Exam Preparation - Try a Proven Strategy
Dear Scholar, At one time or another most of us have found ourselves cramming for an exam, waiting until the day before to begin studying. During these times it does not take long for the reality of the situation to set in and the experience to become miserable, often resulting in a poor performance on the exam. The good news is that you can try something new on your very next exam, and end up having a positive experience. The adage “treat your brain like a muscle” is excellent in establishing the right frame of mind to study for an exam. Would you work out or lift weights for ten hours straight for one day and expect it to show? I don’t think so! Shorter, incremental sessions are better for true results both with working out and studying for an exam. The Chip Away Strategy, described by Brian Robben in his Take Your Success website, www.takeyoursuccess.com, breaks down exam preparation into daily, manageable chunks of time (chipping away at the exam). This method works best by starting one week in advance of the exam, and it can actually save time because you will be more organized and efficient. Day 1: Gather all of your materials needed for the exam; do not spend more than an hour doing so. The purpose is to get started and build momentum for the rest of the week. Day 2: Transfer your information into a study guide that covers all of the concepts that could be on the exam. You will notice areas where your understanding needs improvement in addition to becoming reacquainted with the information overall. You may simply transfer your notes from a notebook to a stapled packet. Or, you may need to add or clarify notes. Working with a classmate to build a study guide offers an opportunity to review another classmate’s notes and identify information you may have missed. This may be the longest session, possibly up to three hours. Day 3: Focus on the concepts you do not understand or only vaguely remember. At this point you have narrowed down what you need help with and can seek assistance from the instructor, TA, tutor or classmate. Leverage your resources! This session may take one to two hours. Day 4, 5, 6: Take two hours each day to do a comprehensive run through of your study guide. Quiz yourself and speak your answers out loud (you get the benefit of saying it and hearing it). The next day, quiz yourself and write down your answers. If you are right, then move on. If you’re wrong, then go back until you get it right. Make sure you fully understand and grasp the concept, not just recognize it as you review your guide. Day 7: Take little or no time to study the day of the exam. If you’d like a little review look over the concepts that you were unclear about in the beginning of your preparation. Go to the exam fresh and confident. Allow your preparation to take over, you already put in the work. One more plug for studying with a classmate. Recently I met with a student who attended every class, studied over several days, self-tested, met with the professor; all the right moves. However, they must have had a daydreaming or spacey moment in class and missed one concept, costing several points on the exam. This can happen to anyone, spacey moments happen. The best way to be sure you have covered everything is to study with a classmate, reviewing each other’s notes. This is an effective way to catch things you may have missed, get out of your own head while studying with a partner, and ultimately improve your performance. For additional information on effective strategies visit these online resources: Take Your Success website www.takeyoursuccess.com and How To Study blog http://www.howtostudy.org/blog/ If you are someone who crams the night before (or worse, pulls all-nighters), I encourage you to put your old study habits on hold and try something new with the Chip Away Strategy. All my best, Dr. J.