10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades

by Thomas Frank

If you're looking to improve your grades and study more efficiently, there are a lot of ways you can go about it. Thomas Frank, founder of the College Info Geek blog, YouTube channel, and podcast, breaks these ways down into ten steps in this short book.

You'll learn how to learn more effectively in your classes, take better notes, remember more from textbook readings, cut down on procrastination, build an optimal study environment, and more.

Along the way, you'll find techniques for increasing your study and work efficiency, giving you more free time in college as well.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Education, Personal Development, School, College

83 pages, ebook

First published January 5, 2015

About the author

Thomas Frank the founder of College Info Geek, a blog, YouTube channel, and podcast dedicated to helping students learn more efficiently and upgrade their college experience. He started writing as a college freshman, turning the site into full-time education venture after graduating from Iowa State University in 2013. He lives in the middle of Iowa.

Reviews

[Tom Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know about you, but when I was in school, the only thing I felt towards the study advice dished out by professors, TA's, and advisors was skepticism ("Really? You seriously read every chapter in the textbook before lecture when you were an undergrad, and that's what you attribute your success to??") and contempt ("This dude is so out of touch... the last time he stepped foot out of his old crusty office was when?").

This book is the opposite - a refreshing, nuts-and-bolts manual on crushing it in college, written from an ACTUAL STUDENT'S perspective (not some ivory-tower pulpit preach).

Besides being a one-stop-shop college powerhouse in general, here Thomas breaks down each piece of the puzzle in a logical and accessible way, with what he calls the "Desired Preparedness Equation." Whether you're looking to make the most of class, stop wasting your time with textbook reading, prepare better for exams, or figure out how to avoid committing a murder-suicide during group projects, he outlines a wide selection of different tactics to get your there (e.g. The 15-Minute Rule, The Learning Pyramid, Hofstader's Law, The Procrastination Equation, avoiding "Low-Density Fun," etc. etc. etc.).

With links upon links to super-useful tools and resources for whatever aspect of the grades equation you're struggling with, this is a perfect gateway to improving your GPA, as well as your overall college experience.

Highly recommended.

Sincerely,

Tom - a recovering engineering student

[John Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most "student hacks", "study tips" or "study help" books out there suck - they're written by professors who have no idea of what they're talking about, the methods they describe are too time consuming, the advice is not feasible in the real world.

But not this one. This book makes you feel like you're actually sitting with Thomas while has a conversation with you. It's really down to Earth, you can fell that his recommendations come from personal experience. This is a book from a student to another; the gloves are off.

Each step articulates nicely with one another and, without spoiling too much, in them you'll find tips on study methods, productivity, habits and how to balance your work and personal lives.

10/10 would read again.

[Rayan Osman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Thomas Frank channel on youtube (collage info geek) i recommend it for every student out there struggling with collage life, lectures,exam anxiety, procrastination and time management .
he wrote this book as a guidance to hack Studying and to get awesome grades. i will sure take stuff i've learned from the book into application !

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading books about studying is my favorite way to procrastinate studying myself. Review to come!

[Yasamin Yaldaei · Rating 4 out of 5]

همون طور که انتظار داشتم کتاب جامع و کامل و با کلی اطلاعات تکمیلی و با بیان روان و خوب هست. به 10 قدم تقسیم شده و در هر قدم یه مساله که تو موفقیت درسی تاثیر دارن رو بررسی کرده. این قدم ها شامل فعالیت سر کلاس و نوت برداری ، مدیریت زمان و مقابله با عقب انداختن، نظم و ایجاد محیط بهینه، نوشتن مقاله های بهتر و عملکرد بهتر تو پروژه های گروهی هست.
هر قدم شامل کلی نقل قول و اشاره به کتاب های دیگه تو این زمینه و تجربه های خود نویسنده که دوره دانشگاهی موفقی داشته و کلی روش های عملی و به همراه اپ ها و تکنیک های تکمیلی هست.
خلاصه اگه کسی بخواد تو زمان بهینه بیشتر از توانایی هاش بهره ببره و اصولی تو دوره تحصیلیش موفق بشه، این کتاب شروع خوبی هست و با اتمامش میشه با انبوهی از تکنیک ها و کتاب های تخصصی تر معرفی شده، عمیق تر هم وارد این مباحث شد.

