Every January, students face the shock of first semester grades at about the same time they see the reading lists for spring. Panic sets in. Ignore it!

Breathe and follow these directions:

HOW CAN I GET AN “A” IN GRAD SCHOOL?

For the most part, your basic intelligence isn’t what’s stopping you. If you were admitted to the school, you’re smart enough to do the work and make the grade.

So, what’s stopping you?

Why are you just scraping by when the guy or girl sitting next you is breezing along with a GPA of 3.6?

Looks effortless, doesn’t it?

Well, it pretty much is. You just need to practice a few, simple techniques.

Be there – or be square. Just sitting in class – preferably near the front – on-time and alert, gets you out of the grade cellar. Even, if you do nothing else.

Contributing one useful, critical thought each class session boosts you right up the grade scale to some form of “B”, assuming you hand in all the assignments. Even, if you sort of blow them.

This begs two questions: 1) How do you come up with something useful to contribute every time?

And, 2) What else do I have to do?

After all, I promised you an “A”.

Clean up your Communications. Most of what flows into your in-boxes is waste. Let your mental bilge pump suck it out and plug the holes.

If you check Facebook more than once a day – and spend more than 15 minutes on it when you do, you have wasted fifteen minutes of your Life that you will never, ever get back. Same thing with tweets and TMs. This is your Life; prioritize it – allocate a certain amount of time each day to staying in touch and shut it down when the ceiling is hit. As Nancy Reagan once famously said, “Just say no.”

Instead of transmitting and receiving a thousand nowhere messages a week, block out “quality time” to spend with the people you care about – and set the start and stop time parameters before you meet. You’ll have closer relationships – and lots more time.

Slice the Salami. This is a cute reminder that the way to get through anything daunting is to chop it up and digest it in chunks. This applies to studying, reading and writing.

Even if you plan your time well, it’s obvious that you cannot actually read every single word in every book you’ve been assigned for the semester. I’ve looked at the reading lists. More than half your professors assign a book a week and then they hand out articles in class. That’s four books a week to read on top of class time, commuting, your part-time job or internship and a little bit of sleep and personal hygiene.

Here’s the secret process to “reading” a book in 90-minutes:

Hint: Most of your contemporary books on policy were articles once. Google the author and subject and read the article first. [Yes – you still need the book!]

Have a scribble pad and a packet of post-it flags by your side.

Start with the Covers – what does the inside flap tell you the book is about? On the back flap, who is the author? Google him or her. With luck, Wikipedia has a summary that tells you what s/he’s all about.

What about the back cover blurbs? Are there authors you know offering recommendations? What does that tell you? Jot it down. You may have a good question for class based only on what you’ve read so far.

Scan the Table of Contents. What is the book's structure? In modern writing, books are structured as inverted pyramids with the thesis statement first; supporting arguments in order of importance; a separate section for refuting arguments; and a conclusion. You should be able to quickly determine the arguments.

Check out the Index. Note any words or phrases with large chunks of content. These will be the critical examples that support the arguments. Jot them down.

Read the First Chapter. Find the thesis statement. Very often, all the arguments will be summarized here. Jot them down. What is the tone of the book? Who do you think the book is trying to influence? Why? Another possible question to ask in class.

Scan the Last Chapter. The conclusions should be obvious and the thesis restated. Does the author suggest a Call to Action? What do you think of that?

Skim the Book. Read the first paragraph or two of every chapter and then skim it, looking for examples. When you reach one mentioned in class or on the syllabus, flag it. When you reach one you find compelling, flag it. Remember to write on your flags for you can find them again.
On the Refutation. Every good modern author knows it is essential to build your case by destroying your opponent’s. Read the opposing argument carefully and really think about whether the author makes his/her case.

Read Reviews. After you think you have a handle on the book, read the reviews. Most will summarize the book – it’s a great way to ensure you understand all the most salient points. Remember that every reviewer has a point of view that is unlikely to coincide (exactly) with that of your author. Don’t believe everything you read in a review, but consider it in light of what you now know.

Flock together. If you can do it, meet with a small study group before class to discuss the readings and assignments. Establish a structure and stick to it. A study group is best if it is fewer than 5 people to keep it manageable – two is usually too small (and gossipy). Try for three or four and stay on target.

