Ep. 25: Student Shutdown Rituals, Optimal Deep-to-Shallow Ratios, and the $20 Million Question | DEEP QUESTIONS

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions about shutdown rituals for college students, deep-to-shallow work ratios, and what I would do with $20 million (and why that's the wrong question). I also play some question roulette and give you a peak into my own efforts to live a deep life with my backstage pass segment.
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Here’s the full list of topics tackled in today’s episode along with the timestamps:
WORK QUESTIONS
* Should I learn one hard thing or multiple easy things? [5:21]
* Shutdown rituals for college students [6:39]
* An optimal deep-to-shallow work ratio [12:56]
* Getting better at writing scientific papers [15:05]
* Richard Hamming's advice to keep your door pen [16:42]
Question Roulette [25:19]
TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS
* Succeeding with blogging [28:51]
* Bullet journals [35:51]
* Getting my students to not use their phones in class [39:42]
* Working with groups that only communicate on social media [40:44]
Backstage Pass [46:08]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS
* Developing personal life philosophies/politics/ethics [50:35]
* Small versus big changes for transforming your life [56:43]
* What I would do with $20 million [1:03:00]
Thanks to listener Jay Kerstens for the intro music.