SU alum wrote ‘Studying for Dummies’ to help you view learning differently
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In fall 2018, Syracuse University alum Miles Painter and his wife, Christy Painter, tackled a daunting task: preparing a Thanksgiving feast for friends and family.
The couple finished graduate school at American University just three years prior. Like their study sessions at American, Christy said Miles approached preparing dinner the same way: one step at a time — nothing seemed to rattle or stress him.
When Christy complimented his studying habits at the Thanksgiving dinner table, a guest suggested that Miles write a book about them. An idea that began as an off-hand comment blossomed into Miles’ first book: “Studying For Dummies.”
“(The comment) kind of stuck with me, and I was like, ‘Oh well, you know that’s kind of funny. Maybe I should,” Miles said. “I sat on it for a little bit, and then I was like, ‘All right, well let me just see if what I would have to say is different than what’s out there.’”
Miles, who graduated from SU in 2011 with a degree in geography, partnered with John Wiley & Sons Inc. to publish “Studying For Dummies” on June 16. The book features chapters based on the 38-year-old’s own study experiences — like “Setting a Study Schedule” and “Preparing to Study” — and a variety of other established study techniques.
Miles thought existing books on studying took a prescriptive approach, telling the reader how they should study and leaving them to apply the techniques on their own. So, Miles took a fresh angle.
“All of our brains work differently. We all learn in different ways, so there’s no possible way for me to tell everyone who reads the book how they should study,” Miles said. “Instead, the idea was to help people discover the best way to study for themselves.”
When showcasing “Studying For Dummies” at a farmers market near his home in Kensington, Maryland, Miles watched as one attendee flipped the book over and noticed the first three words on the back cover: “Everyone learns differently.”
“He looked at that and was like, ‘Oh, I’m glad you said that. We can’t really go about assuming we all learn the same, so I’m glad you’re starting this book from that frame of mind,’” Miles said.
Miles’ aunt-in-law and literary agent, Malaga Baldi, struggled to find a publisher for the book. But Alicia Sparrow, an associate acquisitions editor at John Wiley & Sons, acquired it in 2025 after meeting Baldi at a writers conference. The rest is history.
Baldi said family may have helped Miles get started, but he’s a true professional who collaborated well with John Wiley & Sons’ crew.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever represented a book by family, so it was great,” Baldi said. “I wish every book situation in history was like this, and now we just have to wait for the royalty checks.”
Miles said the way he wrote the book was “conducive” to the “For Dummies” series — which has helped people understand complex subjects for 35 years. Like the 1,950-plus books in the series, Miles used everyday language and practical applications to reach a broad audience — from middle schoolers doing homework to professionals preparing for a certification exam.
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While Miles’ book offers various studying methods, it still plays off some of Miles’ own study strengths — like organizing and planning — and some of his weaknesses. In high school and his early years at SU, Miles said he had a difficult time with writing.
The chapter about writing was particularly important to him because he’s seen himself and others struggle putting thoughts to paper. By reading more books and spending more time writing at SU, Miles’ writing skills improved. Now, he’s a published author.
Miles wrote the book on and off from 2021-25, all while balancing a full-time finance job at the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation. On top of his writing side project, Miles also has two kids — his son born in 2022 and his daughter in 2024.
“It was unbelievable to watch because, again, I’ve never been able to do it, but he has just this ability to sit down, problem solve and execute,” Christy said. “And I think he probably used his own techniques that he wrote about.”
Christy met Miles at a campus speaker event during their first year at American in 2013. Christy said she would study “until the wheels fell off,” but Miles followed a technique that involved taking breaks.
“I’d even tease him a little bit, ‘Oh, another break. OK, Miles,” Christy said. “But I realized that he was so efficient when we were studying together.”
Even with her burnout method — studying until she couldn’t anymore — Christy said she’d be “paralyzed” by the fact that she got nothing done compared to Miles.
One Saturday, Christy and Miles studied from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When they finally left campus and decided on what to cook for dinner, Christy asked when they’d return to studying.
“What are you talking about?” Miles said.
“We’re gonna eat for the next hour and a half, and then we’re gonna go back to work, right,” Christy asked.
“No, Christy,” Miles replied. “We just spent eight hours studying. I think we’re OK now.”
Christy said she’d never realized studying could end before the evening. Miles, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of avoiding cramming.
Admittedly, he said the writing process — sending Microsoft Word documents back and forth to John Wiley & Sons — was anticlimactic. But seeing his book at a Barnes & Noble near Georgetown, Washington, D.C., was fulfilling.
He visited two Barnes & Nobles locations because his local one sold out of “Studying For Dummies” upon its initial release. As Miles left the store, he saw his mom carrying a full bag of books — she’d bought every copy. With the back-to-school season, Miles hopes to hear from students who’ve used his book.
In the book’s dedications, Miles said he hopes his children will use his project as a guide. Miles said studying isn’t always taught to kids in school. But even if the learning environment changes over the years, he thinks a lot of practical study techniques will remain relevant.
“Something like this (book) for middle school, for high school, for college, for trade school, it’s kind of all-consuming,” Baldi said. “It celebrates the different types of eyeballs and brains we have, how we approach a particular book or study or problem.”
