“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
—Francis of Assisi
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
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Preparing for the Test
- Know exactly what the exam will be covering. If your teacher tells you what will be on the exam, WRITE IT DOWN.
- ask your teacher what types of questions will be asked on the exam and what kind of practice you should do in order to do well on their exam
- if you’re unsure of a concept, go to their office hours and ask them or a classmate that has mastered the concept (or go on youtube or khan academy)
- ask your teacher how he/she will be grading your exam, especially if you are unfamiliar with their grading technique
- begin studying the material covered the day you know when the test will be taking place
- DON’T CRAM THE DAY BEFORE, you will be up all night and you will feel like you have been through five world wars and three holocausts when you wake up in the morning
- create a study plan by using a planner/calendar
- when you begin studying, set up a goal for each study session you have. All your goals should be SMART
s: specific
m: measurable
a: achievable
r: recorded
t: timed
-start with 15-30 minute sessions and as you get closer to the exam, extend those minutes based on how well you think you are prepared
-join some study groups! just make sure you are productive and don’t get off task
Different Methods for Studying
-rewrite your notes using your own words. Using your own words will help check whether you really know the topic and will force you to think about the concept
- flip over your notes and write down everything you know about the topic on a separate sheet of paper. Once you’re done, compare your actual notes to what you have written. Look at what you have left out and highlight it and go over it.
- use flashcards! this is a very common method and I recommend drawing images onto your notecards to help you memorize them faster
-create your own study guide. I use this method and it is very handy when you are just about to take the test and you want to quickly look over the material. Include an outline with main points and some examples on your study guide and color code it.
- Create quizzes with a friend on the material. Create your own quizzes based off the notes you have and switch your “quizzes” with your friend. That way, you and your friend can see what you need to focus on and how well you guys are actually prepared. If you don’t want to do this, then you can go online and see if there are any practice tests available online.
- If you have a whiteboard or blackboard, write everything you know on the whiteboard. Draw pictures, diagrams, formulas, examples, and basically everything you know about the topic. Whiteboards tend to give you a lot of space to write so go all out.
- Teach someone in your family, a stuffed animal or anything about the material going to be covered on the exam in layman terms. This technique really tests whether you know your material.
- Look over past exams, quizzes, or homeworks. Cover the answers up and redo them again. Your teacher will most likely put similar questions on the exam. Redo the examples your teacher has done in your class as well since it is very likely that they will be on the test too
The Day Before/Day of the Exam
-make sure you have 8+ hours of sleep the night before the exam
if that was not the case, drink coffee or energy drinks or anything that helps wake you up!
-exercise! walk around your school/campus.If you have time before the exam, take a jog or do a quick workout that will get your heart pumping.
-You can also meditate!
-Eat a filling, healthy breakfast. You don’t want your stomach to be growling and distracting you. And make sure its healthy so it will help you feel energized. I recommend making healthy smoothies. You can find a lot of smoothie recipes online.
-Arrive to class early.
-Go over notes or your study guide right before you take the actual exam.
-take deep breaths! if you’re having test anxiety, inhale for 8 seconds, hold your breath for 9 seconds, then exhale for 8. This really helps me and it gets you calm
-be confident! if you studied ahead of time and studied all the material then you should be fine.
During the Exam
-look at how many questions there are. Time yourself
-do the easy questions first to get your brain juices flowing
-try to leave time at the end of the testing period to look over your answers. double check to make sure your answers match your scantron. You don’t want to make a mistake like that
-if you’re stumped on a question, highlight or circle the main words in the answer choices and question. Cross out the answer choices you know are wrong. Then, just guess and circle one of the answers.
don’t change your answer unless you are POSITIVE that it is wrong. Your first answer that you put is usually right.
-if you are on a free response question and you are stuck, just write everything you know about the topic. I usually do this and get some partial credit
-if the exam asks you to write an essay, brainstorm and write down what you plan to write. By doing this, your essay will be more organized and easier to follow
After You Get Your Test Back
-Look over what you got wrong
-if you got something wrong, ask a friend or look over your notes to see what the right answer is
-teachers make mistakes all the time!! make sure you go over the answers to ensure your teacher didn’t mark an answer that is right, wrong
-lastly, don’t lose your exam! make sure you keep it some place safe so you can look over it again, especially if your exams are cumulative
Hope this helped some of you guys! Just make sure you manage your time wisely and always have confidence in yourselves. You can do it!
blakekathryn
romaincrisis
pixelskylines
amandla
