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Week 1: Autopilot Schedule and Sunday ritual

- Identify regular work generated by your classes, assign a
specific day and time to them. At first youll violate the
schedule: work will take longer, youll procrastinate. Return to
the schedule and tweak.
- Refresh and prepare for the next week. Every Sunday go to
somewhere quiet, drink a cup of coffee, read non-fiction book,
go for a walk. Then review your week ahead. Whats due, what
needs to be done.
Week 2: Smart Notes
- Three major types of classes: non-technical (history, english,
etc.); technical without math (biology, psychology, etc.); and
technical with math (calculus, macroeconomics, etc.)
- Non-technical
- Dont transcribe. Capture big ideas.
- Use a system of question - conclusion - evidence.
- To study: try to answer the question speaking out loud.
(Quiz and recall method)
- Technical without math
- Notes: short questions with short answers.
- Group questions of the same subject into clusters.
- Add a few background questions at the end of the cluster.
- For graphs, note the page number reference.
- To study: Print a cluster per page, try to answer the
questions without looking at the answer. Speaking out loud.
- Technical with math
- Record as many sample problems with as many intermediate
steps as possible.
- Ask the professor if you dont understand a step.
- To study: create practice problems, solve them truly
understanding the steps.
Week 3: Master Your Assignments
- Two types: readings and problem sets.
- Readings.
- Work on them in a quiet and isolated location.
- Take notes on your laptop - quick and easy.
- Use a question/evidence/conclusion format.
- Find the question. Read carefully looking for evidence.
Rewrite in your own words.
- Know which readings require careful reading, which ones you
can skim.
- Problem sets.
- Set 2-3 hours to solve easy problems and attempt to solve
hard ones. Stuck? Identify where.
- Meet with your problem set group. Discuss the problems,
where youre stuck.
- Attend office hours. Ask specific questions.
- Start early.
Week 4: Create Project Folders
- Plain manila file folders. One for each exam and paper. Label
with the subject name and the due date.
- Print the relevant notes. If you wrote your notes, make
photocopies.
- For problem sets include problem set solutions, past exams,
sample tests.
- On the front cover write a detailed study plan with dates. Not
4/3 - study but 4/3 - meet with TA to discuss the items I got
wrong in the last test.
- Mark those dates on your calendar.
- Follow the plans.

This method makes the work explicit and unavoidable.

Avoids procrastination.
Makes you realize if your load is too heavy.