I happen to be a big fan of my study strategy but it has its time and place. Here is a student that ran into a dilemma I should try and help clear up.

Hi Aaron,

I’ve averaged an A+ through most of high school. I’ve only gotten lower in one or two classes. My grades are something that I’ve always taken pride in. I was always putting the hours into studying to master everything. Once I started to read your blog I started to notice Pareto’s principle kicking in. Most of my results seemed to be coming from a few specific aspects of my studying. That being said, I haven’t been willing to decrease my study time to test it.

I’m going to be a senior in high school next year and I’m afraid toying with my study strategy is just going to risk me losing my chance at a top notch college. I think I have a good shot at getting into (omitted.) I’m not sure if I should be risking my grades dropping in senior year.

I really think focusing on the 15MSS or some variation of it would help but I’m not sure if it’s the right choice.

-Antonio

DO NOT CHANGE STUDY STRATEGIES!

Okay. Now that I got that off my chest I’ll clarify my point. When I look at this situation from an investment point of view, I don’t think it’s worth the risk. Switching to a new study strategy when you’re averaging an A+ is definitely going to shake everything up for a while. It may be more efficient but it could take weeks or months to recover from the short term variations in your grades.

The reality is that you have a chance to get into one of the most exclusive colleges in the world. Having that college name on your resume will get you more money. I may have my doubts about the overall value of the education difference between schools but the name alone would be a good investment. Assuming you’re getting a better education then it’s an even better investment.

I love the 15MSS but it is not designed for your situation. That is, for now.

Since you’re considering switching to the 15MSS, you’ve probably already read that it’s not meant to give you perfect grades. It’s designed to give comfortable A’s for most student’s. It’s not going to get you into that college (by grades alone, with some creativity you could probably get in anyway.) If you have the chance to get into that college or any college in that caliber (without investing years into it) then I think it’s worth spending a few months using a less efficient study strategy.

That being said, if you want to improve your study efficiency then you can always do that once you get into the new college. Or practice like crazy during the summer to give it a hesitant shot near the start of the semester. Once you get accepted you’ll be in a better position to start playing with your study strategies. I’d start slow because it’s going to be a stressful time but at that point, seeing a little fluctuation in your grades is more acceptable.

There are reasons you shouldn’t keep your current study strategy but they’re so uncommon I have trouble even noting them (sickness, severe depression, family emergencies, etc.) You’ve gone this far. The right move is probably to finish it off and make your decisions from there.

This is your decision and your life. These are just my thoughts on it. Good luck making this decision.

Do you want to know how to study in less than 15 minutes a night and score higher than 90% of the students in your class? That’s what this blog is all about. Check out the archives, follow along, and read the ebooks to learn more.