[Imade (Bridge Four) Iyamu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, Thomas Frank has a gift for breaking down complex topics to their most simple components. I bookmarked pages to return to because I read it in a few days and it felt like so much information all at once. You can get even more information and tools from his blog and his Youtube channel.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice book for college students! I'm sure I will reread it during my studying year. Recommend to everyone who is interested in getting your college life more organised;) And of course check out this guy's YouTube channel and website -http://collegeinfogeek.com honestly, this guy is awesome ;)

[❀ Sabina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, lots of tips, and loving the helpful tools and links provided.

[Sofiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not learn anything new after reading this book, but I have read several books on these topics. This book is best suited to a beginner that has no background in learning. Many of the topics covered in the book are covered better and in more depth by other books. There are no original learning ideas in this book. A unique value that this book provides is specific software recommendations.

Would not read again.

Notes (not helpful):

Have good nutrition, sleep, and exercise

Sit up front and make a deliberate effort to be present

15 Minute Rule: When you get stuck, push yourself to solve the problem for 15 more minutes. During that 15 minutes, document everything you do, keeping in mind that someone else will need those details if they are going to help you. After that time, if you’re stuck, you must ask for help.

Note Taking Methods. My ranking: best to worst.
(BEST #1) Write on the slides: Saves time. Add personal notes and references to slides instead of writing notes from scratch.

(#2) Cornell Method: Good note taking strategy. Upgrade from outline method. Works best with handwritten notes and if the professor does not provide any additional note material. It helps you process your notes for efficient study while still in class. (Best when hand writing notes during lecture and the professor does not pass out notes)

(#3) Outline method: effective but can easily become mindless note-taking. Works well when typing notes. (Best when using a laptop to write notes)

(#4) Mind mapping: Best to help visualize connections between material. Not a good method for taking notes during class. Also, mind maps can be time consuming to make. If using mind maps, make sure the time spent using the mind map exceeds the time used to create the mind map. (Good to help visualize connections between material. Not usually appropriate for lecture notes)

(#5) Flow Method: Messy web of information connecting ideas with arrows and connecting information with your own ideas, examples, and connections. (Good way to learn information thoroughly when you do not have limited time. Also good if information being learned is not structured)
Use active reading strategies. Read as if you were having a conversation with an intelligent friend.

Use active recall by taking notes after reading a section. Then go back and fill in the information that you missed.

Plan out your entire education. Create an excel spreadsheet that maps out all the classes you will take in each quarter of college. This will make sure that you graduate on time and meet all your requirements.

Batch low thought-intensity work and carve out blocks of time for high thought-intensity work

Create a daily plan. Your daily list should have no more than 2-3 tasks on it (debatable).

Use timeboxing by scheduling specific blocks of time for each task on your daily list.

Be aware of planning fallacy - people are really bad at estimating how much time is needed to complete a task

Make your tasks actionable steps. Use a task manager.

Choose a good study location with good “vibes”. People are a huge source of distraction

Have a file organization system. School Year —> Class —> Project a Specific Folders

Use a quick capture system for your ideas. (I’m using Apple notes)

2nd Brain: Use app for note taking. Options include Evernote, OneNote, Google Docs?

Plan your week on Sunday. Also organize your files on your desktop, organize your notes, re-evaluate your tasks, and keep your backpack and room organized on Sunday.

When procrastinating:
Notice you are procrastinating and say to yourself “I am procrastinating right now”
Try to guess what is causing you trouble. Are you feeling impulsive? Does the reward not motivate you? Are you not feeling capable of completing the task?
Find a way to fix the problem area

Put in consistent, daily effort. Rely on habits, not willpower

Commit to having high density fun and stop low density fun.

Spaced Repetition for learning individual facts and pieces of data. (Anki)

When writing a paper do a brain dump. It may include everything you know about the topic, questions you have, points you think you might like to cover, outside sources you’d like to research, quotes from others that come to mind. Your paper should have a well defined focus. You should come up with several guiding questions that you’d like to answer. Use Wikipedia to find sources.

Write and awful first drafts “Write drunk; edit sober” - Earnest Hemingway? Then, edit ruthlessly.

