The Secrets of Top Students: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Acing High School and College

The Secrets of Top Students, by Stefanie Weisman, is a great book!As a Stuyvesant High School alumnus, I know what it means to be that school's valedictorian. Stuyvesant is not just any high school. It is a school that if you become a doctor you are considered an underachiever. They expect you to at least become head of a department in a major hospital or medical school. Stuyvesant graduate David Axelrod, is ONLY an advisor to the President; Stuyvesantian Eric Holder, is US Attorney General: not bad, but not a Supreme Court Justice. It's where if you get 800 on your math SAT nobody lifts an eye. But in all seriousness, this is a school of really, really smart kids and, as such, I am awed by Stefanie's academic accomplishments -- not only the Stuyvesant valedictorian but she also graduated with the highest GPA from Columbia College. That's like being the baseball Rookie of the Year and then following up by winning the MVP and Triple Crown. Stefanie knows how to hit academia's fast ball, curve and knuckleball, and all for homeruns.As a rule, if you want to learn something well, it is a good idea to learn from the best, and Stefanie Weisman's Secrets of Top Students is now THE SOURCE on how to maneuver through the obstacle course of higher education. I guarantee that this book will not disappoint.If school, in general, and tests, term papers and the like, in particular, give you anxiety attacks, then this book is definitely the relaxant. By all rights, Stefanie should never have become valedictorian. In fact, she probably should have been mediocre at best, since she has a certain learning disability. But by putting excuses aside, she learned how to use her strengths to overcome her weaknesses, by developing a relatively simple system of studying. In Secrets of Top Students she conveys her system, no longer secrets, in a clear and concise manner. And, I might add, with a particularly droll and somewhat self-effacing sense of humor. In other words, she explains how to walk the walk, how to traverse through the killing fields of the classrooms with the least possible pain and suffering. She explains how to avoid being an academic casualty or also-ran and to get through it all, knowing you did the best you can, while actualizing your potential.This is not a textbook. But it tells how to penetrate the textbooks. This is nota lecture, but it tells how to absorb and retain what the lecturer is "trying" to expound. Being smart is not enough. You have to know how to learn. This book shows how to do it in an efficient and intelligent manner. Stefanie's prose is concise and easy to follow and the book develops in a logical manner. (It ends with a chapter on "How to Take a Test", by the way, since test taking is where the rubber meets the road.) The use of well placed bullet points and bold font help to highlight the most important concepts. At the same time, the book makes clear that there are individual differences, and that students have to make adjustments in their own studying methods that work best for them. Nevertheless, these basic concepts are still applicable, to different degrees and with different emphasis, to all types of learners.Nor does the book sugar-coat the reality. It tells it like it is, which is to say that the most important thing in becoming a good, or a great student, is commitment and a willingness to work hard, damn hard. There is no easy way. There is only a EASIER WAY, a SMARTER WAY. This book is the roadmap.I guess my only complaint, after reading this book, is that it was published 40 odd years too late. If only there had been a Stefanie Weisman to write such a book for us baby boomers, to help us get through the morass known as education, like a machete in a rain forest, who knows what grades I would have gotten. But today, 2013, if you are a young person wanting to maximize your potential in school, or if you are a parent of a student and would like to see your child rise to the top, take my advice and go out and purchase this book ASAP.

I came upon this guide incidentally after reading an interview of Miss Weisman in the media. So glad I chanced upon this book - it's truly a guide that goes above and beyond in giving advice on how to succeed academically.The guide itself is a quick read but contains a wealth of useful information. Miss Weisman gives great tips and exercises on maximizing one's academic experiences. While she doesn't map out all the steps needed to be taken to become a "top student", she makes it clear that determination and hard work are the keys to success and offers top-notch advice on scoring high in academia. She not only sets up her ideas clearly and directly but also gives excellent insight on the reasoning behind why these strategies work and how you should cater them to your own benefit and preferences. Many times, I found myself nodding in agreement while reading her tips and explanations - everything is simple, pithy, and easy to understand.The author also gives a brief summary of her qualifications as an educational expert - top of her class in the famed Stuyvesant High School and Columbia University. Evidently, she has experienced tons of academic success despite her learning disability (elaborated on in her book) and her story is one that many would be inspired by. She also accumulated advice from other top students in the nation and found many similarities in their strategies of studying and succeeding in college (read the book if you want to find out what these are!).Overall, very satisfied with this insightful guide. There's really no single right answer or path in becoming a "top student", but reading this book will definitely help you shine in the academic world.

After going through college and not having the same study habits work for me this was interesting but above all useful. She actually breaks down a fantastic way to take notes! I thought it might have too much of the obvious type of advice but she hit it out of the park for me.What is your motivation for going to college? How are your time management skills? You really have to analyze the why's and how's of motivation then see what works best for you. After deciding to go back for another degree I'm testing her advice by studying for CLEP and placement tests in order to save money. So far it's going well but I haven't decided where to take my first CLEP test yet. She even breaks down different study methods for different areas by subject. STEM class study methods aren't the same as World History and the included samples make it crystal clear on how to approach issues students face.She even lists healthy study food that isn't flavored cardboard. You become much more active as a student and I recommend the book even if you're learning new skills on the job.I thought this advice was going to be age biased but it's not and her methods are wonderful. Be sure to try them out and don't just read the book and put it away. Use it! Reference the book often and try out those exercises. This book was a pleasant surprise for me and boosted my confidence.

It's very good. Very useful. My children are reading this book and their performance in class has improved a lot. They feel more confident.

This book is full of well researched advice and every student can relate to Stefanie, because she gets it. A lot of the facts and studies she mentioned are also repeated in many other books on education. She does well in condensing it all. As someone wanting to learn better and more effectively, this was a worthy read.

Não gostei deste livro. Comprei pensando que aprenderia técnicas de estudo quando na verdade o autor descreve a rotina de alunos top. Não descobri nenhum segredo.

Practical solutions for being a successful student

Did have a few good tips which I certainly used and found did make a difference to my final year at uni. There's a tip there for everyone. Definitely, definitely worth a read for all students. Read it twice I did and it really taught me that there's quite a few things I've been doing wrong. I even highlighted points that stood out to me, and during the year I'd have a little flick to remind my self of the important bits, especially when I was feeling lost and demotivated. This along with cal newport's blog made me get higher grades than I ever expected I could get. I'm grateful to the hard work that went into this book.