Rating: 
Summary: Very valuable book!
Review: I have never writen a review for a book before but this is by far the most useful book I have read on how to study and I feel I really need to express it's usefulness. This book has completely changed the way I study. I have cut the amount of time I study at least by half and am now getting all A's. I didn't think that would ever be possible but the basic 12 steps that the author walks you through really do work! The author studied habits of "smart students" and organized them in a useful and easy to understand way. There are step-by-step instructions of what to do to study more effectively, take better notes from books as well as in class and how to study for different subjects. This book is well worth the money and is easy to use. I went through the book in about a week and it was time very well spent.
Rating:
Summary: What Smart Students Know by Adam Robinson
Review: I have received this book on March 2004 from my father. When I got it, I started to read the book through the school year. I found out many helpful hints and strategies that I can use in school to excell more. I really thank Adam for this book,
Rating: 
Summary: Very good for high school students
Review: I just finished a first reading of this book. Of course, I know I wouldn't benefit without putting the principles into practice, but the principles themselves are very good. Education is not fundamentally about grades, but about good learning that will be later useful, and this book drives home that point but insists on maximizing your grades in the process. I liked this book very much and look forward to putting its principles into practice. Adam Robinson has done a very good job with this book.
Rating:
Summary: the best
Review: I read books upon books upon books on how to improve my studying. I'm a Network Administrator so I read as much if not more than a Medical Doctor (I know, I've argued with my family practioniar). This is simply the best book I've ever read on the subject. I've read serveral books that are no where descriptive or indepth as this one. It is the complete solution, other books only focus on one skill where this book cover them all.
One thing I like to do that the book has left out is teach the table of contents. After I finish a book (usually a computer book) I go the table of contents and lecture to myself on each chapter and each important topic. It sound funny and you look stupid doing it, but if you can describe the what the chapter and topics are about than you know the book and subject. Some people like to do the index but that is a little extreme if taken to seriously. Yes it is time consuming but so is rereading. If you teach the table of contents, you'll not only know enough to pass the test, but you'll have the all important understanding of it (if you can explain it differently than the text book that is). And if you can't teach the table of contents than you know what you need to review. Of course this is just a tool to add to the tool chest he gives you. But i've found it highly effective. I'm probably the only person I know who isn't confused by the a computer registry :)
Rating:
Summary: getting better grades
Review: I read this book and used its ideas in teaching learning strategies to students. What surprised me was that students with low grades would jump up to top grades. That means that many children do not meet their potential and need a book like this to prove that they are not dumb just not taught well.
Jason Alster
Author BEING IN CONTROL- Natural Techniques for Increasing Your Potential and Creativity for Success in School
Rating:
Summary: Key to success
Review: I received this book when I left for college. Even though I was already successful in high school, I found that this book provided me with new options for streamlining my study habits. It gave straight-forward advice in a very witty format. The book was easy to read and to use as a quick reference. Robinson also includes very helpful visual examples for the struggling student.While this book was useful to me, Robinson's suggestions may not work for everyone. But it is well worth a try.
Rating:
Summary: Playing the Game Smart
Review: I teach at a University and recommend this book as a smart guide to college success. If you like this book, you'll love "Major in Success", by Patrick Combs. It changes lives.
Rating:
Summary: A note from a teacher
Review: I teach college in Louisiana. Last semester, I used this book in a Developmental class called "Critical Thinking," a required course for Freshmen with low SAT/ACT scores. I worked from Mr. Robinson's premise that these students weren't dumber than their high-scoring counterparts, but rather that ingrained habits and attitudes were holding them back. Of the 27 students in the class, 15 or so were really receptive to the material (some of the 12 who hated it simply weren't interested in changing their study/learning habits, and planned on just "getting by"). Of the students who actually implemented these ideas, four have already stopped by my office to thank me for changing their academic lives. Of course, I merely smile modestly, and say "don't mention it." Thanks for making me look good, Mr. Robinson!
Rating:
Summary: Good framework for effective learning
Review: I thought this book was great because it tells you specifically how to go about studying. It isn't some stupid rant that tells you to do your assingments on time and suck up to the teacher. This book gives it to you straight and describes how learning should be done: how you should go about reading; how you should go about note-taking; how you approach assingments...etc. I have always been really successful in the classroom but I found myself burning out and starting to not care anymore, plus, being a college student, I do want to have a good time too. This book has helped me out a lot. I have re-structured how I go about completing assingments and I have found the materical more interesting and more satisfying to learn. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn.
Rating:
Summary: This book SAVES time, it is NOT more time consuming!
Review: I was honestly very excited when I initially read this book. Then I proceeded to apply the 12 questions to the actual book so that I could learn it thoroughly. As with other study techniques I have tried from other books I found that this one is just too time consuming. I also have tried to apply it all of this past semester and I have had time to implement only about 20 or 30% of it. It's just not simple and concise enough to be effective.
Mr. Robinson's views on the education system are dead on, and I totally agree with him and then some. I am more extreme than him in that I believe that not only are textbooks and classes boring and not very applicable to real life, but that texts are, in fact, among the most poorly written non-fiction books in existence and totally useless with regards to actually learning a subject so that it may be applied effectively; I also believe that most if not all classes in high school and college are completely useless to the point that the whole system is just unredeemable. Oh, by the way, I am a junior at Tulane University. This is coming from someone attending one of the best colleges in the country.
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