Learning as a Process - Part 6 of 7

The end goal of your learning process is a good grade on an exam.  (Not to mention learning what you need to know to be a success in your career!)  Up to this point we have discussed how you are learning the information and getting it into your long-term memory.  Once you are in the testing situation, here are some tips to get the information successfully on to the paper.  (Just keep in mind that there are no "magic" test-taking tips - the only "magic" comes from hard work before the exam.)

• Spashdown - if there is a specific piece of information you are worried about remembering, jot it down somewhere on the exam paper as soon as you get it. That way you can quit thinking about that information and focus on the exam.
• If you are taking an essay exam, stop and think about your answer and jot down a brief outline before starting to write.  This will focus your ideas and help you clearly answer all of the question and not go off on a tangent.
• Look at the entire test before starting.  In many cases different questions have different point values and you want to focus your time and effort on the highest valued items.
• Start with the ones you know.  Don't panic if you don't know the first question.  As you access that information in your memory you will start to remember more.
• Use questions and answers later in the test to jog your memory for answers you did not know earlier in the test.
• Manage your time.  Don't spend so much time on one part that you cannot do a good job on another part of the test.
• Monitor your self-talk.  Don't be telling yourself negative things.  Just do your best.

Again - your exam success is directly related to your preparation.  So, study!


The final blog in this series will recap and look at the learning process in an overview.
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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (of 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.