by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting
Anthony Green runs an impressive consulting business.
He charges $1,500/hour to help students improve their SAT scores. His results are so impressive, there is a four-year waiting list to enroll in his one-on-one services.
What’s his secret of success? He shared some of what he teaches his students in a recent interview.
Document all your mistakes. If you want to get better at something, you need to relish your failures. You need to understand exactly where you’re screwing up, highlight those weaknesses, document them, and then pummel them into the ground.
Use time blocks. Instead of using to-do lists, block out time for your studies and your tasks. When you “slot” them into a time frame, you have to actually imagine the time that they’ll require.
Schedule study breaks in advance. The human brain can’t really focus on anything for more than roughly 90 minutes at a time. Schedule breaks in advance, make sure they’re at least 15 minutes long.
Ditch the distractions. Put your phone out of reach. Turn off your computer. Eliminate media. Clean your desk. Hide everything but the textbooks and notepads that are relevant to the task at hand.
You might think these ideas just apply to preparing for tests. Anthony would disagree.
Educational principles, neuroscience, motivation techniques, and psychology don’t just apply to the realm of formal education. They’re useful no matter what you’re trying to accomplish—especially recruiting.