How to Win at College: 13 Rules from High Achievers

There is no doubt that college can be a lot of fun with endless excitement and growth, not to mention 4 years of freedom!  What’s also true is that there is a lot more to college than partying until 2 am and loathing dining hall food – it is also the launching pad for the rest of your life.

The question is – is it possible to have fun while at the same time being successful?

In his book, How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students, Cal Newport covers 75 rules from some of the most successful students in the U.S.

These standout students had fun social lives while maintaining ambitious academic schedules. So, to answer the question from above, they were able to have fun while being successful.

For those of you who think that their success or fun was due to luck, I present you with 13 of the rules Newport gleaned from the standout students he interviewed:

13 Suggestions on How to Win at College

As promised, we will now review 13 rules that I really liked from How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students by Cal Newport. If you like these, you may want to check out the book for the other 62 – many of which are really great as well.

(1)  Drop Classes Every Semester

This is one piece of advice I wish I had been given early in my own college career. The fact of the matter is, if the class sucks or you get a crappy professor, you are not going to enjoy the class and you won’t learn. Not only that but you are wasting time and money. On the other hand, great classes and great professors are critical to a great educational experience. College administrators won’t like this advice but it’s good if you can take advantage of it.

Many colleges let you drop classes without financial penalty and without appearing on your transcript. If this is the case at your college, the idea is to sign up for a couple of extra classes, attend all of them for the first few classes and then drop the ones you like least.

(1)  Befriend a Professor/Get Involved in Research Early

A great piece of advice that Newport gives is, “If you want to become a standout student, you must befriend a professor. Make him or her a mentor, someone who is aware of your overall academic plan, your life goals, your concerns, and your triumphs.” ¹  Understand that it isn’t as daunting as it may sound, many professors love interacting with their students. It can give them a feeling of impact and fulfillment while also gaining feedback as to how they are doing their job. As for the research part, teaching is a small part of a professor’s job. A large portion of their job involves advancing knowledge in their area by doing research. Getting involved in a professor’s research projects can help you learn a ton and figure out what you are interested in. Plus it looks great on your resume!

(1)  Ask One Question at Every Lecture

This is a great one that will force you to be an active learner. The idea is to write down several relevant questions while you are preparing for class. Then at the appropriate time, ask whatever question adds value to you and the class discussion. This will force you to prepare, stay engaged and understand the material better. Just don’t be the nerdy kid who asks questions every 5 minutes to seem smart and hear himself/herself talk!

 (1)  Create a Sunday Ritual

For college students who want to be successful, Sunday is arguably the most important day of the week. The reason being is that you can create some good momentum that carries on through the rest of the week. The idea is to come up with a Sunday morning ritual that you follow every Sunday. Perhaps start your Sunday by getting up at a decent time, have a healthy breakfast, then go for a run or hit the gym, maybe hit a local bookstore or coffee shop. Then with all that energy you have hit the library to get some good work done. So, while other kids are sleeping and wasting their day, you are up and kicking butt!

(1)  Build Study Systems/Don’t Study in Your Room

As Newport says: “You should never begin studying without a systemized plan for what you are going to review, in what format, and how many times.” ¹ The idea is to break things up into chunks that are easily accomplished and perhaps put them on a calendar and/or checklist. The key is to create a system that works for you, so you don’t get overwhelmed by that huge stack of books and study materials. Plan the work, then work the plan!

When you get to studying, get out of your room as there are way too many potential distractions. Hit the library where you can get focused studying done.

(1)  Start Long Term-Projects the Day They Are Assigned

When you are assigned a long-term project or paper, get started that same day taking some type of action toward its completion. Whether that is creating an outline, a research schedule or creating a detailed plan, by starting right away you are creating momentum. This will allow you to leverage the Zeigarnik effect and reduce the odds that you will leave it until the last minute.

