Abstract
High performing students (with a GPA >3.6 out of 4) effectively manage their time [1], implement spaced repetition [1] and are also highly engaged in extra curricular activites [2] as well.
Time Management Techniques
Time management is a crucial part of academic success [3]. While it may not directly lead to increase in GPA, it has remarkable effects on reduced stress and anxiety. This has huge effects on general wellbeing and health [4]. Stress can even affect the immune system and mental stress might lead to physical illness [5]. So any technique that might help students reduce stress is a huge help.
Many students try to schedule their coming week on a Sunday. You can also try to schedule your upcoming day the night before. This is short term planning but medium to long term planning is really whole another article which will be out soon.
Spaced repetition
This is the technique where bits of information (or whole topics for me personally) are reviewed at progressively longer time intervals so that they become unforgettable. This method also allows you to test your knowledge which is a far superior method of learning as compared to re-reading notes or reading books.
The app that implements this functionality exceptionally well is Anki. This is through its artificial intelligence algorithm can schedule topics to study when we are most likely to forget them. This reduces the stress to schedule topics and gives the confidence to know that everything that needs to be memorized has been done so.
Extra-curricular activities
I do not like the term extra-curricular. Co-curricular activites is a much better one. These activities should not be considered outside of our education but a part of it. Now there has been a positive correlation between co-curricular activities and academic achievement. This might be because academic achievement is not just memorizing information. It is the culmination of stress management, time management, leadership, and most importantly; having a life. If your entire life revolvs around school then the grades do not matter much at the end. Speaking from experience, it may seem counter intuitive to study as much as possible but studying all the time does have diminishing returns.
Extra-curricular activities include writing on a blog, writing papers, doing research, volunteering, travelling for conferences etc. All these activities make you a holistic person and not a hard drive with books on it.
References
[1]Psychon Bull Rev (2012) 19:126-134. DOI: 10.3758/s12423-011-0181-y
[2] Eileen O'Brien and Mary Rollefson. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs95/web/95741.asp
[3] the one with time management article on appi's laptop
[4] Anjali et al. Integr. J. Soc Sci., 2019, 6(2), 44-48. https://pubs.iscience.in/journal/index.php/ijss/article/view/891
[5] Ronald Glaser, Janice Kiecolt-GlaserDiscovery medicine 5 (26), 165-169, 2009. https://www.discoverymedicine.com/Ronald-Glaser/2009/07/18/stress-damages-immune-system-and-health/
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