Page 137 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

The Pomodoro timer is your all-purpose zombie distracter. No one ever said you have to be perfect
about overcoming habits of procrastination. All you need to do is keep working to improve your
process.

What do you say to the student who procrastinates but refuses to accept his own role and
instead blames everyone and everything except himself? Or the student who flunks every test
but thinks she knows the materials better than her scores show?

If you find yourself constantly falling into situations where you think, “It’s not my fault,”
something is wrong. Ultimately, you are the captain of your fate. If you aren’t getting the grades
you’d like, you need to start making changes to steer yourself toward better shores, rather than
blaming others.

A number of students have told me over the years that they “really knew the material.” They
protest that they flunked because they don’t test well. Often, the student’s teammates tell me the
real story: The student does little to no studying. It’s sad to say that misplaced self-confidence in
one’s abilities can sometimes reach almost delusional levels. I’m convinced this is part of why
employers like to hire people who are successful in math and science. Good grades in those
disciplines are often based on objective data about a student’s ability to grapple with difficult
material.