Getting As on exams is rarely due to luck. Achieving good grades takes
long-term planning, preparation, discipline and practice. Here are some
basic strategies for better test performance. Try them out!
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could predict exam questions in advance of the test? Apply these questions to your course material before the exam and YOU CAN.These questions will help you identify and organize important content, identifyimportant relationships among the topics and supporting details, predict exam content, and increase studying efficiency. They really are Smart Questions!
Most people in today’s world don’t work in isolation. Why should college
students be any different? By forming a study group, you can share
skills and resources, and thus accomplish more. Below you’ll find some
pointers to forming a study group, some activities to do with your study
group, and some tips to help your study group be productive.
Think about your current attitude toward taking exams. What do you say to yourself when you begin to feel test anxiety coming on? “Not again. I’m going to fail another test” or “I’m going to do better on this test than I did the last one. I know the material. I can do this.” This handout lists examples of positive things to say to yourself when you feel test anxiety rearing its ugly little head. Having a positive attitude can really make a difference!
When you feel test anxiety coming on, try one or two of these relaxation exercises. Relax your body and your mind will follow!
This is a brief outline and basic guideline for planning major review.
Remember that everyone uses slightly different methods when preparing
for exams. This is only a framework within which you should use
techniques that work well for you.
Sometimes when you get a test back you want to jump for joy -- other times you may want to cry. Regardless of how you feel when you get a test back, reviewing it after it's returned is a great way to improve your performance on the next test.
No one will ever tell you that cramming is a good idea. However, some time in your academic career you will probably find that you’ve put too much on your plate and cramming has become your only option. Here are some tips & suggestions that won’t help you get an A, but may help you get a few question right that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
The situations described provoke a continuum of feelings ranging
from indifference to apprehension and fear. If any of these situations
make you feel uneasy you are NOT alone. To gauge where you stand on
the continuum, on the blank next to each statement enter the number that
represents how much anxiety you feel when that happens to you.
Take-home exams can become very difficult if you attempt to cram every
detail into one evening of preparation. To avoid panic and to ensure a
respectable grade, the following steps are highly recommended.
