Many students tell me that they keep all their notes and assignments in one big pile,

and only sort it out before their exams!

Being organized – it’s easier said than done, I know.

So here are just two key areas to focus on:

1. Filing

(a) Get an accordion folder that looks like this:

Bring this folder to school every day.

(b) Assign one section in the folder to each of your subjects. In addition, reserve the
section at the front of the folder for your incomplete homework across all subjects.
Label each section, e.g. Math, Physics, English, Incomplete Homework (All Subjects).

(c) Every day, place your “incoming” notes and assignments in the correct section, as
you receive them. There’s no need to create sub-categories for each subject.

For example, place all your Physics notes and graded tests/assignments/lab reports in
the “Physics” section of the folder. Don’t bother creating sub-categories like “Physics
– Notes,” “Physics – Lab Reports,” etc.

(d) Keep one large binder for each subject. The binder would look something like this:

Leave these binders at home.

(e) Use dividers to create sections within each binder, e.g. “Physics – Notes,”
“Physics – Lab Reports.”
(f) Every Friday when you get home from school, file your notes and assignments
(from the accordion folder) in their respective binder.

This is a simple system that takes 15 minutes a week to implement, but it’ll save you
many hours in the long run.

2. Homework

(Thanks to Cal Newport for this one. I started using the system described below years
ago; it’s roughly based on his system.)

(a) Keep a homework list. Whenever your teacher assigns a new homework set, add it
to your list. You can use a notebook for this purpose, or you can use an app on your
phone. (I recommend the GNotes app, but any note-taking app will do.)

Next to each item on your homework list, write the due date in parentheses. For
example, your homework list for a typical Wednesday might look like this:

Jan 14th, Wednesday

– Math Chapter 2 assignment (due: Jan 20th)

– Physics Chapter 4 assignment (due: Jan 18th)

(b) Every day when you get home from school, refer to your homework list. At the
same time, open your calendar. Look for blocks of time in your calendar where you’ll
be able to complete each item on your homework list. Prioritize the items that have
the most urgent deadline.

For example, looking at your calendar, you might notice that you have time on Jan
14th from 4 to 6pm to finish your Physics Chapter 4 assignment. Convert that item on
your homework list into an appointment in your calendar.

Referring to your calendar once again, you might see that you have time on Jan 15th
from 8 to 9pm to complete your Math Chapter 2 assignment. Once more, convert that
item on your homework list into an appointment in your calendar.

At this point, you might ask…

“What happens if a homework assignment takes longer than expected, and I can’t
complete it during the ‘appointment’ slot?”

That’s a good question; the answer is in the next paragraph.

(c) At the end of each day, look at your calendar to see if there are any assignments
(which have already been converted into appointments) that you’d planned to finish,
but weren’t able to. Add those appointments to another day that’s well before the due
date.

For instance, let’s say you couldn’t finish your Math Chapter 2 assignment on Jan
15th from 8 to 9pm, because you got stuck on one of the questions. You estimate that
you’ll need another 30 minutes to finish the assignment.

So, at the end of Jan 15th, you refer to your calendar. You notice that you have an
available slot on Jan 17th from 4:30 to 5pm. So, in that slot, create an appointment,
“Math Chapter 2 assignment.”

And that’s how the system works. I know it seems complicated, but it really isn’t. Try
it out for a couple of weeks and you’ll get the hang of it.

Rule #3: Take care of your physical health.

Most of the students I work with complain that they’re constantly tired and sleep
deprived.

They can’t focus in class. They daydream. They lack energy and enthusiasm. They
frequently fall sick.

Is it possible to be a straight-A student when you’re in this kind of physical state?

Yes… but it’s unlikely.

Physical health is the foundation of academic excellence. To be a straight-A student,

you don’t need to have the physique of an Olympic-level athlete. But you do need to
take excellent care of your body.

