The following articles are written exclusively for free email subscribers to the blog. You can access all the secrets that your teachers aren’t telling you about. You can watch your grades skyrocket while your stress levels will remind your friends of a Buddhist monk drinking cough syrup straight out of the bottle.  (No kids, don’t try that at home.)

With a free subscription you get:

• Better grades with less stress
• Regular updates to all new blog content
• Personal access to members exclusive Q and A
• Access to subscriber exclusive content

This section is constantly growing with new and valuable secrets to scoring near the top of your class (while studying less than most students at the bottom of your class.)

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New Member? Start Here

Want to know what this members area is all about? That’s what this post is supposed to help you with. It can give you the lay of the land so you can hopefully make the most of it.

How To Get An A+ On All Your Finals By Aaron Richardson

You can get near-perfect grades on your finals and it’s easier than you think.

101 Strategies To Improve Your Grades Without Studying More By Aaron Richardson

This is Smart Student Secrets’ most popular ebook. It’s hundreds of pages dedicated to the not quite noble goal of “never studying again.” Or… god forbid, just reducing your study time while still pumping up your grades. A true testament to the laziness behind Aaron’s philosophy. 🙂

Is A Better Grade Worth The Effort? An Extreme Perspective

Need a little perspective on how valuable a good grade can be? Well… this can show you some crazy numbers that might make your mind blow. It also gives you a hint of the power of smart decisions in general. Get what this article is saying and you’ll get yourself a comfortable retirement whether my numbers are crazy or not.

The Greatest Study Hack Is This…

The vast majority of study advice misses this point. While most study advice is looking at the surface of learning there is more to be gained from looking into the depths of how you actually find study advice that worked. 90% of study advice would have no attention at all if student’s were to pay attention to this point.

How To Know When You Really Understand It

Understanding opens the door to getting good grades. When you understand something you can gain more points while knowing less. It’s not everything but understanding when you understand and when you don’t can make sure you don’t waste time trying to understand when you already do. It also ensures you don’t waste time memorizing when you’d do better trying to understand.

The Most Powerful College Alternative

Bypassing college can be a big mistake if you’re not completely aware of what the alternative is. Sure, going to college is the statistically better option but statistics can be deceiving. You can skip college and end up miles ahead of the average college graduate but you absolutely must understand this… (unless you’re cool with fast food until you retire.)

7 Step Test Prep: Higher Scores With Less Stress

Most student’s have a 1 step test strategy. Break the norm and spend some time preparing for your test and you might surprise yourself with the difference it makes. Here you can learn a simple 7 step strategy to make your test prep as effective as it can be.

How Bad Students Become Good Students

What are the things that make bad students turn their grades around? What does it take to motivate an unmotivated student? Those are questions that have interested me ever since I made my own personal transition to better grades. Here are a few of the things I’ve noticed.

5 Other Things You Should Know Graduating From High School

Graduating from high school is a big time in a person’s life. There are a few things that you should know to make it a little easier. More importantly, these are things that can help you build a strong foundation for the rest of your life to stand on. These are some of those important things.

How To Crush Your Friend’s Grades

Yes… we all know it’s pointless to judge ourselves in comparison to our friends but hell… it can be so darn fun to have a little healthy competition with your friends. This is about how to make the friendly competition a productive (and victorious) experience.

The Most Important Thing I’ve Learned About Running A Quality Personal Study Experiment

Back in my school days (only a few years ago actually,) I used to have this crazy habit of running personal experiments on my own recall and study strategies to learn how I could produce better results with less effort. I put in a whole lot of effort but eventually I realized a much easier solution… That’s what this article tells you about.

How To Take A Day Off Studying (And Not Have The World Collapse Around You)

No… You don’t need to be a study machine to kick ass in school. In fact, trying to be a machine could be one of the biggest mistakes you make. Why? Because you will inevitably fail.

Is An “A” Worth The Effort?

