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    Maximizing Virtu, Minimizing Fortuna: A Student’s Formula for Success in School
    Maximizing Virtu, Minimizing Fortuna: A Student’s Formula for Success in School
    Maximizing Virtu, Minimizing Fortuna: A Student’s Formula for Success in School
    Ebook81 pages1 hour

    Maximizing Virtu, Minimizing Fortuna: A Student’s Formula for Success in School

    By Medha Sharma

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    About this ebook

    Every school across the world has that kid. The one who has perfect grades, is president of a million clubs, plays two varsity sports, has stellar test scores, and somehow seems to be getting 10 hours a sleep a night? “This kid is superhuman,” you tell yourself. “There’s no way I could do that.” Well, think again! This book contains the formula for academic success without burning out.

    Machiavelli coined the term virtu as that which is in your control, and fortuna is what you leave up to fate. Living stress-free is easy—all you have to do is maximize what is in your control, and minimize the stakes you leave up to the cards you are dealt.

    Simple, right? Unfortunately, placing everything in your control takes time, which not many of us have. This book will help you balance your time--juggling activities and sleep while streamlining your study sessions to get the most out of them, until you too, can be that kid!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateAug 1, 2014
    ISBN9781595948533
    Maximizing Virtu, Minimizing Fortuna: A Student’s Formula for Success in School

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      Book preview

      Maximizing Virtu, Minimizing Fortuna - Medha Sharma

      Fly

      1 - Introduction

      Oreo cookie guide: deciphering generic, meaningless advice.

      Who doesn’t like to eat Oreo cookies? Go on, eat one right now! And if you don’t have any in close proximity, think back to the last time you consumed one of these succulent treats, and answer the following personality test that has been circulating the Internet.

      Choose which method best describes your favorite way of eating Oreos:

      1.  The whole thing all at once.

      2.  One bite at a time.

      3.  Slow and methodical nibbles, examining the results of each bite afterwards.

      4.  In little feverous nibbles.

      5.  Dunked in some liquid (milk, coffee...).

      6.  Twisted apart, the inside, then the cookie.

      7.  Twisted apart, the inside, and toss the cookie.

      8.  Just the cookie, not the inside.

      9.  I just like to lick them, not eat them.

      Your Personality Profile—for fun, of course.

      1.  The whole thing. This means you consume life with abandon. You are fun to be with, exciting, and carefree with some hint of recklessness.

      2.  One bite at a time. You are lucky to be one of the 5.4 billion other people who eat their Oreos this very same way. Just like them, you lack imagination, but that’s okay, not to worry, you’re normal.

      3.  Slow and Methodical. You follow the rules. You’re very tidy and orderly. You’re very meticulous in every detail with everything you do. People like you ought to stay out of the fast lane if you’re only going to go the speed limit.

      4.  Feverous Nibbles. You have a tendency to work too much and do too much. You always have a million things to do and never enough time to do them. Stop reading this and get things done already!

      5.  Dunked. Everyone likes you because you are always upbeat. But, dunking is a messy business and you can be untidy at times.

      6.  Twisted apart, the inside, and then the cookie. You have a highly curious nature. You take pleasure in breaking things apart to find out how they work, though not always able to put them back together, so you destroy all the evidence of your activities.

      7.  Twisted apart, the inside, and then toss the cookie. You take risks that pay-off. You take what you want and throw the rest away.

      8.  Just the cookie not the inside. You enjoy pain.

      9.  I just like to lick them, not eat them. Stay away from small furry animals and seek professional medical help—immediately.

      I guess I enjoy pain… Ahem. I’m sure you’re wondering why I just put you through that obviously very scientific test. Well, there are two main reasons—the first of which is to show you all that this book will contain a lot of psychological tests, statistics, and references. The best way to shape your brain into becoming the best student you can be is by showing you how the brain works. This book will do just that. But the second and main point is, no matter how you complete the task of eating the cookie, you get it done. The herculean task of becoming successful in school is the same. There is no one way to get your work done, and everyone has their own preferred methods. However, just like with the Oreo cookie, there are some ways that are faster and more efficient to getting your work done, and this book is designed to help you reach that level. The scientifically tested methods and strategies outlined here are a resource for you to revamp your methods and straighten out your priorities if you find yourself sleeping very little as a result of all your activities and dozens of homework assignments from your various classes.

      If you find yourself overwhelmed, overworked, and out of time, this book is right for you. But congratulations! In picking up this book off the shelf, you have exhibited the first step to success: being self-motivated and ambitious, desirous of becoming the best you can be. Either that or you were intrigued by the reference to Machiavelli in this book’s title, which also shows that you are curious and well-read, arguably the best qualities one can possess.

      If you have never heard of Niccolo Machiavelli, he was an Italian historian, philosopher, author, politician, and diplomat who rose to power in Florence after the overthrow of the notorious Medici family in 1498. Unfortunately, those meddling Medicis came back and when they did, Machiavelli was deprived of office, imprisoned, tortured, and eventually released. Machiavelli, his ego rankling, spent the rest of his days holed up in his Florentine estate writing The Prince, a guide for new princes on how to be a successful ruler (since he had so much success in the subject himself.)

      The book rose to infamy, inventing the now well-known phrase —The ends justify the means. Machiavelli’s ruthless guidelines for ruling have shocked readers through the ages, (yet the same methods are exhibited in today’s corporate world, strangely without any opposition.) One of Machiavelli’s major tenets is the notion of a good prince maximizing virtú and minimizing fortuna. Now where have you heard that before?

      Machiavelli defines virtú as that which you can control, while fortuna is the rest, the forces that are out of your control. His, rather brilliant, idea is that if you can maximize that which is in your control, there is little that is up to fate to decide.

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