I am a study addict. I was always interested in learning a lot and had a drive, but never applied the strategies. I knew all the techniques but didn't apply them, I just reread the book and high lighted because I though, why not.
I majored in biomedical science. My first semester I didn't study and used my high school method of doing homework two minutes before it was due, ended up with a 2.99. I have read cals books but I didn't really apply them. Second semester I got like a 3.3ish, I still didn't study, but I handed in my assignments on time and didn't party and chase tail all day. I was on the verge of dropping out because I felt like I was too stupid for college since I had no friends in college (commuter), and my high school friends all changed. I also wanted to do research, and applied to a lot of labs, but ended up getting ignored or them telling me I "wasn't a good fit." Which means your gpa isn't good enough, well take the kid that is the presidential scholar / honors college.
Then I heard about this chemical engineer student at my school who won a Marshall and Goldwater scholarship. He didn't want to go to college and instead become a plumber apprentice and landscaping (nothing wrong with that.) But he got a community scholarship. He ended up majoring in Chemical engineering and won a marshall sholarship (one of the most prestigious scholarships an undergraduate can win.) He's at Oxford now for his PhD.
I though man, if he can do it, why can't I? I also hate rejection, I wanted those professors to regret ever not giving me a chance. I wanted them to pay for their mistake. I wasn't mad, I was furious. One of them actually laughed when he saw my transcript. I had a fire inside me, and I wanted to be more successful than them, I wanted them to see me in the school paper front page with a marshall scholarship, Rhodes scholar ship, goldwater, published paper, etc.
I changed to the hardest major on campus, Engineering Physics. ( I sucked at math and at physics)
So over the summer I took physics I: mechanics and II: E&M, final average was 102.1 and 100 respectively. I also took calculus I and II where I got A's. But summer classes tend to be easier, or so I've heard. I spend a lot of time studying, but not as crazy as next semester semester.
Last semester I took the full max load of intro engineering classes, honors organic (because I heard it was insane) and a ton of math classes and would have taken more but you need a certain GPA to go over 19 credits. I followed the 1 = 3 rule, and ended up studying, not including homework, lectures or lab, about 60 to 65 hours a week. This is actually studying and doing active recall, mind maps, etc. I only went to classes if required and I always read ahead. The book can teach you more than a professor can, and I ended up with two to three books per class. Overall, I'd say I put in about 75 to 85 hours of work a week, which includes homework and other required things like prep, I also went to office hours a lot since you got to know the professor. My professor even noted that he never sees me in the class and that I should sit toward the front, I said I like to sit in the back (aka I don't show up). I later told him the truth and showed him my books and my notes for the books. He offered me a position for a RA.
I ended up being in the top for all my classes, and a 4.0/4.0. It feels amazing when you take an exam and not only do you know the answer to the question, but you can explain the concept behind it in more depth than the class is. Also scoring 100 when the class average to get a b is a 35 feels pretty f**king great. It also gets the professor to email you and and basically say I'd like you to do research with me. Getting a 100 on a final in an honors class with kids who are presidential scholars (basically a 1400 + SAT or 32 + ACT, and tons of AP, one girl my class had taken 22 AP classes in high school and scored 5s on basically all of them.) and the class average is a 40 to get a B will get your professors attendtion, especially when you only show up for exams and quizzes. I ended up with a 895 / 900 average in that class since attendence and participation was part of the grade of the grade, but it was still an A by a long shot.
In case you think I'm a genius, I'm not. I'm very similar to ben carson in his gifted hands book. I almost failed every class in middle school, I did okay in high school, never below a 90 (except senior year, I got a 32 / 100 in AB calculus, the only AP I took before dropping it. I also took 6 credits of English in a dual community college and high school program taught at my school, so I didn't need to take English, which is good since I am not good at it. (Polish was my first language, even though I was born in America.) I took the SAT once junior year, no studying, scored a 980 / 1600. I took the ACT senior year twice, got a 24 and 25 without much studying. So I guess those are my "base stats." Best advice is to ignore how smart everyone else is and do the best you possibly can, 100% isn't good enough, if you're sick of studying, that means you're just starting to study. I took no study drugs because that's just stupid cramming. (Unless you actually have a learning disability.)
Books I used:
How to Win at College, How to become a straight A student. Cal would kill me for doing my methods, but when I'm mad, I'm mad. His blog is better than his books since the books are kind of dated. Especially the hard focus stuff.
What smart students know.
A mind for numbers - the cal newport of the new Era
Secrets of top students by Stefanie Wiesman - good for people who are making the transition from humanities to STEM.
Philip Guo's blog
Only regret: Wish I knew how to study when I was in high school, I would probably be at a top school away from where I am.
I'm a engineering physics major because I heard that it is the hardest major, but I will probably change to chemistry or mathematics or maybe chemical or electrical, one my biggest problems is I don't know what to major in. I'm 90% set on medical school, but part of me wants to become a professor.
I know that I don't have time for any extra curriculars, but I actually did volunteer a couple hours a week at a clinic. I'm hoping to find a really good research position (10 to 20 hours a week) so I actually try and get published.
But ya, this is true life: confessions of a study addict.