Group Study
- Study with friends and classmates to help reinforce ideas.
- Divide topics up among the members and then have each member lead a group review for the topic they were assigned.
- Exchange practice exams and take turns asking each other questions
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- Ask for and attend review sessions scheduled by the professor or teaching assistant. Here is the place to clarify any remaining questions. Meet with your group afterwards to go over the review session.
- Create Mind-maps as a group project. This helps define the major components and will help trigger your memory when taking the exam.
Mind Mapping & Preparation
Mapping is a technique for creating a visual presentation of material that you wish to remember. There is no right or wrong way for drawing the map. You might want to use circles to represent main topics and lines or boxes to represent connecting concepts. Try it for summaries as a first step.
Preparation is key to lessening exam anxiety. Here are some tips for effective preparation.
- Find out about the examination before you take it. Ask your professor how the exam will be structured. How will points be allocated? What types of questions will be included? Will the exam be comprehensive or cumulative? How long will it last and how will it be graded? Once you have this information you can focus on your study time.
- Establish a Study Schedule. On your schedule include length of each session, material to be covered and the study techniques you will use. Prepare study sheets for the topics you will concentrate on.
- Create your own practice exams and test yourself. This exercise is one of the best techniques for reviewing the material and getting into the routine of taking a test.
- Maintain good eating and sleeping schedules. Skipping meals and sleep in order to cram for your exams may make you feel heroic, but it certainly won’t improve your grades. Use meal times as a scheduled break from studying and as a time to socialize with your friends.
Use Daylight Hours
Research shows that each hour used for study during the day is equal to one and a half-hours of study at night.
TAKING THE TEST
It’s just as important to schedule your time during the exam as it is when you are preparing for it. Arrive early so that you can get a good seat and relax. When you get to the exam, take a few minutes to write key phrases on the back. Look through the exam and see how the points are distributed. If 25% of the points are in one section, plan to spent 15 minutes on that section for a one-hour test. Then look for clue words in the questions and answers. Underline key words. Get on a roll; begin with the easiest questions first.
SSUI Student SUccess Initiative 443-1095
TSC The Tutoring & Study Center 443-2005
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