Part I: Study Basics

Step 1: Manage Your Time in Five Minutes a Day

See: Cal Newport's time management system > Two-column todo list.

Step 2: Declare War on Procrastination
Step 3: Choose When, Where, and How Long

Part II: Quizzes and Exams

Step 1: Take Smart Notes
Step 2: Demote Your Assignments
Step 3: Marshal Your Resources
Step 4: Conquer the Material
Step 5: Invest in “Academic Disaster Insurance
Step 6: Provide “A+” Answers
The Plan in Action

Part III: Essays and Papers

In part 3, Cal devises a detail scheme to approach thesis/essay assignments. I got 3 takeaways that not only could help my academic writing but may also be applicable to research works:

Split the mentally demanding tasks into steps. Intertwining thesis/arguments construction, writing, and supporting sources-hunt is a nightmare cuz it's extremely tiring and puts you to the state of frequent context-shipping, leading to low efficiency and low quality.
Seek feedback from social resources. Seeking feedbacks from Prof. and trusted peers is crucial - unless you'd already be an expert on the field.
Serious editing. Cal devises a serious 3-passes editing scheme that centers on presenting the material you've written in different forms, i.e. in printed & audio forms, which makes neglected mistakes more notable.
Step 1: Target a Titillating Topic
Step 2: Conduct a Thesis-Hunting Expedition
Step 3: Seek a Second Opinion
Step 4: Research like a Machine
Step 5: Craft a Powerful Story
Step 6: Consult Your Expert Panel
Step 7: Write Without the Agony
Step 8: Fix, Don’t Fixate
The Plan in Action

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