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Some of the strangest advice you’ll hear in life is the most powerful.

Any idiot can tell you to do the obvious.

“Work harder.”

Okay… Wow… thanks for that insightful advice that I’d already heard ten million times from just about everyone without any context on how to actually do it.

Really… what is the point of giving that advice? If it were so easy to follow then odds are, someone would have followed it by then already.

So… in classic Smart Student Secrets fashion, I’m going to offer study tips for college that are a little weirder.

They might sound completely crazy. (Maybe they are.) But the thing is:

1. This advice worked for me in college.

2. Thousands of students have already used this advice to improve their life and grades.

3. The academic research pretty much backs up all this advice (but they just say it in fancy words.)

Here is what you need to know:

1. Don’t study a second more than you have to

Studying isn’t grunt work. You can’t just keep banging away at the textbooks hoping to get somewhere.

It’s absolutely fundamental that you’re focusing on it. If you start losing focus then you stop learning anything. And when you study for long periods of time, you have no choice but to lose focus every once in a while.

It’s much smarter to study with an intense focus for a shorter period of time – that is – every single time you study.

That strategy gets and keeps your brain in it’s most focused possible state so you don’t fall into the deadly habit of losing focus and daydreaming when you’re supposed to be learning stuff.

Study less so you can learn more.

2. Never pull an all-nighter (even if you haven’t studied for a second yet)

Seriously… those desperate last-second all-nighters are killing your grade.

I don’t care if you forgot to study for the two weeks you had to prepare for the test. Do not pull an all-nighter even if it could improve your grade but…

First thing, all-nighters don’t always improve your grades. It’s more of a hit or miss situation. Sure… the extra 5-8 hours of studying might improve your grades a little bit but at the same time, you’re going to be 10 times as tired as you would have otherwise been and your stress levels are going to be bursting off the charts.

Second thing, even IF they improved your grades…

Your grade will never be as good as it would have been had you studied consistently for the two weeks before the actual test. It won’t even be close.

By pulling the all-nighter, you’re ruining your chance to change your behavior in the future. You’re going to be able to pretend you saved your own butt when it reality you just hung yourself out to dry.

Next time you have a test coming, having pulled an all-nighter last time, you’re probably going to do the same stupid thing next time and every time after that – you’re screwing your grade up and just pretending you’re saving it.

Cut your losses. Take a few lost points. Learn your lesson.

3. Don’t open that textbook unless you absolutely have to

Textbooks are almost always completely useless.

Teachers write tests to their lectures (not their textbooks.) Your notes from class will always be more valuable than your textbook.

The reality is: textbooks are miserable for learning stuff. They can be okay for looking things up later. They’re reference books. They’re almost never helpful for studying.

If you try to study out of your textbook then most of the time you’re just going to be draining your energy and motivation. They’re written precise, boring, and long. That won’t help you learn much.

Can you open it for some things? Sure… but be really careful because…

Too many students use opening the textbook and daydreaming as their “proof” that they work hard.

“I studied six hours last night.”

No… you put your headphones on. Rocked out to music while daydreaming with your textbook open in front of you…

Shut the textbook and study stuff that you’ll actually learn.

4. Skip study group

Study groups are usually just boring social clubs.

If you’re going to go out and have fun with friends then do that. Don’t pretend that you’re actually studying.

For the study groups that are a little more than a social club (the ones that actually study…)

They’re usually only productive for the leader and the lagger in the group. The leader of the group ends up teaching concepts to other students (and that helps the leader.) The “slow guy” in the group is taught the concepts. And most of the people in between just fall through the cracks and sit around glad that they haven’t looked dumb yet.

Have fun with friends but don’t pretend you’re there to learn something.

5. Limit your study time to 20 minutes a night.

The old Smart Student Secrets study strategy was called the 15 Minute Study Strategy.

In 95% of schools, studying for 15 minutes a night is enough to put you near the top of your class. That is, assuming you’re doing it right…

Most advice students get is crap. It’s not measurable. It’s not effective. It’s usually not even practically doable.

When you actually get into the powerful and effective study strategies, short study sessions work wonders.

But people only have so much energy. By limiting your study time you force yourself to use effective strategies and focus.

By stretching out your study time you encourage yourself to zone out, slack, and learn nothing while bragging to your friends about how long you studied.

6. Sleep late & early & often & even take naps if you’re up for it

Memory consolidation takes place while you sleep.

In fact, sleep recovers just about everything that you use up in your body.

Sleep is just plain awesome.

But it’s one of those things “super productive” people like to give up because it’s not immediately obvious how productive sleep actually is. They try to tell themselves that sleep is just some low productivity activity biology forces them to do every time.