NEXT WEEK, I’ll tell you how to ace the papers.

FAST FOOD

If you’re pressed for time – and who isn’t – you’ll need all the time-cutters you can get. That said, it’s a real mistake to head to the fast food chains for dinner – everything you swallow is loaded with salt and fat and heavily processed carbs. The heck with that!

Here’s how to eat faster and healthier so you can get back to chunking through all your readings. Since you’ll have most of ingredients on hand, stopping to pick up one or two items at the grocery store takes less time than McDonalds.

Feed-a-Crowd Tri-tip
1 2-3.5 pound tri-tip roast
Garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper
An instant-read meat thermometer
1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
2. Rub seasonings all over the roast and let it rest 15-20 minutes while you keep reading your assigned books.
3. (Optional) Sear fat-side down in a non-stick (preferably cast-iron) skillet before roasting.
4. Put the roast in the oven and heat on high 15-minutes, then turn the heat to 325-degrees. Test with the thermometer at 30 minutes. When the meat reads 125-degrees (medium rare), pull it out of the oven. (Obviously, if you like it done more, keep it in).
5. Let the roast rest 15 minutes before slicing, at an angle to the grain.

Crab Cakes in a Flash – or salmon, on a budget
1 can flaked crab meat or salmon (pick out shell and bones)
1 T. mayonnaise
3 T. minced onions
1 egg
1 T. Old Bay seasoning (or use Emeril – it’s spicier)

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Mix ingredients together with your hands and, when well-mixed, form patties about the diameter of an apple and 1 – 1 ½ inch thick.
3. Place on a non-stick baking sheet and cook ten minutes.
4. Flip and cook ten minutes more.
Serve hot with lemon and a quick tossed salad.

Quick Home-made Honey Vinaigrette
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 squirt of honey from the bear
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice or balsamic (or sherry) vinegar

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and honey.
2. Whisk in the oil and add a splash of lukewarm water. Beat until it thickens – 15-20 seconds.
3. Blend in the acid – juice or vinegar.

Season packaged greens with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper and toss with the dressing. Great, quick add-ins: crumbled Feta cheese, dried currants or cranberries, toasted pine nuts, chopped hard-boiled eggs, crumbled bacon. Use your imagination.

The Absolutely Best Brownies You Can Buy
1 package Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix (canola oil + egg)
3 T. Ghirardelli cocoa or Droste’s unsweetened cocoa
1T. butter
1 package chopped pecans (optional)

4. Use butter to grease an 8” x 8” pan.
5. Follow package directions in the mix, adding in the extra cocoa and pecans (optional). Forty strokes only.
6. Cook approximately 35-minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out dry. Do not overcook.
Cool before cutting. They’re addictive!

This week, I’m not answering a question as much as responding to a gripe. It’s one I hear two or three times a week – and if you’re one of the gripers, read on:

I THINK I’D LIKE THE WORK, BUT I DON’T WANT TO DO THE JOB ALL THE REST OF MY LIFE …

This is not a problem!

The Department of Labor reports that the current crop of graduates – that’s you – can expect to have 10-14 jobs by the time they’re 38.

Only 1 in 2 employees have been in their current jobs more than 4 years. Looking ahead ten years, the ratio will be 1 in 4.

There is no more cradle-to-grave job protection in the United States. Forget about it. It no longer matters what your first – or even, your next, job is you won’t be doing it very long. What really matters is that you develop skills that will be invaluable in the next job. And then, the next.

This knowledge whacked my cerebral cortex this morning like a sharp slap to the forehead when first-year student, Nikhil Mathur, sent me an email that rocked the socks off my feet.
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY.

The video clip was developed by Sony for a private presentation at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Intended for an invitation-only executive conference comprised primarily of Wall Street analysts and high-level strategic partners, the video found itself onto YouTube. There, this 5-minute exploration of the post-information age has already garnered more than 9 million hits and a 5-star rating. The message ? We “live in exponential times” and the statistical support Sony provides for their assertion will stun you with its public policy implications.