Work on these three areas, and you’ll become a better learner:

1. Sleep

Eight hours of sleep a night is ideal; some people need nine.

If you’re sleeping four, five or six hours a night, you won’t be able to suddenly
increase it to eight or more. The jump is too big, and you probably feel like you have
too much to do during the day as it is.

So I recommend that you gradually bring forward your bedtime. 10 minutes earlier
this week, 20 minutes earlier next week, 30 minutes earlier the week after, and so on,
until you get to your target bedtime.
To remind yourself to go to bed on time, set an alarm. When the alarm goes off, start
your bedtime routine.

But it’s not just about how much you sleep. How well you sleep matters too.

To improve your sleep quality, get the Twilight app for your Android phone. For your
computer and jailbroken iPhone, install f.lux. (Unfortunately, if you have a non-
jailbroken iPhone, there doesn’t seem to be a substitute app at the moment.) My own
sleep quality has improved dramatically since I started using these two apps.

Next, make your bedroom as dark as possible at night. Put up blackout curtains, and
remove all light sources.

Turn off all electronic devices in your bedroom before you go to sleep. If, for
whatever reason, you need to leave your phone on, turn it to airplane mode. This way,
you’ll minimize the cell phone radiation you’re exposed to, and you’ll sleep better.

And just in case you need further convincing that sleep is crucial if you want to
become a straight-A student, read this study.

2. Food

It’s the usual advice:

 Eat regular meals.

 Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
 Don’t overeat more than once a week.
 Restrict your intake of processed foods.
 Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
 Don’t drink sugary drinks.

Do these things and you’ll feel more alert throughout the day. It’s hard to become a
straight-A student if you’re always feeling lethargic!

3. Exercise

You’ve heard it before: Exercise at least three times a week, for at least 30 to 45
minutes each time.

Exercise enhances your memory and thinking skills, as proven by research. So make
exercise a priority, and you’ll get better grades.

Rule #4: Don’t cram. Instead, use a periodic review system.

People are usually surprised to hear that I’ve never pulled an all-nighter before. As the
research shows, cramming is a bad idea.
The more effective approach?

Periodic review.

If you periodically review the new information you learn, you’ll move that
information from your short-term to your long-term memory. This way, you won’t
forget important facts or equationscome exam time.

The end result: Less stress and anxiety, and more A’s.

After much experimentation, I’ve found that the optimal review intervals for most
students are as follows:

 1 day after learning the new information

 3 days after the first review
 7 days after the second review
 21 days after the third review
 30 days after the fourth review
 45 days after the fifth review
 60 days after the sixth review

By the end of this cycle, the information is almost permanently stored in your long-
term memory.

Note that each review is just a review of the key facts and equations, not a full review
of the topic. As such, each review only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Here’s how to put this periodic review system into practice.

(a) Let’s assume that today is Jan 14th, and your teacher has just finished teaching
Biology Chapter 3. Referring to the optimal review intervals listed above, you should
do the first review one day after learning the new information. So take out your
calendar and go to Jan 15th.

(b) Create an appointment, “Review Biology Chapter 3,” for Jan 15th during an
available slot.

(c) Referring to the optimal review intervals once more, you should do the second
review three days after the first review (which you did on Jan 15th). This would bring
you to Jan 18th, so flip to that date in your calendar. Create an appointment, “Review
Biology Chapter 3,” for Jan 18th during an available slot.

(d) You should do the third review on Jan 25th (7 days after Jan 18th), the fourth
review on Feb 15th (21 days after Jan 25th), and so on.
(e) Now all you need to do is fulfill the “appointment” when it comes around.

This system will save you dozens of hours by maximizing your studying efficiency.

Rule #5: Form a homework group.

Here’s why I recommend this.

You’ll run into difficulties while doing your homework, so it’s good to have friends
around whom you can turn to for help. Even if they can’t solve the problem, you can
bounce ideas off them. This process can be motivating and fun.

