How to Become a Straight A Student / Cal Newport
Part Two Quizzes and Exams
Most students incorrectly believe rote review is the only way to study. There are many, many different ways to study and rote review is not one of the better ones. Better technique trumps more effort.
If the test is worth less than 15% of your final grade it’s a quiz, otherwise it’s an exam (tests worth 5% or less are tiny quizzes). Quizzes are check-ups, not comprehensive evaluations, treat them as such.
STEP ONE: TAKE SMART NOTES
Bring a laptop to class, have one folder for each class, and save and date all outlines, assignments and reading excerpts.
Identify the big ideas. Exams in non-technical courses (non technical course: anything outside of math, science, economics, and engineering) focus entirely on big ideas. They require you to explain them, contrast them, re-evaluate them in the light of new evidence. Be aware of and understand all the big ideas.
If your notes don’t already clarify the big ideas then you’re forced to figure them out from scratch while reviewing.
Format notes aggressively, do anything that makes the information easier to read, develop your own shorthand etc.
Structure the big ideas, don’t record lectures verbatim. Lecturers offer up questions and walk you through evidence to an interesting conclusion.
Take notes with this structure. All information should be associated with a well labelled question. Each question should be paired with a well labelled conclusion.
Read over notes right after class.
When students lead the discussion: clearly label the topic, jot down insightful thoughts.
Have your assigned readings with you.
STEP TWO: DEMOTE YOUR ASSIGNMNETS
Work constantly in small chunks
Differentiate what you need to read, what to skim and what to skip. Readings that make an argument> that describe an event or person> that only provide context.
Don’t work alone on problem sets and think of solutions on the go
Write solutions formally the first time you write them down
Take notes on major reading assignments
STEP THREE: MARSHAL YOUR RESOURCES
You must first define the scope of the exam/what information the professor wants you to know: which lectures/readings are fair game, what types of questions will there be and how many of each, will the exam be open book, and how much time will be available.
Lectures and readings: print out the corresponding notes and separate them into labelled general topics. Your final study guide will contain chapters of reading and lecture notes for each general topics.
Start a pile for each problem set that covers material that might appear on the exam. Then supplement each problem set with sample problems from the lecture notes and do the following for each relevant lecture. Match the lecture to the problem set that covers the same material, copy sample problems from these lecture notes onto blank sheets of paper, label the paper with the date of the lecture (in order to figure out where the problems came from and where the answers can be found), fasten together.
For every major topic covered in a particular mega-problem set jot down a question that asks you to explain the basics of the topic.
Don’t organise and study on the same day
STEP FOUR: CONQUER THE MATERIAL
Review material and then try to explain it unaided in your own words. If you can close your eyes and articulate an argument from scratch, or stare at a blank sheet of paper and reproduce a solution without mistake then it’s not going anywhere.
Passively reviewing a concept is not the same as actively producing it.
Construct a practice quiz for each chapter in your study guide, all your notes should be in a question, evidence, conclusion format. (so the quiz is formed by all the questions in the chapter)
If you can answer all the questions then you understand all the big ideas.
For each question try to articulate the matching conclusion and provide highlights from the supporting evidence.
Say the answers out loud in complete sentences.
Put check marks on your quizzes next to any questions you had trouble answering, glance through your study guide, take a break then repeat step one, but only answer questions with check marks. Rinse and repeat until all questions are correctly answered.
If you can’t explain exactly how you got from the question to the answer then you don’t understand the problem. If you’re just regurgitation memorized solutions you aren’t prepared.
STEP FIVE: INVEST IN ‘ACADEMIC DISASTER INSURANCE’
Academic disaster insurance: protection against the unexpected return of those obscure topics that slip by. In reality this insurance policy is nothing more than a simple strategy, eliminate your question marks.
Put a question mark in your notes for any topic that flies by without you really understanding the conclusion.
Eliminate the question mark topics well before the exam. Learning a large quantity of material from scratch during the review process is a mistake.
Knock off question marks as soon as they arrive.
Ask questions during class, develop a habit of talking to your professor briefly after class. Immediately correct your notes when you get clarification. Ask classmates, come prepared to exam review sessions with questions.
The goal is to eliminate question marks without adding ay study time. Your last ditch attempt is to skim
STEP SIX: PROVIDE A+ ANSWERS
Read through the entire exam first, read the prompts carefully, skim through multiple choice and get a feel for which topics are covered. The review familiarizes you with the length and difficulty of what lies ahead.
Lay down very strict time limits for each question. Take the time allotted and subtract ten minutes then divide this amount by the number of questions. The result is how long you have to spend on each prompt.
Mark on the test pages the time you should begin and finish each one. Or divide the exam into equal fourths and write down when you should start and end each section
Answer the easiest questions first
Outline essays, isolate three or four mini questions from a single essay question, outline these and then outline on paper the way you’ll use what you know to answer the mini questions.
If you have time go back and check your work.
General explanation questions are crucial to ensure you know he technique behind the problems
A study system is only as useful as your ability to adapt it to your unique situation.
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