What the Best College Students Do

“No one has ever had a brain exactly like yours. You are one of a kind. You can look at problems from an angle no one else can see. But you must find out who you are and how you work if you expect to unleash the powers of your own mind.” 

Success in life isn’t so much about having high levels of skill—though those matter—but more about using the mind creatively, seeing beyond the standard view to what’s possible, and finding unique ways to bring those visions to life. 

“Sure, high marks have their rewards. An excellent academic record can serve anyone well in our society […] but if we had to choose between good grades or deep learning, I’d pick the latter every time.”

It’s better to learn a subject deeply than merely to get good grades on tests. Anyone can learn how to get good grades without really understanding the material, but delving deeply into a subject provides the real benefit—and good grades tend to follow anyway. 

“Everything you create, he told the class, will come from inside you, so you must know yourself. That’s the reason you must write your life story and learn to talk to yourself, to find out what’s inside you, and to discard the parts that are old and stale, and enhance and use the elements of yourself that are unique, beautiful, and useful.” 

Paul Baker’s course Integration of Abilities taught students to learn what makes them tick as individuals, find those aspects of their lives that are most productive and creative, and nurture them.