# The Straight a Handbook  ## Metadata - Author: [[John Chuback]] - Full Title: The Straight a Handbook - Category: #books ## Highlights - There are two basic approaches to life, the “stay out of trouble” approach and the “get out of trouble” approach. In my opinion the former is far superior to the latter. ([Location 387](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=387)) - Tags: [[pink]] - Don’t waste any time trying to “fight city hall.” On the contrary, be the first one to fulfill the necessary obligations that you encounter ([Location 852](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=852)) - Tags: [[pink]] - “The classic mistake that people who fail exams make is that they get too deep. A great test taker prepares by knowing only the surface of the lake.” ([Location 1014](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1014)) - Tags: [[pink]] - The point is that, as a student, at some point I realized that essentially everything we learn as a “subject” or field of expertise is in fact nothing more than a foreign language. ([Location 1105](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1105)) - Tags: [[pink]] - For example, if you are a high school freshman in 2015, and your goal is to attend Columbia University four years later, you would simply write the following in your journal every day: “I am a freshman at Columbia University in September of 2019,” or “I receive my letter of acceptance to Columbia University in the Spring of 2019.” It sounds incredible, but this technique, if practiced faithfully, will work the great majority of the time. As Brian explains in his books, “You become what you think about most of the time.” ([Location 1223](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1223)) - Tags: [[pink]] - I have good news and bad news. The good news is that it turns out you are a genius. The bad news is you’ll never reap any of the rewards of your genius unless you bust your tail! In fact, if you spend your life being lazy, people may actually mistake you for an idiot. ([Location 1382](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1382)) - Tags: [[pink]] - The operating surgeon is often concentrating so profoundly that they go quiet, getting lost in their own thoughts. This is a time for the student to be alert and pay attention. This is when those skills learned in the classroom come in handy. This is not a time to lapse in focus. This is a time to watch very carefully a master at work and steal with your eyes. ([Location 1435](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1435)) - Tags: [[pink]] - “Well begun is half done.” What this refers to mainly is preparation and organization. Nothing could be truer in school as well. If one is prepared and organized, any job—no matter how large or small—is much easier to accomplish with a good result. ([Location 1509](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1509)) - Tags: [[pink]] - “Chop wood and splinters will fly!” It’s that simple. If you work hard enough for long enough, good things are bound to happen. ([Location 1661](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1661)) - Tags: [[pink]] - “Even if you graduate dead last in your class, they still call you Doctor.” ([Location 1672](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1672)) - Tags: [[pink]] - Jump in! Go ahead; leave the rest of the frogs on the log. Be a stand out. Never let fear impede your personal growth and forward progress. This is the behavior of winners. ([Location 1824](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1824)) - Tags: [[pink]] - “Perfect practice makes perfect permanently.” ([Location 1876](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=1876)) - Tags: [[pink]] - One must always be calculating. This obviously does not imply that you don’t think or apply your new philosophies toward life; it simply means that you must calculate and recalculate your plan as you go along. If you do this habitually, success will come more easily to you in the future. ([Location 2070](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=2070)) - Tags: [[pink]] - The message here is perhaps the most important of all. Be generous with your knowledge and your wisdom. Be a teacher as well as a student. The exchange of ideas between classmates, colleagues, and friends is the most valuable gift we have to share. The more you give in this area of your life, the more you will receive. Share your wisdom if you wish to become wise. ([Location 2112](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091Q8QPC5&location=2112)) - Tags: [[pink]]