Cutting the Gordian Knot for academic success in college (or high school)

Ever hear of the Gordian Knot?  Try this:

In Greek and Roman mythology, the Gordian knot was an extremely complicated knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. Located in the city of Gordium, the knot came to symbolize an impossibly difficult problem that could not be solved.  

According to legend, Gordius was a peasant who married the fertility goddess Cybele. When Gordius became king of Phrygia, he dedicated his chariot to Zeus and fastened it to a pole with the Gordian knot. Although the knot was supposedly impossible to unravel, an oracle predicted that it would be undone by the future king of Asia.

Many individuals came to Gordium to try to undo the knot, but they all failed. Then, according to tradition, the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great visited the city in 333 B.C. After searching unsuccessfully for a while for the hidden ends of the Gordian knot, Alexander became impatient.  Then, in a sudden unexpected move gleaned from a flash of brilliance, he took out his sword and cut through the knot in a single bold stroke. Of course, Alexander then went on to conquer most of the known world, including Asia, thus fulfilling the oracle's prophecy.  

Alexander's solution to the problem led to the saying, "cutting the Gordian knot," which means solving a complicated problem through bold action or extraordinary insight.