The A Game: Nine Steps to Better Grades

by Kenneth J. Sufka, Neil W. White III (Editor)

The A Nine Steps to Better Grades is a must-read for all college freshmen. It is one of those rare books -- concise and compelling, yet based on science. Certain to become a staple in first-year college curricula, The A Game will forever change students' lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, School, Self Help, Psychology

80 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

Reviews

[Drew Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of excellent perspectives on learning, tips, tricks, and methods to that I’ll use for studying. Highly recommend this if you’re wanting to improve your grade or study more efficiently. Sometimes, the author’s a bit intense for me though.

[Shahad Farhanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I apologize in advance for the long review. In my first semester in the university, I took a class that required me to get this book along with the textbook. The professor told us that if we want to ace our classes, we should read this book. I thought about reading it but I didn't. Thankfully I got good grades but it wasn't easy because I'm a procrastinator. I pulled off all-nighters for every assignment and exam. After being a university student for about two years now, I know that the classes are getting harder and that I cannot get away with procrastination anymore. Therefore, I decided that I should start taking things seriously and read this book for a start. There's a line that truly attracted me to the book which is "…you will find yourself not only with better grades but also with more free time." My first thought was no way. Then I started reading each rule very carefully and I find them straightforward and simple. Some of the rules are effortless but play a major role in getting A grades. Also, the book is not telling you insane things to do. It gives you only nine rules that you'll find realistic and simple. In addition, the book is not plain rules. Before each rule, the professor shares a story of a student with a certain difficulty and then he presents the rule which solves the issue. He also shares success stories of some students which makes the reader know that A grades are attainable if he/she follows the nine basic rules. Moreover, the professor backs up his book with different studies which helps the reader to become convinced with what he's saying. Finally, the professor is funny and made me laugh several times. His colleague who is mentioned in the book a few times is funny as well. Overall, the book is small, straightforward, realistic and a bit funny. The line that I quoted earlier is my motivation to become a responsible student. In my opinion, A students follow these rules without reading this book because logically you have to do these things if you want to get A grades. However, some students may need some guidance to help them out in their academic life and there is absolutely no shame in asking for help to get on the right track. At any rate, even if you know these rules, it wouldn't hurt you to reinforce them in your mind.

[Shannon Kimbriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, this was a book recommended by the advisement center I’m a GA for, and these tips are so beneficial. Are you a teacher? Read it. Are you in school? Read it. I feel like if you’re trying to study for anything, these are such helpful tips. And the book itself is engaging!!

[Isaiah Denard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had great tips for academic success. I already have a 3.9+ GPA, but I wanted to decrease how much time I spend studying.

I appreciated it being a short read. It got to the point without much fluff. I finished reading it in about 3-4 hours, but I also was highlighting important information as I went along.

Some tips seemed like common sense, but other tips, like not having super long study sessions were new to me. Ultimately, if you do well in college you’re probably already applying at least half of these tips, but applying the rest can really step up your game.

[elijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was assigned to read this book for my Survey of Human Sciences course in my first semester of my fashion design program. Dr. Newman, insisted we read this book, not only because we would be tested on some of it, but also because the material is incredibly valuable. I wholeheartedly agree.

I read this book in about an hour and a half. Once I started, it flowed so easily. The writing isn't too serious all the time, but also provides very insightful perspectives on different aspects of test taking that I had not considered. Gonna reread it several times. Thank you Dr. Newman.

[hk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m counting this.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, quick read about taking classes & working through course material strategically!

[C. Monaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good guide for first year students who want to excel. The book is clear and concise, making the target audience more willing to finish the whole thing.

[MAP · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the professors in my program, and the professor I'm TAing for this year, wrote this book and gave me a free copy (since as his TA, he wanted me to help any students that might be struggling with the steps.)

Basically this book follows 9 steps to being successful in college. Some of them are heartbreakingly simple -- one shouldn't NEED to tell college students that they should attend class, and yet as a TA I can confirm that a shocking number of them don't and then can't understand why their grades suck -- to more complex ones meant to help students get beyond rote memorization to actual conceptual understanding. Dr. Sufka's writing is clear and concise and the steps are common-sense but important. Although part of me feels that a book like this shouldn't be necessary -- why haven't college students learned these study skills in high school? what is wrong with our educational system? -- since the book obviously IS necessary, Sufka was a great person to do it.

Not only that, but he backs up his steps with SCIENCE. Yes, he has done and is continuing to do research on the effectiveness his steps and the book. Who could ask for more?

[Josh Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, the author list some really simple strategies to getting better grades. There are stores at the beginning of each chapter, and though I didn't read them all I was more drawn in by the end. Not only does the author list the strategies, but he also helps the reader understand why each are important. We all know that going to class, taking good notes, being prepared, and studying well are important, but a lot of us don't know how to do those things well or we don't do them.
This book is a simple, quick read, and can even be skimmed well in around half an hour. I'd recommend it to any college student.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very concrete, practical, researched tips to succeed in learning, especially at the college level. I did fine in my undergraduate work; in fact I graduated with honors. I also went on to earn my PhD. It would have been REALLY nice to have known these tips before I started, however. I am going to share a copy with my college freshman step-daughter and my college bound high-schooler. The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that it didn't fully explain HOW to do a concept map but I am sure I can research that and provide some supplementary materials with the book.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, practical book full of good tips for students. Although professors often say exactly these things in class, maybe students need to see it in print, written by a stranger, also. Nothing here is surprising: go to class, take notes, think about your learning, use the professor's office hours, ask questions, but the tips are presented with interesting anecdotes and some encouragement that you can succeed!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short. Simple. Straight to the point. This is a great way for students to re-evaluate how to improve on their grades. Good students won't necessarily need some of these tips in the book but that serve as good reminders or reinforcement of knowledge already known.

[Giza Daemon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and to the point. Most of it is stuff you should already know, but it helps to read it again, especially when demonstrated using stories with actual people.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

They gave us this book at my brother's orientation and I'm bored on the ride home. Pretty good tips but not a whole lot that I didn't already know, it was still nice to have a reminder though.