ERIK FOGG is an MIT graduate who earned in only four years a Bachelor’s
degree, Master’s degree, and 2 minors. He is also the author of the bestseller,
How to Crush College. His advice:
Start by saving semesters before saving minutes. Clever students--especially those looking for double-majors, minors, etc.--will find that many classes will count towards multiple requirements. Finding and planning for these classes means dramatically reducing the total number of classes needed for the degree you want. Stop working in groups. Seriously; they either waste time or give you the answers so you lose the opportunity to learn. You may in time find one or two study-buddies that will keep you accountable for being on task, and these are great. Give yourself play rewards. Time management is mostly about staying focused--when we're playing a game we like, we're not tempted to be distracted. Knowing that we have a reward coming up, like video games, a show, or social time, is not only motivating, but it gives us a clear light at the end of the tunnel that keeps us from the malaise of feeling like we're trapped in work. Lean on Wikipedia. If you're trying to learn concepts rather than memorize a certain part of a textbook, Wikipedia is usually a much clearer, faster way of getting 90% of the way there. Textbooks do a lousy job and there's a lot of research that says you just go cross-eyed and lose focus when you're buried in them. My favorite app is StayFocused. The best way to beat the temptations of social
media is to just block yourself from them, and not have to exert valuable, limited willpower. I allow myself 15 minutes/day total for Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, news, using this. AMANDA KRUSE attends Council Rock High School South in Holland,
Pennsylvania. Her advice:
I make my own day-by-day calendar in a notebook and write down when everything is due. I made my own system…I circle any tests I have the next day, so I’ll know to study for them the night before, I put an X over anything I don’t have to worry about but I was just writing it down as a reminder, I highlight the things I already did, and I box things that aren’t homework but that I need to remember later, like bringing money in for a special event. When it comes to social media, I give myself goals, like if I do a certain number of math problems, I’ll allow myself five minutes of Instagram. So it’s an easy and nice break.