What the Best College Students Do, by American professor Ken Bain, describes how students can make the best of their college experience, not by trying to get good grades, but by studying deeply the topics that fascinate them. Filled with examples of students who followed their love of knowledge and went on to successful professional careers, What the Best College Students Do makes the case for deep learning, a process that provides benefits that can last a lifetime. Citing the stories of young people who pursued their curiosity rather than high test scores, the book explains how students can acquire habits of thought that will inspire them to approach higher education as an adventure rather than as a required chore. These stories also show how deep learning can lead to career success. This study guide is based on the e-book version of the title.

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the innovative work of Paul Baker, whose class Integration of Abilities taught university students how to see questions and problems in new and innovative ways. Several prominent professionals are introduced who point to their time in college—where they pursued unusual, mind-opening approaches to learning—as the cornerstone of their later success. Chapter 2 presents the idea of intrinsic motivation as key to college success. Many students study for extrinsic rewards such as grades, honors, and improved career prospects; as a result, they learn only the superficial information required to pass exams. Other students, called “deep learners,” pursue their interests and curiosity, studying somewhat eccentrically but more thoroughly; they emerge with a fuller understanding of the subjects taught, and they also do well on papers and tests.

If undergraduates don’t understand how their own minds work, they can lead themselves astray and miss opportunities. Chapter 3 explains that the mind has three parts, the “Spock brain,” the “alligator brain,” and the “pleasure brain,” which can interact in complex ways, with both good and bad results. The Spock brain does the reasoning, while the alligator brain, always on the lookout for trouble, often becomes anxious and prevents the Spock brain from exploring new ideas or calmly completing a major exam. The pleasure brain enjoys awe, excitement, humor, and a sense of fun, and it rewards the Spock brain when it boldly goes into interesting fields of study.

Failure is an ever-present threat in scholastic work, but poor test results can be highly educational, as pointed out in Chapter 4. Many students believe their intelligence is a fixed commodity, and setbacks at test time may convince them to give up. Intelligence isn’t fixed, however, and students who take setbacks as learning experiences rather than criticisms tend to grow intellectually and overcome classwork obstacles. Chapter 5 addresses complex questions that sometimes have no clear answers, especially moral issues in politics, economics, and history. These topics require careful reflection, a variety of viewpoints, and thorough discussion and debate. As students tackle these challenges, they learn to ascend a ladder of thought whose lower rungs contain simple rules of thumb, while the higher ones involve increasing amounts of subtlety, intricate reasoning, and evidence-based decision making.

Self-esteem is vital to intellectual achievement, but it can collapse under pressure or degrade into narcissism. Chapter 6 describes how successful students avoid nagging doubt with self-compassion, reminding themselves that setbacks aren’t the end of the world and that adversity can be overcome and even turned into a platform for future success. Chapter 7 showcases several people who followed their interests, studied widely, then later concentrated on one or two areas where they believed they could make a difference. Their stories show how a broad education can form a foundation for specialization in later years.

Obstacles and failures happen to every student, and Chapter 8 asserts that students can persevere by focusing on their long-term purpose. To support that goal, the author suggests 15 ways to identify the best classes and professors and 11 ways to read materials more effectively. The chapter also presents a power system for taking lecture notes and a set of memorization techniques that can help lock in facts and data. The Epilogue warns that financial pressures at school, along with the need to find a job after graduation to pay off student loans, can tempt students to cram for tests rather than taking the time to study thoughtfully and thoroughly. The value of deep learning pays off later, at work and in life.