There is a lot of work suggested on this blog. Sure… it’s boundlessly more efficient than the strategies suggested by your teachers but it can still be a challenge. Is it worth the effort? That’s the question that I try to answer with a few rough theories.

Time Or Grades? Do You Really Have To Pick One?

Many students feel the need to sacrifice their time for good grades. Is it really necessary? Is there a way you can score near the top of your class without giving up all your free time in the process? Of course, there is. That’s what this article can help you start with.

7 Free Resources For College Students

This is a quick list of 7 free resources I think every student should take advantage of.

Studying Worse Is The First Step To Studying Better

This is a response to a reader with a question about transitioning to the 15MSS. Change is important but it introduces new challenges. This article is about how you can face those challenges without going too crazy. 🙂

The 7 Reasons You Procrastinate (And What To Do About Them) – Free Download

Here you can find the free pdf guide download referenced in The Ultimate Guide To Crushing Procrastination. It can teach you more about why you’re procrastinating (even when you’ve got your motivation down.) It then goes into more detail about how to solve them.

Memory Investment Mastery

If you want to know how to study what you need to study then this is the article for you. Okay… this may be a tough one but it’s in the subscribers only area for a reason. It’s the kind of thing that’s powerful but not easy to understand.

Full Archive

• Want to see active recall work for yourself? - Active recall is the most effective way to study. It’s something I bring up a lot because it’s super important and almost never appreciated by students. Active recall is just practicing remembering stuff. It guarantees you’ve learned whatever you’re studying. That
• A story about a garden – where will you be in 10 years? - I’ve never been much of a garden kinda’ guy. I’m more of a stare at my computer until my eyes are about to fall out and land on my desk just to take a break kinda’ guy. But… for those
• 5 tips that make essay response easier – AP testers take note - Different tests require different strategies. – Aaron P.S. This week – I got one of the kindest emails I’ve ever received from a reader. I sent a thank you gift but I just feel the need to give you all a
• Test Taking Anxiety Eliminated For Good - I used to be a bad test taker. I get the impression most people know that feeling. You feel the test approaching. It’s a pressure. You know you need to study hard for it but even when you can get
• The best opportunities look like problems - Problems can be opportunities. I don’t know what problems you’re facing right now. (But, I am right about you facing a problem right now, right? That’s just life. Problems will always be there. My philosophy revolves around trying to improve the
• 5 Easiest/Hardest Degrees To Get – And What It Means To You - What are the 5 easiest and hardest degrees to get?   This week I’m exploring 2 different ways of answering that question – – Aaron P.S.   This week I want to send a quick thank you to QUT Business
• You might not be procrastinating… it might be deeper than that - A lot of people *think* they have a problem with procrastination. In fact, a lot of people do have a problem with procrastination… But it’s not everyone that thinks they do. I wrote a huge guide on ending procrastination that
• A Gamers Quick Guide To Understanding Money - Note: this article is a little off subject for the site but it’s a really basic response to some of the kinds of questions I’ve been hearing from students. If you’ve enjoyed this article then please let me know so
• How To Make The Hard Choice - This needs a little bit of an introduction but once you get it – I believe – this can make school significantly more enjoyable. Whenever you’re having trouble deciding what you want to do in life, use this strategy. Can’t
• I Guess It Struck A Nerve - Hi! It’s Kay again! It’s been a few months since I’ve written to you guys for Smart Student Secrets but I’ve been involved in the background. I’ve been finishing up some stuff for my classes (and rereading KAIC to make
• Are you an introvert or an extrovert? - Are you an introvert or an extrovert? We want to know. (Reply to this email because we’re going to be giving a one-time 50% coupon for KAIC to everyone that replies.) Take note: this matters in everything you do. Do
• When Being Rude Is Better Than Being Polite - I knew a kid that could regularly “get away” with being rude to his teachers. (Keep in mind. From what I’ve learned from you guys, this isn’t always useful in all cultures.) Every single time one of his friends walked
• How Do We Escape This Pickle!? - A smart reader just presented Kay (and she presented me) with quite an interesting pickle that needs a little untangling! -Aaron
