How in the H-E double hockey sticks did you do it, Steve?
 

I'm talking about getting a bachelor's degree in like 3 semesters (or whatever it was).

I'm curious for my own reasons. Right now I'm enrolled in 3 grad classes (actual physical classes with schedules and stuff) and 4 online courses. And I'm completely buried in busy work. No subject by itself is "hard" per se, but the time element is an extreme factor here. It appears I just don't have enough hours in the day to keep up. I'm keeping up just fine in the actual grad classes (the ones in the program I am) but only because I'm valuing those more (it's what I want to do after all). The online courses are a different story. They relate to what I'm doing (i.e. they are my content area for teaching), but it's really me just doing it to get it on a transcript because the department head said "this needs to be on a transcript by fall or you can't student teach."

But that's drifting away from my point. I figure that to get a bachelor's degree in like 3 semesters you had to have taken a similar (or even more rigorous) courseload as to what I have right now. How in the name of god did you manage to keep everything straight PLUS keep your focus so that you could get through it?

Any tips for me in this regard? Any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated.

And, out of curiosity, did you struggle to keep everything sorted or did you breeze through it?

I think the two big things for me to figure out are:

1. More productive time management than even what I"m doing now (and I'm pretty *good* at it now as it is, but in order to do this I think I need to get better).

2. Retaining focus throughout the day (because this is almost literally all I do all day long these days...with little breaks here and there to post on forums and relax my brain a bit).

Have you read Do It Now and 10 Tips for College Students?

I put lots of details in those articles.

Probably my #1 habit that made it work was that I listened to (on average) about 2 hours of motivational audio programs every day, usually while walking to/from school and between classes. I lived across the street from campus, so I was close to the school at all times. I had to constantly program my mind with a can-do, optimistic attitude. I wouldn't even allow myself to think about failure. There was only one possible outcome -- the one I wanted.

My #2 habit would have been running 3 miles every morning (about 25 minutes). This kept my metabolism high and my thinking sharp.

I also spend zero time on online forums back then, and nearly zero time on email. And I avoided getting a girlfriend or doing any dating till after graduating. :)

To keep track of assignments, I used a small pocket notebook. I wrote down every assignment in the notebook. When it came time to do some homework, I picked one assignment (usually the one with the nearest due-date), and I worked on it straight through till it was done. I did NOT chop up assignments or switch between one and another. If I had to do a 10-hour paper, I did it from start to finish with nothing but meal or rest breaks. Task switching has to be minimized.

I did a lot of homework during dull classes. And I ditched about 40% of my classes some weeks. If I could learn the material in 25 minutes from the book, no need to attend a 50-minute lecture.

There are tons of ways to shave time here and there.

I actually got 2 degrees in that time (math and computer science), although there's so much overlap between them that I didn't have to take many extra math classes and would have been guaranteed a math minor anyway just by picking the right CS electives.

In my last semester I was even able to add a full-time contract job while taking 37 units at school. I got used to this flow and wanted to keep pushing the limits. That was a really hard semester, but I did programming work on games projects by working out algorithms during dull classes. Or I practiced speeches while running or making food... lots of ways to double up when the mind isn't fully engaged. I was a vegetarian (but not vegan) that semester, which I do believe helped.

I was an undergrad though, and I was majoring in subjects in which I was considered a "natural." I'm not sure how well I'd have done in a different field or as a grad student.

Hmm, never thought about the motivational tapes. What types of motivational stuff did you listen to? I've noticed there is some music that puts me in a more productive state so I've been listening to that when I need to be productive.

Cutting out forums and online time entirely would be a good idea, but this is also sort of a "state break" for me. A way to clear my head and recharge my focus a bit. I might try a week without forums and see if I notice a difference.

Yeah, I think I'm the same with the subjects as a natural thing. The subject material of any one class by itself is pretty easy for me to comprehend. I think I'm getting stuck in the mode of "omg all of this needs to be done by THEN" thing, though, which does create a bit of an overwhelm at times.

Thanks for the tips. Very much appreciated.

Since I didn't have a big budget for tapes and since I did this in the pre-iPod days, I listened to audio cassette programs. The 3 main ones I listened to (dozens of times each) were:

Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale
The New Dynamics of Winning by Denis Waitley
How to Master Your Time by Brian Tracy

Each was about 6 hours long, so I could complete one program roughly every 3 days. Keeping my mindset in the right place was crucial. I didn't listen to these programs for the ideas -- I listened to them to maintain the right attitude.

These days I get audiobooks from Audible.com and typically go through about 2-3 per week, depending on the length. I just finished a 20+ hour one called Spycraft, and today I started a 7-hour one called Smart Pricing. I listen to them on my iPod at the gym and while driving, and I listen on my iPad at home (while cooking, doing physical tasks, even while shaving). I always listen at 2x speed, and I really wish the iPad/iPod had an even faster playback setting.

