Alexander Hamilton had little formal schooling.

Yet he became an intellectual heavyweight in political theory, finance, governance, and law.

Here are 3 study habits that helped him rise, autodidact-mode:

1. Read While Everyone Else is Distracted

Even during the Revolutionary War, Hamilton found time to read.

While others relaxed, he was studying economic and political treatises like The Universal Dictionary of Trade and Commerce.

2. Memorize Important Facts

If you were to look inside Hamilton’s journals, you’d find notes on:

• Infant-mortality rates

• Latin quotations

• Exports to Ireland

• Economic facts and figures

• Philosophical passages

He was building an arsenal of facts, which he would later use as persuasive ammo for his many essays and debates.

3. Build Your Intellectual Community

At King's College, Hamilton created his own Dead Poet's Society—a weekly club for debating and public speaking with 4-5 friends.

You don't need college for this.

Find a reading group, a curious friend at a bar, or create your own circle of autodidacts.

In sum, these study habits turned a scrappy self-starter into a founding father who ghostwrote for George Washington, helped ratify the constitution, and invented the American financial system.

If that doesn’t inspire you to pick up a book I’m not sure what will!