• Your Questions Answered – And The Best Way To Win In Life - I’m going to be answering a few questions about this weeks article on how to make your teachers happy without looking like a loser… Read the latest Take note: we are removing a few hundred email subscribers (that our analytics
• How To Make Teachers Happy Without Being A Loser Or Geek - Have you ever had a bad teacher? Probably at least once, right? There are a lot of different kinds of bad teachers. Some are mean. Some are inconsistent. Some don’t seem all that bright. And really… some just rub the
• High School Valedictorians That Grow Up To Do… Not Much… - I just read this… High school valedictorians “know how to do school. They are not the group to look for, for creative breakthroughs… or for becoming notable leaders in a particular area.” -Karen D. Arnold of Boston College (Quoted in
• How To Boost Grades Without Studying - Kay and I were talking the other day and she was discussing an email exchange she was having with a student. She wanted to figure out how to help this student but she wanted to see what I was thinking
• My Big Stupid Screw Up In English Class - There is an old writing cliche you’ve probably heard before: Write for your audience. As a high school student in English class, I seemed to make the silly mistake of trying to follow that advice. Sure… that’s great advice… Assuming
• George Costanza Teaches How To Get Your Instincts Working For You Instead Of Against You - George Costanza is a character from an old sitcom that I’m hoping you’ve heard of in your life. Sienfeld – “the show about nothing” George was the lovable middle-aged loser that couldn’t quite reach escape velocity when it came to
• Big changes – We want to know what you’re thinking - Don’t say I didn’t warn you… The Smart Student Secrets community has grown a ton over the years but there has been something brewing in the back of my brain and I haven’t liked the smell of it. We’ve been
• It’s Not School Prep. It’s Life Prep. - This is what gets Smart Student’s in trouble… And summer happens to be a great time to focus on this kind of stuff.   -Aaron P.S. Big thank you to everyone that filled out the survey. I’m going to do
• You’re not the one to blame. What they teach is insane. - Frustrated and dejected…   I sat down at my desk. My face became eskew as I thought her words through.   “You’re thinking about it… too much” Don’t do work worth nothing. 0.1%? I’ll pass. Maybe next time.   A
• Weapon of Math Destruction: Using Active Recall In Math - This is something that would have made me a successful math student waaay faster.   And a special thanks to Eduardo for the idea of this article. This doesn’t hit every point Eduardo recommended but I didn’t want to create
• Some Actionable Steps For Technical Classes - If you’re in any technical classes like math or science then this is important stuff. I’ve gotten some super positive feedback and a few questions related to it. -Aaron
• I’m going to show you how to use your super power - I’m going to show you your super power. 🙂 This was a special request and I’m super grateful it was brought up. If you have any ideas you want me to talk about then shoot me a message. (You can
• How Much Is A Better Grade Worth – An Extreme Perspective - I was just kanoodling with a question that’s come up a few times since starting this blog. On this blog, I’m obsessed with efficiency. I want to know the best, fastest, and easiest way to get solid grades. Why? Is
• Made Up Words Make You Feel Smart - If you’ve never seen the felicitous conflagration that imbues the visage of your companions then you ought to. 😛 Yea… don’t worry. That barely means anything. The words are real but who gives a toot. They might as well be
• On Winging It - The world likes a man with a plan. (I say man instead of woman mostly because woman with a plan doesn’t rhyme quite as well. As anyone knows, rhyming is essential to making any important point. :P) People like people
• Summer Break 2018 - Hola Studious Students of Smart Student Secrets! We’ve got big things going on here at Smart Student Secrets but first let’s pause for a moment to say: CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR!! For those of us lucky enough
• Failure Doesn’t Have To Be The End - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive. Image Sources: Public Domain Pictures
• If You Know What You’re Doing, You’re Not Doing Enough 😛 - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive. Image Sources: UBC Learning Commons/a>
• Belief Sustains Habits - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Caffeine And School - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Balance Is Overrated - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• The Moments That Matter - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Is The Bad Day Your Fault? - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Don’t Break Your Bad Habits – Change Them - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Learning The Material VS Learning The System - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Watching Television In Spanish - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• Don’t Beat Your Weaknesses To Death - This post is a Smart Student Secrets members exclusive.
