Reflection of my first year- Basic exam tips.
Real basic exam tips because I have taken a few but definitely will expand as exams come and go.
1) Learn when they are, usually in the syllabus so write down somewhere all the major exam dates, times, and locations if they’re different from class time. If you have multiple classes with the typical 4 major exams (3, professor written, and a final) they will usually be around each other so be able to brace yourself.
2) Study as you go. Yes I get it, “We just learned this, I did the hw I think I got it” may be true but it is way easier to realize what's harder for you the more you work with it. Also the more you work with it the better you understand it, maybe you’ll find something you thought you understood but then after studying find out you got lucky a couple of times on the hw.
3) Study to understand the material. I usually go to the professor for help with this as its easier to communicate where your understanding stops to another human than with a google search. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t understand” and ask them to explain it to you again in a different way.
“Explain it to me like I'm five” and “But why” were my catchphrases.
Another thing I learned to do is try and explain it back to them for reconfirmation. That way they can get a feel for your understanding and see exactly where it is you’re off track.
4) Ask what’s on the test. Obviously, not the answers but professors are way more willing to help you than you might realize. Go to office hours and ask questions to get you a general feel of the exam. If there’s something you're really not good at, ask your prof if they think it would be worth stressing over for the exam. (I asked my professor so many questions and they would usually steer me in the right direction for the type of problem and hint if it wasn’t big on the test)
5) Come prepared, you’re usually told what to/what not to bring so make sure you have those and extra. Pencils/ pens/a good eraser (took written programming final with just the eraser on the pencil end and ended up running out of eraser towards the end).
6) “Don’t have an existential crisis while taking the test”- My calc 1 Prof.
7) Look at the test.
Some people say read through the whole thing first, that’s never really worked for me but to each their own. I usually start the test and if there’s a question I don’t immediately know how to at least start, I skip it, come back to it. At least I saw the question and I find that after going through my “easier” questions and come back, I’m more in the test-taking mindset.
8) Know when to stop. That’s for studying and the actual test. By all means, do your best at studying and on the test, you should definitely be marking and coming back to the problems you don’t know. However, there is no sense in wasting the last 10 minutes of an exam on one question you don’t know how to start. Review the answers you do have, double/triple check if you can. Dumb mistakes cost you points. Study-wise there’s no use in trying to learn that stubborn maths problem 5 minutes before the test, use that time to review what you do know.
Will edit as I think of more/ realize I was horribly wrong.
If you have more to share, feel free to add! Happy to clarify anything in the post or just have a chat.
All the best,
-E