I picked up the stats I just quoted from the clip. Another startling revelation I found was that technical information is developing so quickly that it has only a 2-year lifespan. Think of it. For undergrads getting a 4-year technical degree, half their knowledge is obsolete before they graduate.

That doesn’t apply to you. What you learn here has more to do with skills development than knowledge per se. The actual factual information you get from your coursework about countries, policies and leaders has a half-life shorter than a frog, but critical thinking skills are timeless. So, hone your ability to ask good questions and question the answers. Ponder the ethical and societal ramifications of public policy as much as the financial. Ethics is forever and societal change is slow. These are the things to carry with you into a job.

This brings me to internships and your first, apprentice-level, jobs. The pay is likely to disappoint you. Most of you will not start at more than $55,000 and some will receive far less. Fear not, most alums find that their salaries five years out are anywhere from 40 – 100% (or more) higher than the starting pay.

When you begin your career, the hiring assumption is that you don’t know much, but you’re bright and you have proven learning skills and subject interest. As much as you feel you are taking a risk by investing your time in an unpaid or low-paying job, so too does the employer perceive he is taking a risk in you. If you do well, you both prosper. If not, the risk was low on both sides. Move on!

That’s the way the thinking goes in a buyers’ job market and a decade of exponential change. You can beat the odds and make the situation work for you, but only by shifting your perspective:

1. Cast your net wide. Consider any job that looks interesting and that promises to develop critical skills you don’t yet possess.
2. Stay as long as you can in a job - as long as you’re still learning and stimulated on a daily basis. It’s a resume-builder – anything more than 90 days begins to look good. For a first job, stay two years, at least.
3. Build bridges – and never, ever burn them. Everywhere you work you’ll make friends and allies. Cultivate them. The traditional job search techniques worse less well every week. It is becoming a world of, “who you know” and “how to access your options” rather than any knowledge you possess. Remember: knowledge is transient.
4. Plan for change. From your very first weeks on the job, start looking around for projects you can take on that teach you new things. Ask for growth. After about six months, start looking around you for opportunities where you can apply the new skills. Never stop learning. Very often, the best opportunities to grow are in the same organization where you currently work or in another one in which your job brings you into daily contact.
5. Position yourself to be picked up when new positions open up. The approach you use with everyone is “I truly love my job, but I’m always open to hearing about new challenges”.
   
   TIMELESS MAC ‘N CHEESE
   Adapted from “It’s All American Food” by David Rosengarten

Since the days of our founding, Americans have swallowed their anxieties in gobs of pasta and cheese. It was on all pub menus in the colonies and gained a popular resurgence during the Great Depression. When Kraft introduced the orange facsimile in the familiar blue box, it was almost instantly popular for its convenience, but there’s nothing like the real thing. Try this – it feeds a hungry dorm room with leftovers. You’ll never go back to the box.

Serves 6 to 8

3/ 4 stick butter
3 T. dry bread crumbs
3 T. grated Parmesan
2 T. minced parsley
2 t. fresh thyme leaves
3 t. sweet paprika
1/ 4 c. flour
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. sea salt
Pinch nutmeg, to taste
2 1/ 4 c. milk
2-3 peeled garlic cloves
3/ 4 c. crème fraiche (or cream and sour cream mixed in equal parts)
1 package grated sharp cheddar, I used Kraft
1/ 2 package grated cheddar + Asiago (again, Kraft)
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked al dente, drained and rinsed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt 2 T. butter. Toss with bread crumbs, Parmesan, herbs and half the paprika. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Whisk in flour, mustard, salt, remaining paprika. Whisk until smooth and bubbling lightly. Cook until it starts to color and become fragrant. Slowly, whisk in milk. Add garlic and simmer until thick bubbles form, about ten minutes. Be careful not to let it scorch. Remove from heat and beat in crème fraiche and all but about half a cup of each cheese. Discard the garlic cloves.

4. Butter the bottom of a baking dish and dump in the cooked macaroni. Stir in half the cheese sauce, making sure each noodle is well-coated. Sprinkle with half the bread crumbs. Pour on the rest of the cheese sauce, then remain crumbs and top with reserved cheese. Dot with butter.

5. Bake about 20 minutes, until toasty brown and bubbly. Serve hot.