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

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.

I will be sending out a new request for text questions to my mailing list soon. You can sign up for my mailing list at calnewport.com. You can submit audio questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/CalNewport

Please consider subscribing (which helps iTunes rankings) and leaving a review or rating (which helps new listeners decide to try the show).

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.