But if you do your homework alone, you’ll become discouraged more easily when
you can’t solve a problem.

Your homework group should consist of three to four people, including you. More
people than that and it’ll be distracting.

If possible, find people to join your homework group who are better than you at that
specific subject. More importantly, ensure that the people in your homework group
actually want to get together to do homework – not chat!

When it comes to studying, however, you may or may not be better off doing it in a
group. Some students enjoy studying with friends, because there’s a healthy pressure
to stay focused. But other students concentrate better when they study alone.

So run your own experiment and decide what works best for you.

Rule #6: Set up a distraction-free study area.

Here are some practical things you can do to make your study session as fruitful as
possible:

 Install and activate the Freedom or Anti-Social app on your computer.

 Turn off your phone, and put it at least 10 feet away from your study area.
 Keep a clutter-free study area.
 Work in 30- to 45-minute blocks. Time your study sessions to help you stay
focused.
 Give yourself a small reward every time you complete a study session, e.g. eat a
fruit, watch a YouTube video, go for a short walk.
 If you plan to study at home, let your family members know when you’ll be
studying so that they won’t interrupt you.

On a related note, don’t multitask. You might think that you’re able to watch TV,
write an essay, check your Twitter feed, and solve a Math problem – at the same time.
But research shows that multitasking isn’t productive, and may even damage your
brain. So focus on one thing at a time, and you’ll be that much closer to becoming a
straight-A student.

Rule #7: Clarify your doubts immediately.

Many students wait until a week before the exam to clarify their doubts. This leads to
panic and anxiety, a combination that doesn’t result in optimal exam performance.

The alternative is simple: Ask questions. Lots of them.

If you don’t understand a concept, ask your teacher to explain it again. If you feel shy
about raising your hand during class, then approach your teacher after class.

Yes, if you do this consistently, your classmates might label you a “teacher’s pet” or a
“brown noser.” There’s always a price to pay when you pursue excellence. Accept
this fact and move on.

If you’re studying and you realize that you have many questions about a topic, write
down all your questions on a sheet of paper. You might be tempted to text your
friends or your teacher to get those questions answered right away, but I don’t
recommend that you do this.

It’s hard to explain things via text message, so you’ll end up wasting a lot of time.
The more effective approach is to batch your questions and talk to your teacher in
person, as soon as you have a chance to.

On a related note, go to class every single day.

Yes, your teachers might be boring. Yes, they might tell lame jokes. Yes, they might
speak in a monotone.

But nonetheless, they’ll highlight the important areas to focus on, which will save you
time and effort down the line. Furthermore, you’ll probably find it easier to make
sense of your teachers’ explanation, than to figure things out on your own.

That’s why borrowing your classmate’s notes isn’t a substitute for attending class.

I’m proud to say that throughout my 17 years of formal education, I only ever skipped
one class. (That class was a review session on a topic that I’d already studied
several times.)

Another point to note: If you get to choose where to sit during class, grab a seat at the
front.Research shows that students who sit closer to the front get better grades.
The bottom line

Right now, you might be feeling overwhelmed. I can almost read your mind:

“These rules all sound good, Daniel. But there are just so many habits I need to
change. I don’t think I can do it.”

Rest assured that I’m not asking you to put everything into practice all at once. That
would be impossible.

I’m asking you to start with just one tiny change.

If you want to start exercising regularly, don’t set some huge, ambitious goal. Instead,
start with a 10-minute walk, once a week. After a month, increase it to 15 minutes.
The following month, increase it to 20 minutes, and so on. Eventually, you’ll be
exercising three times a week, for 30 minutes each time.

The same principle applies to all seven rules. Focus on one rule at a time, and stick
with it until it becomes a habit.

It took me more than 10 years to learn the rules, so don’t rush the process.

One other thing…

I mentioned it earlier, but I think it’s worth repeating: Straight A’s on their own
don’t mean much. The process of becoming a straight-A student is what counts.