Goals Archives - Daniel Wong

How to Focus When Studying: 20 Uncommonly Effective Tips

Updated on September 30, 2020 By Daniel Wong 108 Comments

Do you find it hard to focus when studying?

There are so many distractions these days: text messages, videos, email and social media.

Not to mention your own wandering mind.

Over the years, I’ve taught thousands of students how to study more effectively.

I’ve come up with this list of 20 tips and techniques to help you concentrate while studying.

(To get 5 additional tips, download the free PDF below.)

1. Use your phone camera or webcam to record yourself studying

This tip may sound strange, but it works.

Set up your webcam or your phone camera to record a video of yourself studying.

The idea is to create accountability.

Instead of having a friend check on your progress, you have a camera watching everything you do.

Knowing that you are being watched will remind you of your objective.

Just when you’re about to get distracted, you’ll remember that everything you’re doing is being recorded.

It’s a useful reminder to yourself that you’ve made a commitment to study.

2. Use Focusmate

If you want to take it to the next level, use Focusmate instead.

With Focusmate, you make a pre-commitment to study for a 50-minute period at least one day in advance.

You then get paired with a real-life accountability partner.

You must turn on your webcam during the 50-minute session. This means that you and your study partner can see and hear each other during the study session.

If you leave your desk without giving an explanation, your study partner can report you, and vice versa.

Similarly, if you don’t turn up to your study session or if you are late, your study partner can report you.

Non-compliance results in the system marking you down. If your score falls below a certain level, the system will eventually lock you out.

But if you keep your commitments and complete your study session, the system will reward you with points.

3. If you don’t feel like starting work, take 1 minute to prepare yourself mentally

Sometimes you may not even feel like getting to work.

When this happens, take a minute to prepare yourself mentally.

Set a timer for a minute and tell yourself that you’ll start work when the timer goes off.

By doing this, you’ll be much more likely to get to work at the end of the minute.

This is called an “implementation intention”.

Any time you signal to yourself an intention to do something, it makes it easier to begin that task.

In this case, the implementation intention is to set a timer for a minute before starting a study session, if you feel like procrastinating.

So, if you find it hard to motivate yourself to start studying, take a minute and prepare yourself mentally.

By doing this, you will eliminate the resistance you were experiencing. [Read more…]

22 Study Habits That Guarantee Good Grades

Updated on June 24, 2020 By Daniel Wong 14 Comments

Were you hoping to get an A for your last exam?

Maybe you got a B, or maybe you did worse than that.

It’s annoying, isn’t it…

You put in all those hours of studying. You even gave up time with your friends.

So what if I could show you a way to work smarter and not harder, so you get good grades and have time for the things you enjoy and find meaningful?

Even better, what if I could guarantee it?

Well, I can.

All you have to do is adopt these 22 study habits.

(Throughout my career as a student I got straight A’s, so I can promise you that these habits work.)

Want to get the grades you’ve always wanted while also leading a balanced life?

Then let’s get started.

Habit #1: Create a weekly schedule

When you schedule time for a particular task like studying, you’re saying to yourself, “I’m going to focus on studying at this time, on this date, and it’s going to take this number of hours.”

Once it’s down in writing, it becomes a reality and you’re more likely to stick to it.

This might sound weird, but it’s true.

Do this in your calendar, in a spreadsheet, or download a template – whatever works best for you. [Read more…]

45 Time Management Tips for Students (Advice From a Lifelong Straight-A Student)

Updated on June 25, 2020 By Daniel Wong 38 Comments

Everyone gets the same 24 hours each day.

Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, Isaac Newton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Leonardo da Vinci – they all had 24 hours a day, just like you and me.

What enabled them to lead such significant lives?

They managed their time well.

This article is all about effective time management tips for students.

As a student, I got straight A’s while sleeping eight hours a night, and graduated from Duke University with a GPA of 3.98/4.0.

(I don’t say this to boast, because education definitely isn’t only about getting straight A’s!)

But given that so many students ask me to share time management tips with them, I decided to compile the best ones I know.

By putting the tips in this article into practice, you’ll become more focused and less stressed.

You’ll have more time to do meaningful things outside of school too!

So let’s take a look at the 45 tips.

1. Take a study break every 40 to 50 minutes

Research shows that working in blocks of 40 to 50 minutes is optimal for productivity.

If you feel as if you can’t focus for that long, try out the Pomodoro Technique for a start.

2. If you’re feeling unmotivated, set a timer for two minutes

If you don’t feel like doing work, set a timer for two minutes. Then tell yourself that you just need to focus for that amount of time.

Chances are that once you’ve started work, you’ll continue even after the two minutes are up.

3. Make good use of your travel time

It’s tempting to use your commute time to surf the Internet or go through your social media feeds.

But you can use the time to think about a concept you haven’t grasped, write in your gratitude journal, or listen to an audiobook.

This is a simple time management tip that goes a long way in helping you become a successful student! [Read more…]

40 Productive Things to Do During the School Holidays

Updated on June 25, 2020 By Daniel Wong 61 Comments

Exams are over and school’s out.