It’s not.

In fact, it’s probably one of the most productive things you can do.

So… if you’re sleepy… indulge yourself.

7. Don’t do all of your assignments

You know that limited energy thing I was talking about earlier?

One of the best things you can do to improve your productivity is to stop doing low productivity tasks.

If you look at your syllabus then you might be able to pick out some of these low productivity tasks. (If you’ve got 100 homework assignments but homework is only 10% of your final grade then 1 homework assignment is only worth a tenth of a percent of your final grade.)

Save your energy for high value assignments.

Life is too short and there are way too many fun things you can be doing to recharge your batteries.

High grades are only useful if you can maintain them. Saving your energy is one of the best ways that you can keep those high scores coming through the whole semester (instead of burning out half way through and leaving your grade in a heap on the floor.)

Image Sources: Flickr, Flickr, Pexels, Pexels, Flickr, Flickr, and Flickr

The post 7 Study Tips For College That Are Weird, True, And Will Improve Your Grades appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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[dailymemorytips]

  The world is navigating around the unexpected changes and the uncertainties due to the impacts of COVID-19. The pandemic has caused serious effects on the population across the globe. Due to the National Emergency, the two common problems are healthcare, safety and academic success of students. Students have been asked to move out of the campus for a while with notice and adjust to new living conditions. However, the government is striving hard to stabilize the situation. But students must also prepare in ways to overcome these uncertainties and plan for their college. Here are a few tips on how you can put effort from your side to improve the conditions.

  Preparing for college during COVID-19

The education system of U.S is coming up with new changes to benefit students through this crisis, hence students must be aware about these and plan accordingly to pursue their career goals,

Complete the courses

Due to the negative effects of coronavirus, students must complete their coursework, assignments and take up tests offered by the school online. Students are continuously assessed and the classes that were originally scheduled for an hour in a traditional setting have been shortened to 45 mins in online settings. The intention behind this is  to give students the knowledge of the AP tests even if the students are unable to attend the AP tests and to prepare them well for the college. Hence students must take this seriously and complete the courses. Staying in touch with teachers might seem to be a difficult task since classes have been shifted online. But, do not hesitate to contact your teachers in case of doubts.

  Apply for financial aid

Due to the economic fall down and financial strain, many employees may lose their jobs. In case of job loss of parents, you could still file for financial aid to support your tuition. For those students who are planning to get financial assistance, you could still apply as the  deadline is June 1. 

Scholarships are one of the best ways to pay for college tuition as they do not require your family’s contribution and above all you don’t have to repay. You may find  Easy scholarships on the College Monk portal that fits all your requirements and help you inch forward towards bagging one.  When you want to borrow a student loan, you must fill out the FAFSA with required documents including tax returns, EFC and social security number. If your financial situation is any different, you could still get assistance from the college aid office to settle your issues.

  Learn about the grading system 

Your GPAs and high test scores always mattered to get an admission for the college of your choice. But due to the emergency, most colleges are dropping the idea of considering the scores required in the standardized tests. The district schools across the states have decided to just mark transcripts with Pass / Fail instead of grading. The schools are making tests optional. If you are worried about your SAT or ACT scores to get into a college, the good news is it will not be considered for acceptance.

While most students have already taken up the tests and are waiting for their acceptance letter, you need not worry about your acceptance and we recommend you to complete the coursework offered through online medium. 

  Be mindful and up-to-date 

It is important for students to learn about what’s going around the world. Ensure that you have general information and know about the precautionary measures put forward by the WHO about the pandemic. Keep yourself up-to-date about the present scenario. It is also good to know when to take a break from news as this can have a negative impact on our minds given the difficult times we are in. 

Presently the frontline healthcare providers are working relentlessly to prevent the spread of virus. Doctors and nurses are the primary caregivers. This has inspired many students to pursue a career in the healthcare field. If you are looking to pursue a career in health care, you may research How to Become a Nurse detailed in simple steps and their roles to save others lives. As a high school student, this is a crucial time for making wise career choices.

  Follow a routine

The times are such that it is easy to get distracted. But using this time to gain new skills, enrol in an online course, and attend online classes regularly can work to your advantage and help you secure a better career.

Follow a simple routine, get good sleep, eat well, practice self-care and participate in indoor activities outside the screen. With limited options and staying indoor, thinking creatively and keeping yourself busy by learning something new is commendable.

