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Blog Entry: #96

How To Easily Do Better On Tests, Quizzes,
Mid-Terms, and Finals!
by Joe DePalma

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** Most Important Fact To Remember **

Professors don't have time for all the students who need help.
However, they have plenty of time for the students who WANT help.

You have to want to help yourself because your professors are not
going to chase you down and beg to help you.

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When it comes time to take a test, preparation is key. Think of test-taking like dating; when you go into it without a game plan you are not going to be very successful. When you are going on a date, it is always a good idea to get mentally prepared beforehand to get the best results.. The same holds true for a test. Instead of picking out clothes, fixing your hair, and making sure you smell nice, getting ready for a test includes studying, having a clear mind, and focusing.

Contrary to what your professors say, there is no perfect way to study. Whichever study method works best for you is the one you should use. If copying notes onto index cards and quizzing yourself works for you, do it. If simply reading the same material over and over again works for you, then do that. Every student has a different way of retaining information; you just have to know which method works best for you.

A great universal way to study effectively is to form a small study group. Forming a study group is a lot easier than it seems. Almost every student would rather study with classmates than do it alone. At the end of your next class, simply talk to the people who sit next to you and say, “Ya know, we should get a group going so we can figure this stuff out together.”

Study groups rock! They give students a way to socialize and study at the same time. Study groups provide multiple viewpoints on the subject matter, which allows students to experience the material from different positions. Most importantly, study groups offer opportunities to begin relationships outside of class with individuals you would like to get to know better. It is not uncommon for a romantic relationship to find its start in a study group.

No matter how effective your personal study habits and your study groups are, make sure that you give yourself at least a“Two-Hour Warning” before a test to look over the information on your own (this is two additional hours on top of all of the studying you would normally do). The best thing to do is spilt the two hours in half by studying for the full hour before you go to sleep the night before the test and then save the other hour to review the material just before the test begins. This way, the information is fresh in your mind and easier to recall.

Dating and test-taking are truly more similar than most students believe. In both cases, when you rush in fast and act really nervous, you will never do as well as when you just play it cool.

3 Rules To Keep Your Cool During A Test -
How To Easily Do Better On Tests, Quizzes, Mid-Terms, and Finals!

1) Be sure to get enough sleep and always eat something before the test so your brain will be alert. (Use caffeine in desperate situations.)

2) When the test is handed out, take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and stretch out your body to get the blood and oxygen moving throughout your body.

3) Answer the first question first and fully. Then proceed to the next one and so on.

Finally, when taking a test, forget about any S.A.T strategies that instruct you to leave a question blank or to read ahead and answer the easy questions first. Reading ahead and searching for easy questions will only result in your discovery of one or two ridiculously difficult questions that will consume your focus for the remainder of the test. Just like on a date, take your tests slowly and steady by going through the proper progression. Never start a test or begin a date by running your hands and eyes all over the front, middle, and back of the subject. Be cool and steady to avoid being slapped with a bad grade.

* How To Easily Do Better On Tests, Quizzes, Mid-Terms, and Finals *
ACTION STEPS

*** Last Resort Tips Before Your Next Test:

No matter which study methods you like the most, these Last Resort Tips will help you do much better on your next test!

•  Study at least the night before using repetition and concentrating on the chapter topics and bold material. Also, look at the end of the chapters for summaries. Study them carefully.

•  As you study on the day of the test, dedicate a half-hour to just read the chapters' main terms and definitions over and over again. (If you can, make a song or rhythm out of the terms and definitions.)

•  Study as you walk to class. This will help make the information easier to recall.

•  Keep reading your notes until the professor passes out the test.

•  Do not worry if you are one of the last students to finish the test. You won't get a better grade for finishing early. In fact, handing in your test with a lot of time left shows your professor that you had time to check your answers but didn't care enough to do so. (This works against you.)

Finally, if you do poorly on the test, it is not the end of the world. Just make sure to find out about any extra credit work you can do and if there is a retest you can take to improve your grade. Bad grades happen, but not trying to make up for them is unacceptable!

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