Nowadays I tend to skip the motivational stuff because it's like listening to repeats, and I go for biographies, true stories, business, or science books. I like listening to stories of people who've done interesting things, like starting cool businesses, inventing things, making new discoveries, etc.

This daily mental programming helps to counteract the forces of negativity, mediocrity, and sheer stupidity that we get bombarded with as a matter of course.

It also depends what school you go to. I have taken college classes at two universities, and one of them was monumentally easier than the other.

Maybe it helps you to finish one online course first, and then move on to the next?

That way you don't have to shift between the different subjects and can comprehend the information faster and better.

Thanks for posting this James and thanks for the replies, Steve! :D

I've been trying like H-E double hockey sticks (;)) the last three years to figure out how to get even close to Steve's level of success in college and have failed.

The posts here help a lot, Steve. I'm good at picking up concepts for personal development, but it's hard for me to see the actual day-to-day application. Sometimes I need a good "Here, stupid, that's all it's about--stop over-complicating." ;)

So.... habits for kicking college's ass:
1) Audiobooks to keep positive mindset
2) Mindset: There is no failure, there is only one outcome--the one we want
3) Almost no online social networking/surfing/etc
4) 30 minutes daily aerobic exercise
5) Pocket notebook for keeping track of assignments
6) Complete assignments in one stretch
7) Do homework during class
8) Skip unnecessary classes where possible
9) Healthy diet

James--I'm learning how to process as much information during lecture as possible within my notes to save time later (idea came from Study Hacks). This is the first semester I've done that, and so far it's working out really well. So that's something you might do in classes you need/have to attend.

My only barrier is if I come to class with a foggy brain, I can't process anything--solution? Better sleep, diet, and exercise habits. My sleep schedule (not the # of hours) seems to be the biggest factor.

I'm also experimenting with the Question/Answer method of taking notes from the textbook and that seems to be working well too. The key in both is processing the information, not just recording it.

Depending on the class, I've also found rewriting my notes helpful--being forced to organize them into main topics and sub-topics, connect ideas, add information from various sources (compiling lecture, assignments, and textbook info), write examples, and draw my own diagrams seems to make testing a breeze. Again--processing the information. I identify all my weaknesses and create notes I could essentially teach the class from (and, actually, I have. I ended up a teacher's assistant and those notes saved me. :p).

I don't know if Steve went with that principle (processing vs. recording in notetaking), but it seems to be on the right track for my own studying.

Anyway, excuse me while I go implement those habits. :D

As for motivational tapes, I highly recommend "Millionaire Intensive" seminar by T Harv Eker. Harv is the man I would follow into Himalayan woods.

I also recommend Marc Allen's "The Millionaire Course", he tells a story of being a "poverty case" in his twenties and early thirties, and how with conscious effort he then went to become a millionaire. So inspiring!

The habits and methods and techniques and strategies are maybe 20% of what matters here.

The 80% is the will, the mindset, the attitude, and the proper application of your power to decide that in no uncertain terms you're going to do this and that failure is NOT an option.

This is NOT a challenge of figuring out the right habits. Without the right use of power, your habits and practices will get you nowhere. You'll give up.

The people who've posted thus far don't stand a chance of making it yet, not because they don't know the right methods and techniques and habits... but because they aren't properly using their POWER yet.

You see... I would NEVER make posts like the OP did when I was working on this goal. It's a misuse of power to do so. You're putting the goal on a pedestal, imagining it as something bigger than you, something daunting.

You cannot do that if you wish to make it a reality. If it's going to be part of your reality, it has to be smaller than you. Your power must overwhelm it. The goal has no chance but to succumb to you. You're going to absolutely, positively kick its ass. There can be no doubt about that.

To quote Yoda, "There is no try." If you have an attitude of trying or attempting or doing your best, you've already failed. Either you're going to do it, or you aren't. And all I see here is people who aren't going to do it.

If you're going to do it, you cannot allow doubt to take up residence within you. It is NOT a welcome guest. Never entertain thoughts of doubt. Never question your ability to do it. Just create the knowing that you're going to do it no matter what and that there are no other options. It's a done deal before you start. It's as straightforward as making a meal.

You may not know all the right recipes in advance, but you'll figure them out. You're a chef who's confident in your ability to cook. You know that a new set of recipes isn't enough to throw you off. You'll learn what you need to learn and do what you need to do when the time comes.

This is 80% of it -- using your power to create your reality. Sometimes it seems like it's 99% of it.

The habits are just the light saber. A light saber in the hands of a non-Jedi against a Jedi with a light saber? Who wins? The Jedi mind-grabs the light saber, and the other person is sliced in half in 1 second.

