Study with a Purpose
- Ask yourself: What kind of test will I take? What is the best way to study for this test?
- Find out if you are responsible for details, names, description or definitions and study accordingly.
- Relate information in the text and your notes to your own experience outside of school.
- Practice actively what you will be doing on the test. Write, if the test calls for writing; supply examples, if the test calls for them.
- As you read, note unclear material. Look it up and/or ask the instructor if you have further questions.
To Remember Information
- Practice recalling. Don’t just reread the material.
- Use study cards to practice.
- Use memory devices, such as words made up from the first letters of the items you must recall.
- Review frequently for tests during the term.
- Study hardest two days before an exam. Review all information previously learned.
- The night before an exam, review leisurely.
On Exam Day
- Be well rested.
- Be confident. A positive attitude is an asset.
- Get to the exam early.
- Be cautious if you discuss the exam with others. They may confuse you.
- Choose a seat with few distractions, for example, near the front where people won’t interrupt you when they move around.
Taking the Test
- Read all of the directions; do sample questions carefully.
- Schedule your time. Allot the most time to the questions worth more points. Leave time at the end to go back and review your answers.
- Pace yourself. Work rapidly through the test, answering all the questions that come easily to you. Mark difficult topics and return to them after you have answered the easier questions.
- Read carefully for cue words; underline them.
- If you are not penalized for guessing, attempt a question instead of leaving it blank.
- Review the exam before submission.
When the Test is Returned
- Ask the instructor to go over the test.
- If you don’t understand why an item is marked wrong, ask the instructor.
- Ask yourself how you can do better.
Adapted from:
"Making it in College", by Colleen Cooper, et al., Michigan State University, 1977.