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Workshop: How to Prepare for Exams. Overview. 1.)Before the Exam 2.)During the Exam 3.)Types of Exams 4.)Exam Anxiety. Before the Exam. 1.)Select Information It is impossible to remember everything so the first task is to select what is important.
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Overview • 1.)Before the Exam • 2.)During the Exam • 3.)Types of Exams • 4.)Exam Anxiety
Before the Exam • 1.)Select Information • It is impossible to remember everything so the first task is to select what is important. • Look over lecture notes, textbooks, labs, the course outline given to you at the beginning of the year, and your exam review. • Gather any notes, articles, and material, that you may have missed.
Before the Exam • 2.)Organize • Organize the material you have selected • Cluster the information into categories • Reduce your notes to key words • Make lists of important facts • Make charts, diagrams of important facts • If you have trouble organizing and understanding the material see your teacher for help. Before you see your teacher make sure that you are prepared so that they can see that you have made an effort.
Before the Exam • 3.)Review • Start your review early. • Short-term memory only holds information for a brief period of time. If information is not transferred to long term memory, information will be lost. • Recite information, this will help you remember it. • Give yourself practice tests
Before the Exam • 4.)Memory Strategies • Use key words: • Group all of the information you need to remember and label it clearly. Write down the key words that will help to trigger your memory. During your review look over the key words to see how much information you have retained. • Recite: • Try to explain the information in your own words. This tests your understanding.
Before the ExamMemory Strategies Continued; • Make a mental picture: • Make a mental picture in your mind this may give you a cue for remembering. • Mnemonics: A mnemonic device associates something you want to learn with something else. • Acronyms- These are new words that are created by taking the first letter of each item you want to remember. For example, ROY G. BIV is an acronym that helps people remember the colors in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). • Rhymes- These are catchy sayings that help you remember information.
What not to do Before the Exam • Do not skip the last few classes before the exam because your teacher may give clues about the exam. • Do not procrastinate. • Do not stay up all night. • Do not eat too much junk food. Too much coffee may actually lead to confusion. • Do not try to study 24 hours a day because you will get burnt out. • Do not mix up when the exam is held.
During the Exam • 1. Arrive on time: • If you arrive late you may get panicked and lose some valuable time. Arriving on time gives you some time to relax before the exam. 2. Scan over the whole test • If you know what is ahead of you, you can pace yourself. Pace yourself according to the value of the question. For example, if a question is worth 10% it should take approximately 10% of your time. Do not waste time on questions that are not worth a lot.
During the Exam • 3. Read the directions: • Read the directions at least twice so you understand what you are being asked to do. You do not want to lose value just because you misread the question. • 4. Write down what you may forget • It is okay to write down formulas, lists, or anything else you may forget. As a safety measure make sure you write these on the exam itself so you aren’t accused of cheating.
During the Exam • 5. Answer the easiest questions first • Answering the questions you know gives you confidence and time to relax. If this requires you to skip around the exam make sure that you number the questions clearly so you don’t lose any value.
Types of Exams • Types of Exams • 1.)Objective Exams • 2.)Open Book • 3.)Problem Solving Exams • 4.)Essay Exams
Types of Exams • 1.)Objective Exams: • multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions • True/false questions should be read very carefully. Watch out for absolute qualifiers such as always and never because they may indicate that a statement is false. • When doing matching questions cross off the ones you know first.
Types of Exams • 2.)Open Book • These exams test your ability to apply information. They are often the most difficult types of exams. Before an open book exam, organize as much as possible ahead of time. • Highlight important information • Create a table of contents so you can find the information quickly, and summarize important facts.
Types of Exams • Problem Solving Exams • Write down formulas and procedures you may forget as soon as you get the exam. Show all of your work because you may get value for correct procedures even if you get the answers wrong.
Types of Exams • Essay Exams: • Read the question carefully. Make sure that you know exactly what the question is asking. • Make an outline before you begin to write. • Pace yourself so that you have time to spend on all of the questions. • Write as neatly as possible. • Get to the point. • Put your answer at the beginning.
Exam Anxiety • If exam anxiety is a serious problem for you it is recommend that you see the guidance counselor for help. • A certain amount of anxiety during exams is normal and can actually help you by making you more alert. Stress can pump you up and rise your attention level. Too much stress, however, can make it harder to concentrate. Students perform at optimum levels when stress is moderate. Many students can control their anxiety with a few simple techniques.
Exam Anxiety 1. Thought stopping • Shift your attention and concentration back to the task on hand by mentally yelling "Stop" and moving those worrying thoughts into the background. 2. Breathe • Simple deep breathing is another way to combat anxiety. Relax and concentrate on your breath flowing in and out. Five deep breaths can actually calm you down and no one will even know that you are doing this.
Exam Anxiety! 3. Think positive • Instead of being hard on yourself if you don’t know the right answer give yourself some encouragement. Thinking negatively won’t make the answer come to you, but it may make you more anxious. 4. Tense and relax • If you notice your muscles are tensing up, try tightening them and then relaxing them.
Your Own Study Kit! • Pencil • Tabs • Sharpener • Highlighter • Eraser • Post-its
Credit • http://www.msvu.ca/student.affairs/Study Skills/index.asp
Good Luck and Happy Studying!!