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The
Learning Center has a three week mini-course specially made for how to
take a college-level exam. It is called, ACDV B70D ``Study Skills: Test
Taking'' and it usually begins the week before the first astronomy exam. Look in
the ``Academic Development'' course listings at the beginning of the semester's
schedule of classes. What follows are some universal tips adapted from a
publication by Glynis Boultbee and
are some of skills you will develop in the ACDV B70D class. I have
condensed and modified her publication for the students at the community college
where I teach. Contact her to get
the full article.
Students who get intensely anxious about exams usually feel that way because
they feel they have no control in the exam situation. As a result,
they'll blame the instructors, poor questions, difficult material, etc. That
negative attitude causes them to lose even more confidence and a downward spiral
begins (or continues).
There are ways for the student to take back control. The problem may be lack
of preparation (problems with time management, notetaking, studying,
etc.---skills learned in other ACDV B70 mini-courses!) or difficulty
with exam writing (an inability to read questions systematically, to budget time
appropriately, etc.---skills learned in ACDV B70D!).
Although your brain has to do the work on exams, if the rest of the body
isn't ready, student performance suffers. It is important to separate
symptoms from problems. Is poor concentration causing poor
exam preparation which is causing sleepless nights? Or are poor sleeping habits
causing concentration difficulties which are causing poor exam preparation? Once
the student has determined what the real problem is, they can get on with the
business of generating solutions and evaluating them.
- Define the problem: Reading the question stem completely and
carefully is the crucial first step. Before looking at the answers, students
must understand what the ``problem'' is (preferably by restating the question
stem in their own words). One technique is to cover the answers and then read
the question stem. Students must, therefore, consciously remove the paper
before moving on to the next step.
- Generate solutions: In multiple choice exams, the instructor
generates the solutions. The students must read each answer carefully and make
sure they understand all the choices.
- Evaluate solutions: Usually one or two choices can be eliminated
immediately. After the initial elimination, students may need to go back to
the question stem to ensure that they clearly recall the ``problem''. They can
then carefully review each of the remaining answers. If the students know
their material, this step whould be fairly straightforward: simply evaluating
the ``solutions'' carefully, and, above all, systematically.
- Make the decision: The best ``solution'' to the ``problem'' will
become clear during the evaluation step. At this point, however, many students
are tempted to throw out the systematic approach in order to try to
second-guess the instructor. If they do so, they forfeit their control over
the process and the quality of their answers plummets!
Initially,
students may worry that this systematic problem-solving approach will take too
much time. However, when they try it, they realize how much time they have
wasted in the past.
For further information, contact one of the staff at the Learning Center.
There are a lot of them available eager to help you reach your goals and improve
your success in any college course you'll take.
The
following tips are adapted from the The
Emerging Learner video series put out by the TeleLearning division of the Dallas County
Community College District. Doing well on a multiple-choice exam means
making the right moves while taking the exam. If after going through
the steps of the previous section and you find that you still do not know the
answer, it is okay to guess. You may know more than you think you know---perhaps
something in the test (e.g., previous questions) may help you figure out the
answer. Ask yourself, what in the test can help you with the test? Leaving a
question blank gives you an absolute zero chance of getting the question
correct. It is okay to change answers, but only if you have a good logical
reason to change it. Hesitate in changing your answer if you only have an
emotional reason. Let the exam help you out. You can learn a bit about the
material even as you are taking the exam. Sometimes, several questions will be
about the same topic. Looking over the answers for the questions will usually
show you which single answer is in common with the questions. When studying for
multiple choice exams, try to anticipate what questions will be asked (e.g.,
modified quiz questions). Focus on the details of the material. Some instructors
will give you a review sheet to help you out with this. Use that review
sheet---the instructor has a very good idea of what will be on the exam! In
summary, the ``testing smart'' skills you need for multiple-choice exams are:
- Make informed guesses. Look over the exam and get the context.
- Change answers if you have a good reason. Be flexible.
- Focus on details and try to predict questions.
The following tips
are adapted from the The
Emerging Learner video series put out by the TeleLearning division of the Dallas County
Community College District. If you get sweaty palms, cannot concentrate, get
nauseous, etc. while taking an exam or even thinking about taking an exam, then
you suffer from test anxiety. Some amount of nervousness about exams is
normal, but test anxiety is an extreme version of it. Do not focus on
the symptoms. There are usually two sides at work in those who suffer from test
anxiety. One part thinks you will fail and that you are not worthy. The other
part of you blames yourself for being so test anxious. It is a vicious cycle.
How can you stop the negative spiral and not get anxious about exams?
- Turn off the negative self-talk.
- Avoid the ``doom mongers''---those who say the test is hard or will be
hard. Avoid family members who will intensify your feelings of failure.
- Get some exercise in the few days before the exam. Decrease your intake of
caffeine and get enough sleep. Fatigue only intensifies anxiety.
But
does not getting nervous or anxious about the exam give you ``an edge''?
Students who believe that their anxiety will help them do better are confusing
anxiety with effort. Getting worried will not help you do well in any
situation. You will waste mental energy on being worried and thinking of all of
the negative possibilities, that you will not have the energy nor the time to
think clearly about the problem(s) at hand. Past poor exam performances have a
major effect on test anxiety. People usually relive those negative experiences.
Despite those negative past experiences, you need to divorce yourself from the
past and move forward. If you are returning to school after an extended time out
of the classroom, you have changed since you took those classes long ago. You
are not the same person you were in high school or several years ago. What if
you blank out right in the middle of an exam? Do some deep breathing or a
relaxation exercise. You will not ``waste time'' by calming yourself
down! In fact, you will be more productive and cover more material.
Unfortunately, spending more time studying for an exam does not lessen the
anxiety while {\em taking} the exam. The anxiety will always be there. Realize
that you will have it, so you can prepare for it and manage it. You need to stay
in a rational place. In summary, channel your nervousness correctly, a positive
attitude is essential, and avoid negative thoughts and people. Give yourself a
break and decide that you can do it. Be realistic---do not expect miracle cures
overnight. It will take time for you to learn how to manage your test anxiety.
Back
to Textbook Reading and Homework Skills
last updated 20 October 1999
Is this page a copy of
Strobel's Astronomy Notes?
Author of original content:
Nick Strobel