  Stay connected

The self-isolation seems new to most of us. Keep your spirits by practicing interpersonal communication such as video calls and phone calls. Try and keep texts and social media interaction to a bare minimum. Use this time to get creative and maintain your social connection. Learn about the present scenario, attend webinars which keeps you connected to professionals and help strengthen your network. 

Conclusion

Remember what Nevins said, “If anyone can do this, college students can: they’re probably the best generation to understand how to stay connected and be resilient in times like this”. Your advisors and high school counselors tell you not to worry and stay focused on what you can do. High school students need not worry about their test scores and grades to get an admission as colleges and universities will treat every student equally. Students must research well about the college, entry requirements of the college, aids to manage financial situations, the various federal programs to support students and others. Refer to StudentAid.gov/coronavirus, to learn more about the global scenario and how students manage and keep up with their future plans amidst the impact of COVID-19. Remember that we are all in this together and this too shall pass.

About the writer: I’m Henry Miller, a financial expert writer at The College Monk who appreciates writing. Budgeting and finance methods is a must that I wasn’t aware of during my time. My aim is to create easy guidelines towards exercising financial extensions, helping young dreams acquire solutions in the coming days without economical constraints.

Image Sources: Pixabay, Pixabay, Pixabay

The post How to manage, keep up and plan for college during Covid-19 appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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Preparing for college life isn’t about what most people think it is.

And that leads to most students getting to college and flopping around like a fish out of water, hoping they can maybe flop themselves into somewhere they can actually start swimming.

Students that aren’t prepared for college can end up blowing more than just their grades. They can end up blowing friendships. They can end up blowing their reputation for the next 4 years of their life. They can even end up blowing tens of thousands of dollars on a completely wasted semester (plus interest.)

So…

Are you a little concerned about college?

Well… you should be.

This will include some big changes.

But…

Truthfully, these changes can help prepared students knock it out of the park.

It’s really not all that hard to prepare for college. The problems spring up when a student thinks they’re going to be facing certain problems but then they get blindsided by a different set.

I’m going to be going over the most important things you need to worry about so you can go into college feeling more confident than you felt senior year in high school.

Booyah

Here Is The Reason Most Students That Blew It In College Blew It…

What are the biggest challenges you’re worried about going into college?

If you’re like most students then that list probably looks something like this:

Grades

Making friends

Having fun Etc.

But there is a huge concern that 95% of students never even think about that can end up screwing up all those other important things on that list.

It’s the kind of thing that’s easy to overlook sitting at home and daydreaming about college.

The thing you can’t forget it:

You’ve got to actually manage your day to day life differently.

If you’re living in the dorms – you’re going to have to do laundry. You need to eat something. You need to manage your own diet (and weight.) You need to get yourself to bed at a reasonable time. You need to wake yourself up in the morning. You need to make sure you’re paying for everything. And you still have to take care of yourself (and shower dammit! It’s gross not to. Especially for your roommate. They want to be nice and keep their mouths shut but seriously… they have the right to breathe unencumbered.)

If you fail to eat properly then you won’t focus as well. You’ll do worse in class. You’ll sleep worse. You’ll have less energy. You’ll probably be grouchy and lose friends. It goes on and on.

If you don’t do your laundry then you’ll probably be embarrassed going into class (and lose focus.) You might even want to skip some classes. You’ll have fewer people wanting to spend time with your gross self. You’ll be more stressed because everyone will treat you like a leper.

This stuff is basic but it’s foundational.

Without the foundation, the whole thing you’re trying to build in college can come crashing down around you.

And…

Sure… you’re going to blame the teachers if your grades drop because of these foundational issues because you’re not going to know any better.

If you can’t manage your life then you can’t manage your way through school.

(And for commuting students – people will start expecting more out of you. You may need to worry about your car more. Maybe you’ll be expected to do more for your parents. It adds up into problems that you’re going to need to be ready to resolve.)

Preparing for college life mostly has to do with preparing for the basics…

If You Can Do Everything Else Then Class Will Be Easy

How do you know if you’re prepared for college?

If you can live on your own responsibly outside of college then you are probably prepared to go to college.

That is one of the big advantages I’ve seen in student’s that don’t go straight to college out of high school. When a student has worked a regular job and paid their own bills, they understand how complicated just getting through the average day can be. Then they get into college and it’s a breeze for them.

College isn’t as hard as a full-time job.

You can largely do your class work on your own schedule (excluding actual class times which you pick.)

You’re your own boss.

You can usually pay for most of your expenses using loans.

The hardest part is just being comfortable with managing your day to day life.

So if you want to be prepared for college…

Just take responsibility over your own life.

You know all those things other people do for you now?

Start doing them yourself.

If you can take care of those, then you’re on track to be a successful college student.

