Doing well in your courses: Andrej's advice for success (2013) (cs.stanford.edu)

Article summary

The article provides advice on how to do well in undergraduate courses, including tips on studying, attending tutorials, and preparing for tests. The author emphasizes the importance of getting enough sleep, creating a study schedule, and reviewing material regularly. The article also discusses strategies for taking tests, such as reading through all questions before starting and prioritizing easier questions first. Additionally, the author stresses the importance of gaining real-world experience and building relationships with professors and peers.

Main themes

• Study habits
• Test preparation
• Time management
• Real-world experience
• Academic success
• Learning strategies

What commenters say

• Some commenters believe that traditional learning methods are ineffective and that students should focus on gaining practical experience instead.
• Others argue that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning and that different methods work for different people.
• The idea that testing is an arbitrary and flawed way of measuring intelligence is proposed, with some arguing that it is a necessary evil and others seeing it as a hindrance to true learning.
• The importance of active engagement with material, such as through note-taking or predicting what a speaker will say next, is highlighted as a key factor in successful learning.
• Some commenters disagree with the idea that learning methods are largely pseudoscientific, citing examples of evidence-based approaches that have been shown to be effective.
• The value of seeking out real-world experience and building relationships with professors and peers is emphasized as a key factor in achieving success beyond academics.
• The concept of 'gaming the system' by optimizing test-taking strategies is seen as a necessary evil by some, while others view it as a misguided approach that neglects the true value of learning.
• The idea that intelligence can be measured by the ability to predict outcomes, such as in a detective novel, is discussed as a potential framework for understanding learning and problem-solving.