When I was a senior in high school taking AP Calculus, I grasped the material so quickly and easily that I soon became bored, so I boosted the challenge by doing my assignments creatively. Not only would I often solve problems using methods that weren’t taught in class, but I’d frequently do my homework on unusual media. For example, I’d do my homework in crayon or colored pencil, on a single 2″ x 2″ (5cm x 5cm) piece of paper, or on the back of a cereal box cover. Every week I challenged myself to come up with a creative new way to do my assignments. Fortunately, I had an amazing teacher who was willing to tolerate my obnoxiousness.

-- Steve Pavlina

Why didn't I think of that?