptical like I was at first, do two things:
1. Read the introduction.
2. Check out Cal's blog on college success. Its updated frequently: http://calnewport.com/blog/

Good luck and have fun!

***UPDATE***
December 22, 2008

3.7 GPA for my 1st semester of college. I had tons of free time on my hands! This book was the single best investment I made thus far in my college career!

After about three pages, I knew I was not going to rate this book very highly as I figured it was one of those hyped up books that simply would not deliver. I have already been doing most of what the author suggests in my own way. I stopped reading this book on page 136 when the author assumes that your professor will grade on a curve. If you are going to write a book on how to get straight A's, how could you include this information? Yes, some professors will grade on a curve in technical courses but this should never be assumed. I took a calculus-based physics course and I saw F's in the pile of graded papers. I even swear one kid got a "13" on an exam. I hope he didn't read this book and expect a curve. Of course there was no curve on this test because there was that one nerd who aced it. If I am buying a book on techniques used to become a straight A student, I am looking for advice that I don't already know and I am willing to do all the work and preparation necessary to ensure I achieve similar results. I did not see any of that information in this book.

In the first section the author tells you to keep a monthly calendar and then to walk around with a scrap sheet of paper to jot down new tasks encountered during the day so you can construct a daily and long term "to do" list by transferring these daily tasks to your calendar. I don't know about you but the first thing I bought at the bookstore when I was a freshman were my books, a t-shirt, and a calendar. As far as the scrap sheet of paper he talks about, I've been carrying around a more organized day planner since the fifth grade. The schools even handed them out to us for free.

As far as writing your to do list out on a piece of paper, you should be able to do this mentally by the time you are 18. Before I go to bed, I plan my day out and when I wake up I know the main things I need to do or accomplish during that day. If something else pops up during the day, I can handle delegating it mentally. If you have a problem with procrastination or discipline, you need to read a book on the subject to identify the underlying cause and work around it. Procrastination is a habit that can be unlearned and has nothing to do with laziness. The advice on procrastination in this book is useless. I suggest you read "The Now Habit" by Neil Fiore or "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. Heavy stuff for 18 year olds but they are good books and highly rated.

Regarding his study techniques, he is against rote learning. I disagree with this. I will give you a valid example. When I took Intro to Psych., We had five tests for that class. One test could be dropped and a bonus cumulative exam would be given immediately after our final exam which would substitute the dropped exam. So in other words, if you get a low grade on the first test, you would have to ace all the others for an A in the class. I was anticipating B's in organic chemistry and calculus so I needed a guaranteed A in psych to make the Dean's List. The format for each exam was 100-120 multiple choice. And not A-D, this professor used A-H. Each reading section for each exam was around 80-100 pages. I'm sorry but the only way you are passing this class is through rote learning or unless your brain works differently than mine. I read each section four or five times over the course of about two weeks and when exam time came, I flew through each page; only getting stumped on maybe two to three questions -and that too I could narrow it down to two choices. I didn't even need to size up the exam once I received it like the author suggests you do. My studying allowed me to plow right through it. I can promise you that the author's study methods for non-technical classes would not get you an A in this class. Not every non-technical course is structured like this psych course but if they are you need to adjust your study habits appropriately. I don't understand how you could use anything else but rote learning for mass memorization classes -especially ones that you don't have previous experience with.

I mean he does have some legitimate advice in here but my problem is that his good advice is common sense. If you're halfway smart, you're probably already working with flash cards and you probably know how to read an article or a passage and break it down into "Main point, Evidence, and Conclusion" format. You're doing a lot of this stuff subconsciously and you don't even know it. Honestly, I use his quiz and recall method every time I read a book and sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it.

EDIT: I actually went ahead and read the rest of the book and it deals with writing essays and term papers. The main point in this section is not to wait till the last minute, take advantage of your professors office hours, and proofread your work. How many of you already do that? It's much harder to guarantee A's on papers than it is on tests.

This is what I have to say about books promising getting straight A's. If you take 10 equally qualified students from around the country and send them to the same college for the same major, you have no idea what kind of academic background each of those students is coming from. If one student is smarter in math than another, the smart kid will have it easier in the calculus course. If another student is a history buff, naturally he or she will be more inclined to ace the history course. The bottom line is that everybody is different, everybody learns differently. During the first two weeks of any course, you have to feel the course out and adjust your studying and effort to that. For example, I had a useless philosophy course which only required three papers and attendance to pass. The professor was a hippie and really laid back and I knew very early that it would be an easy class. I had a needlessly hard comparative politics course which required two exams, papers, four extremely dry books, and debates and it was taught by a visiting Yale professor. I also took orgo with lab that semester. Obviously, I spent less time on the philosophy course and devoted all my time to orgo and the political science course. I felt the professors out in the beginning and adjusted my time and study habits accordingly. Normally, I wouldn't devote as much time as I did to a political science course but in my case I had too.