Make group projects suck less
Get everyone’s contact information and enter it into the system you’ll be using to communicate and make sure everyone can access it before you leave class. Discuss goals for the project and create some project milestones. Consider using gantt charts. A group needs an editor to collect all the finished components and integrate them nicely together. Use Trello to manage projects.

[The Artisan Geek · Rating 4 out of 5]

22/1/18
A nice book if you’re looking for habits to improve your study skills!

22/5/19
Just skimmed through this book today and realised a lot of things never stuck with me. I feel that this is a really good starting book if you're trying to figure out how the study in the first place, but in the end you yourself will have to do the hard work (as expected) to find what works best for you.

You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website

[Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart people learn from many sources, pick specific pieces and tidbits, experiment with them, and gradually form their own mental encyclopedia of "Stuff That Works."

I've been a fan of the College Info Geek YouTube channel and podcast for years now, but even though I learn a lot from each new upload (and rewatch), there's something about the book format that my brain is better at processing — so it's a pity that it's taken me so long to finally get around to reading this! I did already know some of the things Thomas brings up in this book, but to be fair I keep up with his content as it comes out, and I'm the kind of person who procrastinates by reading productivity articles.

This book tackles both the how and why behind improvements you can make to your approach to student-ing, with flexibility to accommodate different learning styles and personal preferences. Nothing is set in stone because everyone thinks and works differently, but this is a great starting point to figure out the best practices for yourself.

[*facepalm* · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you too are obsessed with being more productive every single day, this book is the ONE!!!

Brief and informative guidelines, categorized and sorted into 10 easy steps, based on psychology and statistics, not just personal experiences.
And it's not boring at all!

You can download the book right away... just visit https://collegeinfogeek.com/get-bette...

[Yasamin Seifaei · Rating 4 out of 5]

خب خیلی خوب بود! بیشتری هاشو میدونستم ولی باز هم تو همون موردهایی که بلد بودم چیزای بیشتری گفته بود و بیشتر یاد گرفتم. مهمترین چیز اینه که انجامشون بدم... که من خیلی دانشجوی خوبی ام :دی

[Emīls Ozoliņš · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to Goodreads, I started reading this book on October 21st, 2021. At the time, I was an AI student about eleven hundred kilometres from home going through a Java programming course, among other courses that made me humble the first lecture I attended those courses.

Needless to say, I needed a bit of guidance like oxygen.

I had heard of Thomas Frank beforehand through a couple of his YouTube videos (plus he gives this book away for free as a PDF - go check that out!) and I decided to read this book about his college experience, considering he had written a blog about college for six years by that point.

It's short, concise, and genuinely helpful. I took quite an extended break from actually reading this book (matter of fact, I started it from scratch three days ago because I didn't feel that the notes I took for the first few steps were copious enough).

After finishing and looking at the start date, I found it interesting to zoom out a little and look at me now, six months later.
I am taking only English courses this semester, something I enjoy much more and that comes easier to me. I'm not exactly sure where this path will lead to, but I know that whatever the hell ends up being my college/university journey - I've got a banging book by my side to help me be prepared for whatever may come my way.

[Ryver Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful read, I loved the author's voice and as a student myself I can confirm that the advice in here is sound! I hope to implement a few of the techniques the author wrote about in the weeks to come :)

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I felt Thomas Frank had good advice to offer on how to succeed in college and various methods to use to work smarter. But sadly, I felt a large portion of the material in this book was repeat information found in multiple videos on his or the College Info Geek YouTube channel. Therefore, I found the information of value but wouldn't recommend to most people who have consumed his content on YouTube.

This book was also heavily written with a male reader in mind. Many of the metaphors, analogies, and jokes centered on stereotypically male interests like video games and interests in dating women. For example, here's a quote from the book, "Write like you're dancing with the girl of your dreams and you're spinning her around and she's smiling so brightly..." Moments like these really took me out of the reading experience because I was reminded constantly that this book was not written for me, a woman of color, but probably written for a cishet man.

Lastly, although much of the advice was centered on how to achieve more while doing less work, there was strong "toxic productivity" vibes throughout. For example, he wrote an anecdote about a fellow content creator who found a woman on Craigslist that he paid to sit with him while he worked and if he procrastinated, she would have to slap him in the face. This was written as an extreme option for accountability and passed off as a "joke" but it was not far off from his own practice of using a platform that charged him money if he failed to reach specified goals. Productivity is good but I do feel there is a point where it's taken too far. And even though some extremes were intended to be jokes, I fully believe that some readers will still take those extremes based off this book.

