“To students who want to do it all and refuse to accept that they should settle for anything less. This book is for you. It will show you how you can,” reads the dedication page of Emily Erickson’s most recent book, “The Art of the A: A Guide to Earning Straight A’s In Middle and High School Without Sacrificing Your Social Life, Sleep Schedule or Sanity.”
Erickson published the book as a freshman at the University of Utah. She knows about taking advantage of all school has to offer: She graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and class rank 1 of 563, and successfully completed 14 AP classes, among many other accomplishments. Most impressive of all, she managed to do all this without sacrificing her sleep or social life.
According to Erickson, misconceptions abound regarding who can earn straight A’s and what it takes to get them. “With the right approach, almost all students are capable of earning A’s in school while still having the time and energy to engage in the activities they enjoy outside of school,” she said.
“The Art of the A” is a comprehensive guide to excelling academically, covering everything from how to complete homework quickly to reframing stress and avoiding burnout. It contains unique and unconventional strategies — such as how to leverage procrastination as a tool.
“I wanted my book to be relevant and relatable to today’s students,” Erickson said. “It’s filled with entertaining stories from my own time in school and contains real and honest advice on topics essential to academic success which frequently get overlooked.”
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2023 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs.