My advice for straight A's is to take college one semester at a time, and use whatever methods YOU need to make the grade even if some people might think they are not practical. This book does not give you a magical study method that you have never heard of or used before. Just because Cal Newport made straight A's does not mean you will because you are not Cal Newport. I had a friend during college who was a biology major and was in the seven year pre-med/med program. He ended up accepting another offer to the UPenn school of medicine. He also took engineering courses for fun and aced them. He was one of the most relaxed people I knew and there was a certain balance to his life that I cannot understand even today. People like this do exist and I don't believe that it is necessarily genetics but you better believe his study habits started when he was in grade school and he was probably a standout preschooler as well. He did not read a book like this and get those types of grades. I also want to add that his home environment was probably more conducive to this type of performance as I know his dad was a doctor. Maybe Cal Newport is like him but I am not and most of you probably are not. That doesn't mean you can't get straight A's. It means you will be working harder than these two guys to get them. I guarantee you if my friend gave me his study habits, I would not see similar results. Lets imagine that my friend and Cal are represented by "Jason" from UPenn and "David" from Dartmouth --two of many straight A students surveyed in this book. Just because they offer a certain method, it does not mean it will necessarily work for you.

If you can get into college, than you already know how to study, it's all about pushing yourself and challenging yourself to go above and beyond what you were used to in HS to meet the demands of a college curriculum and to learn something in the process. There is no secret formula to winning at college. Also, when I'm paying roughly $20000 per semester to obtain a degree that I chose to pursue voluntarily, my academics are first and my partying is secondary. If I have to miss an event because I have a calculus exam in a few days and I'm not 100% confident that I am prepared, then I'm missing the party. Trust me, if you don't have a social life or hobbies, you will become weird; I understand that. Free time is good but it is not guaranteed and you should not study in a way where free time becomes your goal. Some people are just better at this than others. Of course the author does suggest constructing the calendar and to-do list to help you manage your time. However, if your specific study methods require all-nighters (I don't recommend them either) or more study hours to get high grades, then that is your method and there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm sorry for the long rant but this book just made me mad because it suggests something that it does not deliver. I know the author wrote this with good intentions but the premise of the subject matter is way to broad to apply to the entire student population. I also bought the Adam Robinson book titled "What Smart Students Know" and another book titled "How to Study" by Ron Fry. I will update this review if I can recommend another title. I don't think any book promising straight A's will deliver on that promise. I do want to say that I read Cal Newport's other book titled "How to Win at College" and I liked that book more than this one. I gave it a much higher rating because it gives you advice on creating an environment that encourages optimal learning and productivity so that you can be in a better position to get straight A's.

Regarding getting straight A's. I think that this is more of a motivational and "how to learn" issue and I came across a good book aptly titled "Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success" by Myron H. Dembo. Judging by the table of contents, it appears more appropriate for understanding how to get straight A's.

For now, I think this book is not worth your time and money. It is mostly filled with common sense, some assurances, and is light on specific advice on how to get straight A's. I gave it two stars for effort.

Before I decided on this book I did a good bit of research regarding study techniques over the internet and discovered one-to-many get rich quick style study books that promised straight-A's with little to no studying. Those that didn't fit this stereotype were asking students to study almost all day every day. Fortunately, Cal has proven that getting straight-A's isn't synonymous with being an over worked, underpaid, social outcast. There's no magic pill that will make you remember everything you hear, see, and read, but Cal has devised system that works.

The book gives fantastically practical advice. The content is gleaned from comments and interviews of real straight-A students at universities like Dartmouth, Yale etc. These kids haven't just worked hard for their grades, but more importantly, they've invested their time intelligently. The book is written in a joking, friendly, style. It will teach you practical, effective, proven strategies to help you achieve your academic goals. Cal Newport presents an simple time management strategy, a simple but effective note taking technique, for both technical (math, science...) and non-technical (english, history...) courses. He then covers how to study, when you're done studying, how to tackle major research papers and non-research papers etc. If you're still unsure if this book is for you, I highly recommend you check out Cal's website - calnewport.com/blog. The book essentially presents similar ideas in a step-by-step organized format.

Personally, I absolutely loved the book. In the four weeks of first semester that followed my completion of the book, I didn't get a single grade below a 95 on a test or paper! The techniques are easy to put to work and extremely effective. When I finished the book, I discovered the blog, and haven't stopped reading it since. Cal has more fantastic advice on life for students than anyone else I've ever heard of. READ THIS BOOK. You won't regret it.

I picked up this book out of curiousity, and was impressed. I never thought reading about studying would be fun! This book is smart, practical, authentic, and realistic. I was surprised how often the studying advice Newport uncovered matched the research I have been exposed to as an education grad student. I don't agree with every single point Newport makes (for example, his importance hierarchy for reading assignments is not going to work for all majors), however I would definately reccommend this book to any college student who is serious about succeeding.