[MAI AYMAN]

" willpower is a finite resource " the most clever line in the book
i knew the book from the website info Geek and i knew the website from the writer's youtube channel and how i knew the writer in the first place😂 of course from the great crash course channel .
the book may not so different from his videos except it's book my fav . format of things , many of them are not new but hey that's the problem in the first palce in college , u can reach easily to senior's experience but u can't apply it , i thinks it a life problem not only college . the e-book is missing the equation and probably need a better format it literally burn my eyes when i read it ,i summarize most of it in a paper to make sure it'll be applicated , what bothered me is that he relays alot on apps and whatever and ignoring old fashion people like me (not entirely to be honest😅 ) but for ur info paper bullet jour is much more joyful .
okay what i really liked in this book is the part of pay better attention & plan like a general and the fudge ratio i used it 10min ago and it was 6 oh god .😨generally it's a nice book and nice writer .

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have attended plenty of seminars and workshops on ‘study skills’, which often involve an unrealistically enthusiastic presenter and a thin booklet of mundane tutorials. Thomas Frank’s 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades is therefore a much-needed alternative. Although I had previously tried much of Frank’s advice, the book’s simplistic layout is especially effective. His casual narration is also particularly accessible for younger students. The guidance and references are certainly aimed at an American audience and some of the jokes can feel a little unnecessary. Nonetheless, Frank provides a free ebook of the text through his website, College Info Geek, which is remarkably generous for its quality. While other books definitely explore study and productivity in more depth, 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades is a simple and informative guide that should benefit any student. It’s much better than the typical ‘study tips’ workshop, I promise.

Rating: 4/5

[Ransom Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I might be a little biased (and in the interest of full disclosure, I am a writer for College Info Geek), but still, this is an excellent book. Thomas presents, in an orderly, entertaining manner, useful advice for earning better grades, just as the title implies.

I think the "while studying less" part is where the book really shines. Thomas doesn't advocate laziness, but he does emphasize efficiency. In particular, I found his chapter on how to waste less time when working on a group project to be quite helpful. Also, make sure to see his section on "high density" vs "low density" fun. It may just change the way you approach studying. And you could say that of the book in general.

If you're a college student (or even just a professional looking to work more effectively), check out this booK!

[jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like another reviewer mentioned this short and free book is a very hands-on "nuts-and-bolts manual on crushing it in college"[1], although not really groundbreaking, the author reminds you of the things you already know and gives you advice for stuff that worked for him.

Like apps to limit distractions and the importance of task management. But also that handwritten notes are better to retain information as opposed to typing it into your word processor etc.

Quick read and can be applied right away.

[1] Tom Miller, URL, accessed 07.10.2017

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did. To me it seemed like a bunch of reasons why Evernote is a great product(?) and not much else. It's definitely aimed at first-time learners so, okay, that's not me. But I was reading it because I'm far from the perfect student! I was disappointed at the lack of "real" tips... like, make a task list. Prioritize. That seems very obvious, but maybe it's not for an 18 year old who just graduated high school. It's a super quick read and it's not that I wouldn't recommend it per se, I just didn't gain much from it personally.

[Stevie Oberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too bad but I felt like it was a collaboration of dozens of study and productivity books. Which is nice for students who don't want to read dozens of those sorts of books, but didn't really add anything to the conversation.

Plus there was way too much self promotion and a lot of promotions for tools that it made it feel like he was trying to sell me something.

[Sumit Bhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended to students and constant learners as it contains some really useful advice especially on management of stuff etc apart from overall approach to study and earn good grades. Also it challenges the traditional way and approach towards studying.

[Ash A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely helped me alot.
It's great with all those recommendations added in academic references, too.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

So when I was revising for my first quarter finals this year, I was probably mindlessly scrolling through studyblr, (classic) procrastination at its finest I'd say, and I came across this video, I watched it out of curiosity and well, discovering Thomas Frank's College Info Geek was definitely a game changer for me: from the channel to the super awesome podcast and let's not forget his blog with lots of cool resources. So what's this all about? Well, let me list a few things like: getting study advice and well-researched "hacks" that actually work, how to land your dream job/career, networking, college life, adulting tips, etc. (I promise I'm not paid for the spam, I just love what this guy does xD). And enough with the babbling, let's get to the book, which btw it's for free.