But Isn’t College Going To Be Harder Than High School?!?

In most cases, it’s not.

Sure… if you’re going from a crappy high school to a top notch college then you’re going to have some catching up to do. But if you’re going from average high school to an average college – the academic aspects aren’t going to be notably harder.

But if you’re still worried about the academic part…

Or you’re looking to take your grades to the next level…

That’s what we focus on here at Smart Student Secrets.

My name is Aaron and I’ve written 4 books (with a best-seller in the mix) all about academic domination for average students. I’ve written hundreds of articles on the skills I used to take my bottom of the class grades to the top of my class. And ultimately, how I scored near the top of my college class while working full time and doing a double courseload. And I’m nothing special.

You can do it too. In fact, given the resources you have access to, you may be able to take it even farther than I have. (I’ve heard some extraordinary stories.)

The reality is:

Getting good grades is easy.

A powerful study routine can help you remember more information in dramatically less time.

And that can make test-taking feel like second nature (even if you think you’re a bad test-taker right now.)

Preparing for college has it’s difficult parts but getting ready academically is not your biggest problem. Smart Student Secrets can help you make academics the easiest part.

Image Sources: Pexels, Pexels, Burst, Pexels

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Confidence is powerful in college.

In college, confidence can help you take your life to the next level.

It’s the difference between having tons of friends versus sitting in your room bored and lonely.

It’s the difference between going into a test ready to crush it versus sulking into the test praying for a miracle.

I mean it. Leaving everything else off the table… confidence can skyrocket your successes. A lack of confidence can drag you down like quicksand as you eek your lips out for just one more breath before your sweet relief of…

Don’t believe me?

The Unbelievable Importance Of Confidence

Studies have been emphasizing the importance of self-confidence for decades now.

In its most basic advantage, self-confidence produces more effective actions out of a person.

“If you think a thing is impossible, you’ll only make it impossible.”

― Bruce Lee

If you think something is impossible then you’re less likely to try doing it at all. You’re less likely to prepare to do it beforehand. You’re less likely to notice if it does happen.

The same goes if you think something is almost impossible. It’s just going to reduce your ability to do the stuff you’d need to do to make it happen.

But…

If you go into something assuming that you’re capable of it…

You’re more likely to prepare to do it. You’re more likely to try and do it. And you’ll be paying attention to the results because you’re expecting it to work out.

But confidence does more than that –

Confidence also affects the people around you.

If you go into a social situation with confidence then you’ll help the other people believe that you’re someone they should want to be with. They will feel for confident themselves. They will enjoy your company more.

If you go into a social situation nervously then you’ll make them nervous. You’ll make them doubt you. They will enjoy your company less.

And academically, if you go into the classroom doubting yourself – your teacher will doubt you too. And that matters. Studies have shown that teachers tend to give student’s they believe to be low-scoring students lower grades (even when the student isn’t a low-scoring student.) Their lack of belief in the student is self-fulfilling.

“I Can’t Do Anything About It Anyway, Right?”

A lack of confidence sucks.

In university, that lack of confidence is even worse. You’re surrounded by bombastic personalities that are all looking, acting, and feeling the most confident they’ve ever felt in their life. (Trust me… 5 years into their career most of them are going to be overweight, low-energy, and just trying to make it through the day. Easy come, easy go.)

It starts making you doubt absolutely every stupid thing you need to address.

People that have “low confidence” tend to have low confidence that they can even change their confidence levels.

They think that they’re just “low confidence” people. They’re not naturally gifted with confidence… so they think that’s kind of what they’re stuck with.

But the problem is…

That’s just accepting the death sentence of mediocre results forever…

But it’s just not true.

I’ve watched tons of students make the change. And I’ve experienced the change myself.

Confidence is, largely, a choice.

And making that’s a decision you’re going to have to make habitually. Once that habit is changed, you’ll be a high confidence person (and you won’t even have to think about it.)

How To Be Confident (Even When You Don’t Have Much To Be Confident About)

Are you confident tying your shoes?

Yea?

Good.

Why are you confident tying your shoes?

Probably because you’ve done it a few million times.

That is the natural and ideal form of confidence. That’s confidence that’s developed from experience. You have the skill so you’re confident.

People that are top-notch at anything develop that kind of confidence. It’s confidence from competence.

But…

You can be confident in things you’re not very good at too.

Haven’t you ever seen someone that sucks at something acting proud like they’re super good at it?

In fact, imagine a small child holding up their latest “work of art.” The child would show the world’s greatest artists their scribbled painting with a confidence that could blow the mind of your average college student.

