SET-UP
DURING THE EXAM
Relax and forget about the other people.
Read directions carefully.
Look over the whole exam first so that you can "budget" your time.
Read each question twice before answering.
Cover all the points asked for (do not include points and information that is not asked for because you will not have time).
Think before you write.
Leave time to check your paper before you turn it in.
Check for spelling and grammatical errors.
Check to make sure that you answered all the questions. Check to make sure that you followed all the directions.
Get lots of sleep the night before.
Eat a good breakfast.
Bring extra pens, pencils and erasers to the exam.
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TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
Learn to say no to things that will distract you from your studies.
Don't procrastinate.
Rank study tasks in order of priority.
Make time each day for study and stick to it.
Reward yourself for working hard.
Use your best time to study...are you a morning person or a night owl?
Subdivide your studying into smaller chunks.
Use your daily planner to keep track of how much time you need to spend
each day on your studies.
Prioritize
the things that you need to do each day, each week.
Have a "to study" list and make a point of crossing out the information
that you feel confident you know with a big black marker.
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TYPES OF QUESTIONS
There are two types of questions on tests and exams. Objective questions and essay questions.
Objective questions usually try to find out if you know facts or other kinds of specific information and test more general knowledge. Usually there is one right answer to an objective question, and the answer is not your opinions.
How would you study for these types of questions?
Objective questions include:
- Multiple choice
- Matching
- Short answer
- True or False
Always read the instructions carefully and consider all the answers given before you make your choice.
Essay questions ask you to write a paragraph or series of paragraphs during the test time itself. Essay questions usually ask you to organize your ideas and understandings and to write them in an orderly way. Essay questions usually focus on ideas and understanding, not on facts. However, it is often useful to include facts in your essays when the facts help to prove your point or argument. Essay questions start with words like: Explain, Compare and Contrast, Discuss, etc.
How would you study for an essay exam questions?
- If you know that there are going to be essay questions on the exam then it is good to try and anticipate the essay question ahead of time. What information did the teacher stress in each unit? Think about how you would answer that question.
- When you first get your test, read all the directions carefully. If you have a choice of questions, read all the questions first and choose the own you can best answer.
- Plan to give a certain amount of time to each question based on how much the question is worth. Attempt the question you can answer best first.
- THINK / JOT DOWN AN OUTLINE / WRITE
THE SQR4 METHOD OF STUDYING
- Survey: Read notes, summaries, text book introductions, etc. to get an overview of the topic.
- Question: Generate some questions about the topic. Hypothesize the kind of question that the teacher might ask.
- Read: Read slowly for details as you cover all the notebook/textbook material and try to answer the questions which you have posted.
- Record: Write down key ideas generated by the questions that you have generated. Writing as you read increases retention by as much as 50%.
- Recite: Recall main ideas aloud. Hear the answers as well as read them.
- Review: Revisit key ideas and concepts several times.
TRY MNEMONICS TO MEMORIZE FACTS.
WHAT IS MNEMONICS?
What is Mnemonics?
Mnemonics is a method of memorization.
If you are required to memorize a series of words, for example, you list the words and create a sentence with words that begin with the same letters as the words that you are required to memorize. For example:
If you are required to remember the eleven members of the Canadian Painters, The Group of Seven, you would first list their names:
- MacDonald
- Lismer
- Casson
- Harris
- Jackson
- Johnston
- Varley
- Carmichael
The first letter of each word can be transformed into the following sentence:
Many Lazy Children Hate Jello Jigglers Very Cold.
When you write the sentence on the exam you have a visual clue to remind you of the original list that you were required to memorize. It works!!
Now try it for the following list of words:
- Tornado
- Lightening
- Thunder
- Cyclone
- Hurricane
- Monsoon
HOW DO YOU LEARN?
We all have different learning styles. It is important to understand how you learn in order to study effectively.
(Over your life time your learning style may change)
Visual/Image leaner: If you are a visual learner you learn more from pictures than from the written word.
You can imagine how a room will look ahead of time before it is painted or the furniture is moved around.
You notice things around you that others do not (like the pattern of fallen leaves or ripples on the water).
When you respond to someone's comment you say "I see".
To study you need to:
- Find a movie on topics that will be covered on the exam. Once you have read your novel for English watch the movie.
- Look carefully at the pictures in your textbook.
- Draw pictures in your note book that represent ideas and facts so that you can remember them by recalling the image or symbol.
- Colour code you notes.
Auditory Learner: If you are a auditory learner you need to hear information to process and retain it.
You love music.
You love to be read to.
You love to talk on the phone better than MSN.
You can do other things while watching a movie and still understand what is going on.
When you respond to someone's comment you say, "I hear you"
To study you need to:
- Read all your notes out loud so that you can hear them, that will help you retain the information.
- Once you have read your novel for English see if you can get the book on tape and listen to it.
- Have someone read your notes to you.
- If you are an auditory learner it is really important that you discuss your notes and ideas with others.
(Kinesthic) Tactile learner: If you are a tactile learner you have to physically do, touch or make something in order to understand it.
You love to feel the textures of things and when you were little your mother hated taking you to stores because you wanted to touch everything.
You like technology and art classes the best.
You need to doodle while listening to someone talk or while you are on the phone.
You understand concepts in science class the best when there is a lab activity attached to it.
Reading is not your favourite pass time.
To study you need to:
- Doodle while you are studying. The patterns that you have created while reciting a list of chemical elements, for example, may help you recall those elements when you see the patterns again.
- Make a model of an ancient city to help you remember you history lesson.
Visual/symbol learner: You are the lucky one because most of what is taught in school is geared towards your learning style. You learn from words and symbols (like letters, numbers and formulas).
You like to read.
You love MSN.
You can follow written instructions easily.
You prefer the book to the movie.
To study you need to:
- Read and summarize everything.
- Make notes and more notes.
- Read and summarize again.
- Make notes and more notes.
- Write everything down repeatedly.
STUDY SKILLS QUIZ
Multiple choice questions
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