And millions of students around the world are thinking to themselves, “Now what am I going to do with all this free time?”

Sure, there are games to play, movies to watch, and friends to hang out with.

But there are also plenty of productive things to do during the school holidays.

So I’ve come up with this list of 40 meaningful things to do.

1. Reflect on the semester gone by.

Take out a sheet of paper and answer these three questions:

What did I do well in the past semester?
What did I not do so well in the past semester?
What will I do differently in the coming semester?

2. Set process goals for the coming semester.

This is a follow-up to Point #1.

Set process goals for the coming semester instead of performance goals, because process goals are far more effective.

What’s the difference between the two types of goals?

Process goals are what you intend to do, while performance goals are what you intend to achieve.

Here’s an example.

Performance goal: Get an A for math next semester.

Process goal: Do three extra math questions every day after dinner.

By setting process goals, you’re more likely to take action than if you only set performance goals.

So take some time and set 5 to 10 process goals for the coming semester. [Read more…]

How I Became a Straight-A Student By Following These 7 Rules

Updated on September 30, 2020 By Daniel Wong 207 Comments

In this article, I’ll explain the seven rules I followed to become a straight-A student.

(I’ve since completed my formal education.)

If you take my advice, you’ll get better grades. You’ll lead a more balanced life too.

But first, here’s some background information about me, to assure you that I have some credibility in writing this article. (I don’t say these things to boast, really!)

I got 9 A1’s for the GCE O-Levels.
I got 4 A’s for the GCE A-Levels, along with 2 “Special” paper Distinctions and 1 Merit.
I received a full academic scholarship to study at Duke University, which consistently ranks as one of the best universities in the world. I graduated from Duke in 2011.
I did a double major at Duke, and graduated summa cum laude (First Class Honors). My GPA was 3.98/4.0.
Throughout my academic career, I never received a grade lower than an A- at a major exam.

Now, just to be clear…

Do I think I’m a super impressive person because of these achievements? No.

Do I think students should be obsessed about grades? No.

Do I think good grades are the key to long-term success? No.

But do I think that grades matter to some extent? Yes.

A strong academic record can open doors for you down the road. More importantly, through the process of becoming a straight-A student, you’ll learn values like hard work, discipline and determination.

These values will serve you well, long after you take your last exam.

So go ahead and pursue academic excellence. Just don’t let it become an unhealthy obsession.

Now that we’re clear on that, we’re ready to explore the seven rules, which include many study tips and more!

Rule #1: Always have a plan.

(a) As the semester progresses, keep track of key dates: tests and exams, project submission deadlines, term breaks, etc.

Enter these dates into a physical or digital calendar.

If you choose to use a physical calendar, I recommend that you get a management diary. This will allow you to see the week’s events at a glance. The inside of the diary should look like this:

If you choose to use a digital calendar, I recommend Google Calendar.

(b) Schedule a fixed time every week where you review your upcoming events over the next two months. Mark down when you’ll start preparing for that Math exam, working on that History project, or writing that English paper.

(d) Next, note your commitments for the coming week, e.g. extracurricular activities, family gatherings, extra classes. On your calendar, highlight the blocks of time you’ll have for schoolwork.

This planning process might sound time-consuming, but it’ll typically take just 15 minutes every week.

This is a wise investment of time as a student, because the rest of your week will become far more productive.

This way, you’ll be studying smart, not just hard! [Read more…]

How To Set Rules In Your Life That Lead To Freedom And Success

Updated on June 17, 2020 By Daniel Wong

If you’re like most people, at the beginning of this year you set goals to exercise regularly, eat healthily, develop yourself, and serve your community.

But then life happened.

Deadlines to meet. Bills to pay. Assignments to complete. Obligations to fulfill. Responsibilities to carry out.

(My first child was born this year, so I know that life can happen in big ways that make you busier than you could’ve imagined.)

And that’s how your goals slipped down your list of priorities. This has happened to me before, and it’s probably happened to you, too.

Me, the former compulsive goal-setter

Up until a couple of years ago, I was a compulsive goal-setter who set a lot of goals—more than 50 a year. I set goals in the areas of sleep, exercise, academics, career, personal finance, personal development, spirituality, relationships, community service, and leisure.

Pretty crazy list, I know.

I even set a goal for spontaneity: Do at least one spontaneous thing a week. My friends all thought I was hilarious—“ridiculous” is the word they’d probably use—for turning spontaneity into a goal!

But I discovered that setting goals obsessively is counter-productive. I became stressed by trying to achieve and track all of those goals.

Why you need more rules and fewer goals

Nowadays, I set far fewer goals (I’ve set 13 goals for 2014). Instead of setting goals, I set rules for myself.

A goal is a target, something you hope to achieve, something you try to do. It’s something you aspire toward.

A rule, on the other hand, is a law to abide by and a standard to adhere to. It’s non-negotiable. It’s something you do, no matter what.

Some people might argue that it’s just a matter of semantics, but I think there’s more to it. Goals inspire hope, while rules mandate action. Goals focus on the desired outcome, while rules focus on the process that will lead to that outcome. [Read more…]