Confidence doesn’t only come from competence in a very specific field. It also comes from competence at broader things.

Just because you’ve never done something, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the skills required to do well at it.

I once watched a top-notch guitar player pick up a bass guitar for the first time in his life. Within 5 minutes, he could convince anyone he was a bassist.

Skills do transfer.

And take note: social skills are one of the most powerful skills to transfer from place to place. If you’re confident in social situations then you can do well in interviews, social gatherings, classrooms, and just about anywhere else you run into people.

But…

What about when you’re skills don’t transfer into what you’re doing, and you don’t think you’re going to be good at something?

Here is the dirty little secret of confidence that those “super confident” people can never tell you:

Confident people ACT confident.

Most of confidence doesn’t come from this natural feeling of confidence.

It comes from people habitually going through the motions of a confident person. They stand up straight. They smile. They look people in the eyes. They talk loud. They dress like they’ve got someplace important to go.

They go through the motions of confidence.

And they go through those motions habitually.

This Is How You Become A Truly Confident Person

Whenever you catch yourself acting uncertain, correct yourself.

Act confident.

Play pretend if you must. The people around you will feel better for it. You’ll help them feel more comfortable around you while you’re making yourself feel better.

This act will change the way your physiology responds to every single situation. Simple things like putting a smile on your face can release hormones that will make you happier. Standing up straight will give your brain signals that you’re feeling confident. Talking loud and proud will make what you’re saying important (to yourself and to others.)

And over time, this becomes habitual.

Whenever you enter a college classroom, make it a habit to stand up straight. Don’t slink over to your seat in the back of the classroom. Look around. Smile at anyone looking at you. Maybe even go say hi to someone you’ve never talked to before (but don’t worry… this can be pushing it when you’re just starting out.)

Confidence in college can make everything a whole lot easier.

Don’t settle for a lack of it.

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I’m testing out a new system to provide an super awesome new service to subscribers.

If you see this post then do me a favor and send me an email telling you about it.

If you do, I’ll send you a coupon for a free ebook.

Awesome, right?

-Aaron

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Choosing a career sounds intimidating. I remember staring down at the “aptitude test” I took in high school and laughing as the list of potential career options included minister… That test clearly wasn’t going to do me very much good.

The post How To Choose A Career – A No Nonsense Guide To Picking A Profitable, Practical & Personally Fulfilling Career appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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Active recall is the most effective way to study. It’s something I bring up a lot because it’s super important and almost never appreciated by students. Active recall is just practicing remembering stuff. It guarantees you’ve learned whatever you’re studying. That

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I’ve never been much of a garden kinda’ guy. I’m more of a stare at my computer until my eyes are about to fall out and land on my desk just to take a break kinda’ guy. But… for those

The post A story about a garden – where will you be in 10 years? appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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Different tests require different strategies. – Aaron P.S. This week – I got one of the kindest emails I’ve ever received from a reader. I sent a thank you gift but I just feel the need to give you all a

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I used to be a bad test taker. I get the impression most people know that feeling. You feel the test approaching. It’s a pressure. You know you need to study hard for it but even when you can get

The post Test Taking Anxiety Eliminated For Good appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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Problems can be opportunities. I don’t know what problems you’re facing right now. (But, I am right about you facing a problem right now, right? That’s just life. Problems will always be there. My philosophy revolves around trying to improve the

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What are the 5 easiest and hardest degrees to get?   This week I’m exploring 2 different ways of answering that question – – Aaron P.S.   This week I want to send a quick thank you to QUT Business

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A lot of people *think* they have a problem with procrastination. In fact, a lot of people do have a problem with procrastination… But it’s not everyone that thinks they do. I wrote a huge guide on ending procrastination that

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Note: this article is a little off subject for the site but it’s a really basic response to some of the kinds of questions I’ve been hearing from students. If you’ve enjoyed this article then please let me know so

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Skipping school is a problem. I don’t care if you don’t learn anything in school. I don’t care if you don’t enjoy school. And most of the time, I don’t even care if no one else notices. It’s not really

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Test day should be the easy day. By the end of this article, you’re going to know how to calm your nerves while producing results that make everyone think you’re a genius. Any test taking anxiety you’re feeling is preventing

The post Test Taking Anxiety Eliminated For Good – So You Can Score High & Enjoy The Process appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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The easiest and hardest college majors aren’t the easiest thing in the world to define. High schools and colleges all define their GPA in different ways. They also tend to grade different programs differently because one school might be loaded

The post Top 5 Easiest And Hardest College Degree Majors – 2 Methodologies appeared first on Smart Student Secrets.

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