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How To Build The Perfect Study Plan

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  1. START HERE

    College Is Different Than High School
  2. College Should Be Fun
  3. Why Your Grades Matter
  4. What Is a Real Study Plan?
  5. FIND YOUR STUDY TIME
    Schedule
  6. Awake Time
  7. Commitments
  8. Me Time
  9. How to Build Your Schedule in Shovel
  10. Commute Time
  11. Adjust Study Time
  12. Month View
  13. Study Time Recap
  14. CALCULATE YOUR WORKLOAD
    What Is Workload?
  15. Everything In One Place
  16. Import Tasks
  17. Create Tasks
  18. Due Dates
  19. Task Categories
  20. Estimate Tasks
  21. Reading Tasks
  22. Start Dates
  23. Create Repeat Tasks
  24. Adjust Multiple Tasks at Once
  25. Workload Recap
  26. KNOW IF YOU CAN GET IT DONE
    Can You Get It Done?
  27. Cushion Example
  28. How to Make the Cushion Positive
  29. See Your Cushion in the Plan Sidebar
  30. Cushion Recap
  31. TIME-BLOCK YOUR TASKS
    Time-Blocking (Planning)
  32. Ways to Plan
  33. Time Left to Plan
  34. How Far Out to Plan
  35. Big Study Blocks
  36. Small Study Blocks
  37. Planning Exams
  38. Time-Blocking Recap
  39. TRACK & ADJUST
    Check Things Off or Replan
  40. Make Adjustments
  41. Adjust Time per Page
  42. Flexibility
  43. Personalize
  44. NEXT STEPS
    Where You Are Now
  45. Next Steps

Before we start, I want to touch on something very important: your grades. You may be thinking that because you're in college now, your grades don't matter and everyone will hire you because you have a college degree. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth. Your grades matter now more than ever.

And the reason for this is simple: the best companies and grad school programs need to set GPA thresholds; otherwise, they'd be flooded by too many applicants. They focus on the GPA because as a student, you have virtually no work experience, and your GPA is the most significant factor on your resume. It is much more than a number; it's a signal that you're smart, but also that you're willing to work hard, and that's who companies want to invest in and hire.

So unless you're above the company's GPA threshold, which is 3.6 for a lot of companies, you'll not even be able to get your foot in the door and get an interview. Beware of people who say that your GPA is not important. This may be true once you're a few years into your professional career, but it is super important for your summer internships and first jobs. And the thing is, your career steps are determined by your previous jobs. For example, if your first job pays $75K and your friend's first job pays them $45K, your second job will pay higher than your friend's second job. And it may be hard for your friend to ever catch up.

Your best opportunities will always be at the top. So my advice to you is this: don't shut the door on your future before you even start and get the highest possible GPA in the toughest major you can. This is not to say that it's all about money, but your education costs a fortune and a lot of your time. So make the most of it and give yourself the option to lead a comfortable high-income life. If you want it, that's fine; if you don't want it, that's fine too, but it's much worse when you don't have the option to choose and you are forced into a low-income life that's hard for you and everyone around you.

And it's not just about chasing the grades either. Learning is amazing. You have the chance to expand your mind, learn something new and difficult, and become a better, smarter person than you are now. So do yourself a favor and don't let this opportunity go to waste.