How to Become a Straight-A Student

by Cal Newport

In general, a good college-level argument should accomplish the following: 1. Draw from previous work on the same topic to define the context for the discussion. 2. Introduce a thesis and carefully spell out how it relates to existing work on similar issues. 3. Support the thesis with careful reasoning and references to existing arguments, evidence, and primary sources.

Introduce some final prognostications about extending the argument and its potential impact on the field as a whole.

Reread related articles and chapters from your course syllabus.

Do whatever it takes to get the reasoning portions of your mind inspired and curious.

grab your source material from the previous step. If

In either case, dive into this information, and start letting the relevant facts and arguments settle into your mind. This is where your annotations will point you toward what’s interesting, and help you avoid the irrelevant.

Take a break. Do something else.

“The first thing I do when I have a paper to write is take a nap,” explains Laura, a straight-A student from Dartmouth. “I crawl into bed and just think…as long as I’m thinking about the subject when I fall asleep, I will dream about the material and usually come up with some sort of interesting idea.”

Use this downtime to slide the pieces of your argument around in your head and play with the structure a bit. Keep returning to your research material as needed to find more details and to increase your understanding. You need to expose yourself to the source material again and again to fully internalize it. Only then can you really pull together the best possible argument.

“One pitfall to avoid is getting stuck in the outline stage—I’ve seen students who spend far too much time embellishing their outlines when they should really have begun writing the paper itself long ago.”

construct a topic-level outline.

We start the outlining process by constructing a topic skeleton. This is a list of all the topics you will discuss in your paper, presented in the order that you plan to include them.

Your topic skeleton succinctly describes the structure of your argument.

“Below each bold header [in my topic skeleton], I compile in regular typeface the evidence pertaining to that header.”

“I find that using this process helps me avoid digging through a pile of books and articles for each piece of information I need as I need it during writing.”

the goal of the straight-A approach is to separate the different components of paper construction.

The more input you receive, the better your paper will turn out.

If it’s a major term paper worth a significant portion of your grade, than you may want to solicit feedback from as many as half-a-dozen well-chosen people.

“if you have smart friends, get their help too.”

“Once I have the outline, my brain relaxes,” explains Jeremy, a straight-A student from Dartmouth. “I don’t need to think anymore about structuring the paper, but rather just think about how to best articulate my thoughts.”

“would map out a schedule, for example, write two pages a day for five days, and then edit one day.”

Separate your research from your writing and your writing from your editing.

“Having time away from the paper,” explains Jeremy from Dartmouth, “allows you to come at it with better concentration.”

am most productive,” explains Suzanne from Brown, “in a place where I have total silence and no external stimulation—for example, the library stacks.”

The key is to recognize that writing is perhaps the most demanding (in terms of focus required) intellectual activity you will do while a college student.

“I use the outline I’ve created as a guide and just sort of build from that, taking it one paragraph at a time.”

Use your outline to direct your writing, setting up and expounding on each of the topics in a clear, cogent way, and copying and pasting quotes directly into your paper wherever needed.

Always make sure your current point reads clearly before moving on to the next.

Your first pass through your work should be conducted on your computer. Read carefully, and focus on the presentation of your arguments—don’t worry about small grammatical mistakes for the moment. Take in the paper one paragraph at a time. If

Also be on the lookout for any major structural issues.

The goal here is to tweak the argument until you’re satisfied that it makes every point that you want to make in the order that you want to make them.

“My papers always read differently on the page than on the screen.” And as Melanie, a straight-A Dartmouth student, adds: “having a hard copy to read and mark up was absolutely necessary.”

With a pencil in hand, and this is the important part, begin to read your paper out loud. Don’t cheat. Use a strong voice and articulate each word as if you’re delivering a speech.

the goal of this pass is to root out small mistakes that might otherwise distract a reader from your engaging thesis.

“Reading it out loud helps you catch typos or strange wording better than reading it in your head.”

Just to be sure that something embarrassing didn’t slip through, it’s a good idea to make a final, quick pass through a printed copy of your paper before handing it in.

also provides closure on your paper.

Part Three Cheat Sheet Step #1. Target a Titillating Topic • Start looking for an interesting topic early. Step #2. Conduct a Thesis-Hunting Expedition • Start with general sources and then follow references to find the more targeted sources where good thesis ideas often hide.

Step

#3. Seek a Second Opinion • A thesis is not a thesis until a professor has approved it. Step #4. Research like a Machine • Find sources. • Make personal copies of all sources. • Annotate the material. • Decide if you’re done. (If the answer is “no,” loop back to #1.)

Step #5. Craft a Powerful Story • There is no shortcut to developing a well-balanced and easy-to-follow argument. • Dedicate a good deal of thought over time to getting it right. • Describe your argument in a topic-level outline. • Type supporting quotes from sources directly into your outline. Step #6. Consult Your Expert Panel • Before starting to write, get some opinions on the organization of your argument and your support from classmates and friends who are

familiar with the general area of study. • The more important the paper, the more people who should review it. Step #7. Write Without the Agony • Follow your outline and articulate your points clearly. • Write no more than three to five pages per weekday and five to eight pages per weekend day. Step #8. Fix, Don’t Fixate • Solid editing requires only three careful passes: – The Argument Adjustment Pass: Read the paper

carefully on your computer to make sure your argument is clear, fix obvious errors, and rewrite where the flow needs improvement. – The Out Loud Pass: Carefully read out loud a printed copy of your paper, marking any awkward passages or unclear explanations. – The Sanity Pass: A final pass over a printed ver...