How to Become a Straight a Student

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When you get confused at any particular step of any particular problem, mark it with a giant question mark and you're the margin. You have 48 hours to get every question mark that you wrote down in your lecture notes filled in with your understanding. When I solve this problem on a blank sheet of white paper from scratch without looking at my notes, narrating out loud what each step means,. If you can do that, you know it. It's everything that matters.

Cal Newport answers 10 questions from his audience ranging from idea management to the Deep Life to writing. Throughout all the answers, you’ll hear Cal explain his core concepts and how they apply to everyday working life.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

- Why doesn’t Cal care about idea management systems? [2:46]

- Does Cal still use Workflowy to capture tasks? [12:52]

- Are women better at multi-tasking than men? [16:56]

- What is the difference between pursuing depth versus passion? [23:16]

- What are the “Contemplation” and “Celebration” buckets in the context of the Deep Life? [28:56]

- What’s the best way to study math? [32:56]

- Can I jump from a master’s at a small school to a PhD at a prestigious one? [35:19]

- How do I know if I’ve successfully cultivated a Deep Life? [37:11]

- How do I become a successful political nonfiction writer? [44:38]

- Is the Deep Work hypothesis affected by survivorship bias? [50:36]