Let me tell you a secret... studying ALL night EVERY night, will most likely not get you into the school of your dreams. It's possible, but you will more be so hyped up on caffeine and so deep into your coursework that you will have left no time to explore the world, step outside your comfort zone, or even find its boundaries for that matter.

So how is it possible for people to still do really well in school and find time to.. you know, have a life? Fill in the blank___life/sleep/relationship/Netflix/studying "hacking" has become a societal phenomenon, everyone wants to find the Holy Grail and find shortcuts to success. While there aren't any quick fixes or elixirs that can be prescribed, and you should run quickly away from anyone who purports to have one, there are a few expert "school hackers" whose advice is well worth a read or listen. Cal Newport, the author of numerous books, and now a computer science professor at Georgetown, is one such school and study methods "hacker."

Newport distills down quick and dirty tips of how he succeeded at Dartmouth, and has written a few books targeting high school and college students. The first book I read of his was How to Become a Straight A Student, which is still unsurprisingly a top-seller for him. He advises that accomplishment = study time X intensity. He highly discourages any kind of "studying" which involves passive reading in favor of the more cognitively demanding active recall. However, the impact is profound. He goes into depth of how to better strategize with your studying and get the most bang for your buck with your time.

Dig into Newport's blog or purchase one of his books to start learning how to spend your time more effectively and efficiently and get the results you want.