This felt like talking to your big bro, who is a huge unapologetic nerd, breaking down his experience in college as if it was some sort of quest. That's basically it. So if you're into this kind of approach in non-fiction and not reading some stuck-in-the-past dude bragging about himself then it's your lucky day! I think this is the only barrier when diving into the book, since almost anyone could probably take advice from it, even if your student days are long gone.

Honestly, I had fun reading this. Tom is such a goofball and I enjoyed the geeky references too much for my own good.
Besides, the explanations are handled in such an easy and accessible approach, you can actually take them into account right after.
The chapters are outlined nicely in order for you to focus on the areas where you lack the most first. These are filled of inspo quotes and some insightful personal experiences of his that you may find helpful.

I don't think I have any complaints about this book. It fulfills its intended purpose without failing to be entertaining as well. It may seem introductory to some but personally, that's exactly what makes it shine. I'll definitely come back to it again and again because man, the tips here are that good.

[AR · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an A+ student, I really loved this book and highly recommend you to read coz this book is full of effective studying techniques !
And it won't take you too much time to finish the whole book as it's merely about 100 pages !

Since I've read this book and have applied all the techniques into my studies, to everyone's surprise, I've changed from a C student who barely passed his exams to an A+ student who's currently dominating in class !
The most surprising fact is that it only took me 2 months !!!

What I've actually done is that I've cut on the time I spend on studying and tried to study with full concentration and to fullfil the assignments at full speed by following those brilliant techniques !

I also discovered that an average student can only really concentrate for about 25-30 minutes and this goes across the board from lectures, to reading, to studying. After about 25-30 minutes, your efficiency starts to really taper off and that's why the advice to simply study more is not effective at all !

That is: "How much time you spend doesn't make sense but how you spend is the real achievement".

So sit and cram studying for 25-30 minutes, then take 5 minutes of break. This is what made me successful and I truly believe that it can also help you !
I also would recommend using Pomodoro Timer which is truly shaped for effective studying !

In the link below, the author of this book, my brother and mentor, Thomas Frank explains the meaning of Studying Smart while Studying Less: https://youtu.be/23Xqu0jXlfs

[Katelyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good principles a student can use to effectively evaluate the use of their study time.
I gleaned some great insight, such as, whilst reading literature, to ask oneself questions to become an active reader, rather than one who's objectively passive.
This had to be my most favorite lesson as earlier this year, I had realized, through all that I had read previously, it was somewhat difficult to remember the points on which my growth propagated.
Else, I also learned about effective time boxing techniques, retention rates, and reading strategies.
"Understand, don't memorize." Have a great academic year all. 🍎

[Clément Moissard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a nice guide.

It is quite precise and very up-to-date with all the online apps available for free nowadays. It is a good reflection of Thomas' work on his YouTube Channel (though the Channel tackles much broader subjects).

I wonder if it would have helped me when I entered college a few years ago. In France at least, things were not as complicated as what this book seems to describe, and a solid organisation was not really a concern.

I think it would be especially useful for someone who has a lot of projects outside of school.

[Nicolle Mosquera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually one of the best books I've ever read.
Everything and every part of it is just as amazing as it sounds and believe me, it helps A LOT.
I absolutely loved every single part of it, the way Thomas writes is just so easy to read that I literally ate the book :) it was very satisfying and mind changing.
I'm absolutely going to apply every single step to my everyday student life >v<
Now, if you're reading this I highly recommend you to read this book, like seriously!

[Titish A.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nemu Thomas Frank nggak sengaja gara-gara YouTube freefall cari review Wunderlist. Lama-lama jadi channel favorit karena narasinya asyik meski ngomongnya cepet banget hampir ngalah-ngalahin Lorelai Gilmore.

Belum sempat khatamin semua video, jadinya cari jalan pintas dengan baca ebook gratisannya dulu. Rampung baca jadi pengin kuliah lagi hanya supaya bisa praktikin kiat-kiatnya, wkwk. It is that good.