• How To Never Study Again By Aaron Richardson – Your Free Gift - You can score high and still have tons of free time. I know that probably sounds pretty crazy.  It’s hundreds of pages of things that students need to know to make it happen. I spent years struggling in school before I
• How To Never Study Again By Aaron Richardson – Your Free Gift - You can score high and still have tons of free time. I know that probably sounds pretty crazy.  It’s hundreds of pages of things that students need to know to make it happen. I spent years struggling in school before I
• Studying Worse Is The First Step To Studying Better - This article is my response to a recent question I received from a student struggling to introduce a more reasonably timed study routine. He’s in the unfortunate habit of studying for hours every few nights (when he can force himself
• 12 Active Recall Strategies - Use active recall to study. It’s as simple as that. This is an additional resource for The Ultimate Active Recall Resource Active recall has been shown to be the most effective study strategy. Science has been trying to disprove it
• 24 Differentiators That Can Make Your College Degree POP To Employers - This article is an addendum to an article discussing how a college degree isn’t enough to impress employers. To compete in the current economy you need differentiators. You need something that makes you stand out from the crowd. I’ve done
• Memory Investment Mastery - The fundamental challenge of college is the use of your limited resources. You only have so much time. You only have so much energy. You want to use that time and energy in the best way possible to maximize your
• The Most Awesomest Motivational Quotes From Smart People - Well… shucks… I’m in a motivational mood today so I figured I’d share some awesome motivational quotes to help you get through your day productively. (Don’t take this seriously, though… I can’t believe I feel the need to say this…)
• 7 Free Resources For College Students - I just wanted to make a quick post to share 7 free resources for college students that I think you should use. You’ve probably already used some of this. If you haven’t then you’re missing out. And… it’s free… why
• Is An “A” Worth The Effort? - I was recently asked a question about the real value of scoring an A in class. I give a ton of advice on how to get the A but I often take for granted that an A is worth getting
• How To Take A Day Off Studying (And Not Have The World Collapse Around You) - Slacking is not the problem for 99% of people. People don’t fail because they spend too much time relaxing and comforting themselves. I know the usual reader of this blog might think that relaxing too much is a major factor
• How To Crush Your Friend’s Grades - This is intended to be a fun little addition to my blog post about what to do if your friends get better grades than you. Yea… You know you shouldn’t care what grades your friends get compared to you. It’s
• 5 Other Things You Should Know Graduating From High School - Here is an extra few ideas I thought about mentioning in my article about stuff you should know graduating from high school. I wanted to mention them but I figured they were dramatically off topic. Instead of trying to make
• How Bad Students Become Good Students - I was a “bad student” for years. (And, yes, I think those terms are silly but I use them for lack of better terms.) I barely paid attention. I wasn’t the type to skip every class but I spent most
• 7 Step Test Prep – Higher Scores With Less Stress - Most students have a one step test prep strategy:   -Study   All done.   You probably already know how important planning is for doing most things well. I probably don’t have to convince you that spending hours doing something
• New Member? Start Here - Howdy! Welcome to the subscriber section of Smart Student Secrets. This is the section where I’m going to share exclusive content for regular readers of this blog. I’m going to be providing advice (the kind your parents and teachers won’t
• How To Know When You Really Understand It - As I’ve written in post after post in the main section of this blog, there is a huge difference between memorizing something and understanding something. Memorizing is being able to recite the words. Virtually everyone can make sense of that
• The Greatest Study Hack Is This… - Experimentation No. The long term readers might be thinking I’m talking about the kind of experimentation I did when I was younger. To catch the rest of you up: I used to consistently do strange and downright silly experiments to