Survival Guide for Finals Week

Final's week is this week at our granddaughter's university and next week at mine.  Of course the main way to prepare for finals is to have been studying and preparing all along.  But there are a few more things to keep in mind:

• Know when and where the final will be held.  (At my university it will be on one of the regular meeting days and in the same classroom but at a slightly different time.  Some schools have block finals where the final is in a different building, time, etc.)
• If the exam is in a different location, find it a few days before the exam so you know exactly where you are going.  You might even consider taking some time and reviewing the information in that location.  (It is easier to recall information in the same location where you learned it!)
• Be sure to maintain proper sleep and nutrition.  You will do better if you feel better!  (What ever you do, do not pull an all-nighter before an exam. You will not recover before the week is over!)
• On that same thought, get up in time to shower, scrub your teeth and eat breakfast before a big exam.
• Before you go to sleep at night review important information you need to know for the next day's exam.  Then go right to sleep - do not turn on your computer or television!
• If you have several exams in a row, make quick review cards to go over as you travel from one exam to another.  That will start to get your brain into the next material.
• Finally, don't get caught up in other students' anxiety.  They are just releasing theirs and giving it to you!

If you missed it, go back and review my previous blog about test-taking strategies.  Good luck!
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Test-taking Strategies

Nothing can take the place of studying, but there are some strategies you can use to be a better test taker:

 

#1 - Watch your time!   It is surprising how many people just start the test and don't plan or monitor their time!  It is obvious - if you have an hour and four essay questions, each should take about 15 minutes.   If some classrooms don't have a clock and you don't usually wear a watch, invest in an inexpensive one to wear just for exams.

 #2 - Look over the whole test before you start.  This will help with #1 and get you mind active.

 #3 - Don't worry if people are done before you.  My experience has been that those done early often do not do as well as those who use all of the time available.

 #4 - Splash-down.  If there is particular information you are having trouble remembering, jot it in the margin of the exam as soon as you get it.  Then you can quit thinking about it and focus on the questions.

 #5 - Do the ones you know first.  This will help you access that knowledge in your memory and start to bring it to the front.

 

Here are some ideas for specific types of exams:
Multiple Choice -

• Use process of elimination to reduce your number of choices.
• Read the question carefully.  Be sure you are answering the question asked. 
• If you are unsure of an answer, see if a later prompt or answers might give you a clue to the earlier question.
• If it is a paper and pencil scantron, be sure you are on the correct number.
• Watch out for words like NOT and EXCEPT.  Read those questions carefully.

 True/False -

• If you are not sure, most statements with ultimate words like "always" or "never" are false and middle-of-the-road words like "often" and "usually" are true.

 Essay -

• If there are multiple parts to the question, answer each in turn.  Do not try to write a global answer unless you are very proficient in the subject.
• Take a minute to sketch out a brief outline.  This will prevent you from writing yourself into a corner and not answering the question.
• Think of the reader (in this case your professor).   Write so they can clearly follow your thoughts.  Don't worry that he or she knows all of the information.  You job is to demonstrate how well you know it!

 

Most colleges and universities are approaching finals week.  The next post will address surviving the week with minimal stress.  (Of course the best plan is to study ahead!)
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com. Click on the upper right link.

How to Prepare for a Major Exam

Here is the "trick question" I always ask my classes: When should you start to study for an exam?   The answer is - as soon as you receive the information!  Your learning is a continuous process.  You need to review and learn the material you receive after each class, do not wait until a week or so before an exam to start to study.  Certainly do not wait until the night before an exam!  Besides this, here are some more strategies:

 

What you need to know:

• Find out the type of exam (essay, multiple choice, etc.)
• What information will be on the exam?  If it is a final exam, does it cover the entire semester or the last unit?
• Where and when will the exam be given if different from the regular class time?
• Do you have all of the material?  If you were sick, are you missing any class notes or handouts?

 

How to prepare:

• Look at the information as a whole.  Divide it into logical sections.
• Consider making a large review chart covering all of the main topics.
• About one week before the exam, on the first day study the first section again in depth.  The second day study the second section in depth and review the first.  The third day study the third section in depth and review the first and second.  (I am sure you get the idea here - continue on until you have completed all sections.)
• The day before do a general review of all material.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast!

 

Some other strategies:

• Predict exam questions and answers.
• If the professor has given you essay or short answer prompts, write out the answers!  Don't just "think about them!"
• Form a study group and either teach the information to each other or quiz each other.
• Review information you are struggling with right before you go to sleep the night before the exam.  (This helps consolidate the information in your long-term memory.)

 

Why do we have to have exams?
Besides testing how much you  have learned, the professor's other objective is to motivate you to review all of the material covered in the class before moving on to new material.  Your purpose is also to take some time to review and solidify what you have learned and then to demonstrate this mastery of the material.  Looking at an exam from this perspective (as opposed to just torture) changes how you think about studying.

 

The next post will be about strategies to use when taking the test.
*****
First Semester Strategies: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

 

 

Memory and Learning Strategies Part 2 of 2

Here are four more important factors for successful learning:

1. Distributed Practice - Successful learning requires varied repetition spaced out over time. Here are two ways to incorporate this into your studying:
1. Review difficult information 15 - 20 minutes a day almost every day of the week.  This is above and beyond your regular studying!
2. Plan to study for exams over an extended period leading up to the exam.  Start about one week in advance.  (See my next blog about specifics regarding studying for exams and when the learning actually starts!)
2. Organization - It is important to see how the information you are learning is organized.  You cannot learn a large jumble of unrelated information.  This is true for both lecture notes and textbook reading.  Be sure to keep the big picture in mind.
3. Association - Relate what you are learning to what you already know or to your future career.
4. Interest - It is easier to learn what you are interested in than information you do not care about.  Try to act as if you are interested and do what you would do in that situation.  My students report that sometimes they just make a decision to be more interested in their education as a whole and that makes a difference!

The next blog will address how to study for exams and the one after that test-taking strategies.  Stay strong and work hard!
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.