(1)  Learn to Give Up (Don’t Spin Your Wheels)

While Newport says, “Giving up is a tactical skill, not a weakness.” ¹, I prefer to think of it as not spinning your wheels. The biggest asset in your life is time, especially in college. So, continuously banging your head against the wall to solve a problem or understand something will not only hurt your head, it will waste precious time. I am not telling you to not be persistent, not at all. But there is a fine line between being persistent and wasting time and knowing when to waive the white flag to ask for help. Know the difference.

(1)  Study in 50 Minute Chunks (or in 25 Minute Chunks)

A great way to study is to use the Pomodoro technique that we have discussed before. Newport recommends using 50-minute chunks with 10-minute breaks. The Pomodoro technique alternates 25-minute chunks with 5-minute breaks. My advice is to do whichever one works for you. The idea of studying in small chunks can increase the amount of material you cover and remember in a given sitting. It also gives some much-needed structure to your studying, so think about pairing it with Build Study Systems above.

(1)  Do Schoolwork Every Day

It is much easier to do something once you have momentum. On the contrary, it is more difficult to get started once you have lost momentum. So, the idea here is to do something related to schoolwork every day to give yourself small wins and keep that momentum going strong!

(1)  Learn to Listen

One skill that you will really be able to hone during college is that of effective listening. It is a skill that few have, and it will serve you well throughout your life. While learning to express your ideas is important, as Newport says: “It’s much more important that you spend your undergraduate years developing an ability to synthesize ideas and learn.” ¹

(1)  Laugh Every Day/Seek Out Fun

College is supposed to be fun and play is important. With those two things in mind: make sure you smile and laugh every day and find something fun to do every day. Work hard, play hard!

(1)  Keep a Work Progress Journal

Several studies have shown that those who keep track of what they eat with a food diary are able to lose weight and keep it off.  Why? Because it makes people aware of what they eat while helping hold them accountable. You can use a journal similarly to keep track of your progress with your schoolwork by writing down what you wish to accomplish each day and what you accomplished. As Newport advises: “This little act of recording any discrepancy between work scheduled and work accomplished is amazingly effective in keeping your mind in the game.” ¹

(1)  Make Friends Your Number 1 Priority

As Newport wisely advises: “When you feel adrift and are unsure of where you fit in the world, your friends will prevent you from taking yourself too seriously. The experiences you have together will become some of your best stories for years to come. In short, you cannot let a busy schedule come between you and your friendships.” ¹ 

Amen! Some of the friendships that begin in college will last for the rest of your life. They will become your biggest asset from college, treasure and cultivate them!

You May Be Wondering…

…why all the suggestions above are numbered #1 and why there are 13 of them.

The reason is simple, they are all numbered #1 because if I numbered them you may think one of them is more important than the other. And the fact of the matter is that some may be more important to some of you than others.

As for why there are 13 of them – well, that is to show you that there is no such thing as luck when it comes to how to win at college by being a standout student!

Until next time, you make your own luck and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick

P.S. Wanna know more? Check out the entire book.

Use it Or Lose It – How to Win at College

13 of the rules for how to win at college that we discussed above are:

(1)  Drop Classes Every Semester
(1)  Befriend a Professor/Get Involved in Research Early
(1)  Ask One Question at Every Lecture
(1)  Create a Sunday Ritual
(1)  Build Study Systems/Don’t Study in Your Room
(1)  Start Long Term-Projects the Day They Are Assigned
(1)  Learn to Give Up (Don’t Spin Your Wheels)
(1)  Study in 50 Minute Chunks (or in 25 Minute Chunks)
(1)  Do Schoolwork Every Day
(1)  Learn to Listen
(1)  Laugh Every Day/Seek Out Fun
(1)  Keep a Work Progress Journal
(1)  Make Friends Your Number 1 Priority

When to Use It

Use these rules for how to win at college when you are in college or forward them to someone you love who is in college or about to go to college.

What Do You Think?

What do you think of these rules for how to win at college? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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References

¹ How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students by Cal Newport