Thinking that habits will make you succeed is like thinking that a light saber will make you a Jedi. That's backwards. The light saber will pretty much fall into your hands when you're a Jedi. The habits will pretty much take care of themselves when you're using your power correctly.

Don't even fuss over the habits. They aren't the droids you're looking for!

I actually came in here to say that your posts (plus re-reading those two articles you posted) have lit a fire under my ass. I found myself waking up today to my mind accessing and processing information in my sleep. In my half asleep mode, I was aware of myself using pneumonic devices in my sleep to remember every word I was thinking about.

I also see opportunities to maximize my time more efficiently than I had before. I realized that iwas trying to apply the bad habits I chose to form in my old job to do those, and those habits were failing miserably. For the first time since I started this, I believe that I can do this and do it with paassion (rather than fear of failure).

Thanks for your posts steve. You've definitely inspired a new outlook on this for me.

You're absolutely right. Again, look at me getting caught up in the concepts and not the living and doing part (or, maybe more accurately, being).

Thanks for the reminder, fellow dream figment. :cool:

Do you have to be actively paying attention to the content to get the mental programming? If I put the volume low enough so I could still make out the words, but it wouldn't take up my conscious attention, and then focused on some other mental activity (like studying for a class), would that still be enough to debug my current program? :p

Try it and find out. I generally did pay attention to the content as I listened.

what I'm noticing is that I'm going to have to step outside the personal development field. I've searched for some audio programs and none of it really strikes me as motivational. Its funny to me how monotone the inspirational stuff is lol.

I'm actually searching for great speeches right now. And fiction/memoirs.

I need to do that, too. Let me know if you find any. I used podcasts before, and yeah, most of it was lame, or cost money which I wasn't willing to spend at the time. Maybe I'll spend some money now that I have an ipod, but I'm always hesitant 'cause it may be crap.

I am 'bout to start a public speaking class, though, so I plan on giving some great speeches. :D

Dare to live without limits- Bryan Golden.

A free mp3 that combines everything you posted in 15 minutes, in one motivational sitting.

Think of your 'overwhelming force' article on steroids.

Dare to Live Without Limits by Bryan Golden on Audio Download - Free Audio

Who loves me? :d

Okay. I'm on day 2 of a trial for this, anyway, so I'll know soon enough.

I know what you mean. So far the one person I've found who's really riveting is (bet you won't see this coming):

Tony Robbins. :p

But right now, what I'm testing is whether the ideas sink in, regardless of tonal stuff. A Robot v. Robbins experiment is down the road, but I'd love to know if you find anything that strikes your fancy.


My county's library system has an online catalog of bunches of audiobooks. Maybe yours has something similar.

Get some East Asian blood.

We do it all the time. :d

[ALG - citizen of a nation holding the current record for longest working hours in the world] ...... [Not a good sort of record].

WOOOOOOO!!!

That's all I have for now.

Try "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother".

You need a tiger mummy to make it work though. :p

Oh, that's a great thread!

I'm planning to go to uni in USA starting autumn 2012.

I'm thinking about getting my bachelors degree in the similar amount of time Steve did and then speed up getting the masters and phd as well. I have no doubts in my ability to do that. What bothers me is will the top schools (hope to get into one of them) allow such stunts? I mean, assuming I'm capable to get my degree in three semesters or hopefully less, will I be allowed to do so by people who are responsible for all kinds of bureaucracy in schools? How did you get around this, Steve? Or is it only my imagination and people really don't care as long as I have good grades?

Generally speaking they'll allow you to take a few more credits than normal the first semester, and up it if you do really well.

But really, this is just a matter of convincing people. I completed my school's Master's Curriculum when I was 19...most people will let you do whatever you want if they think you're smart.

This is a super post.

In fact, it's so well done, I had to Evernote it.

Yeah, I thought it was pretty awesome too. In fact, his posts in this thread (plus the ones he linked too) really helped to recharge the resolve and inspiration for doing this. I found myself "in the zone" at one point over the weekend for the first time since I started.

*"In the zone" just means that I was chewing through homework (and comprehending it) at an insanely powerful pace.

I look forward to tearing down more barriers as I continue.

The thought that gives me goosebumps:

It's been 5 weeks in the program working at an extremely accelerated pace....and I AM STILL HERE. In fact, I think I'm pulling straight A's right now in most of my classes.

+1 And...it happened to be precisely what I needed to hear...wonderful

This is the most powerful thing I've read lately & just what I needed to see.

I like this book.Pricing is the moments of Truth.

Marketing profitability strategy used by Amazon, Price Line , mc donalds .

@ ipod settings *3 times speed would be much better than 2 times speed .

I guess nobody cared for my post on 'dare to live without limits'?

I snagged and saved it, just haven't listened yet. :d

i printed it out. I know exactly what he's talking about. That kind of willpower allowed me to raise my low gpa at the last minute and get into a study abroad program when all odds were against me.