Monday Master Class: The Study Hacks Guide to Exams
Study Tips April 28th. 2008, 1:44pmExam Season is Upon Us
As we careen into May, there is one thing likely dominating your college student mind: exams. In recognition of this (terrible) reality I’m dedicating all of this week’s posts to strategies, tips and screeds about kicking ass during finals period. Today, we’ll get things started by dipping into the always exciting Study Hacks archives to highlight some of the most important test taking related posts you may have missed.
The Best of Study Hacks Exam Articles
On Preparation:
Drizzle Test Preparation Over Many Days
How early should you start studying? This post lays out the basic philosophy preached in Straight-A. Put simply: start early; work in little batches.
Use Focused-Question Clusters to Study for Knowledge Based Tests
How should you study for classes that require you to know a large number of facts and concepts? I overlooked these classes in Straight-A (as many of you subsequently brought to my attention.) In this post I rectify this oversight. It was originally written for multiple choice tests, but the advice is relevant for any exam requiring a large amount of memorized information.
Pseudo-Work Doesn’t Equal Work and Studying is a Technical Skill
How are some high-scoring students able to escape the stress of the grind lifestyle? These two early posts, from a series titled “The Straight-A Gospels,” lay out the core philosophical ideas behind the mysterious, yeti-like low-stress ‘A.’ I recommend a quick review before diving too deep into exam period chaos.
On Test-Taking and the Aftermath:
Five Ways to Avoid Panicking on a Hard Test
You know the feeling: you flip open the exam, read the first question, then freeze. This post helps you move past test-taking panic and maximize your score regardless of the situation.
How to Perform a Post-Exam Post-Mortem
When you hand in that blue book — brimming, I’m sure, of brilliant analysis — your job is not quite over. This post explains what to do once the graded exam is handed back; a 10-minute targeted review of what went right and what went wrong, will make your life significantly easier in upcoming semesters.
Ignore Your G.P.A.
This Unconventional Scholar essay tackles the larger question of what significance exam performance should play in your life. It’s core message: ignore your cumulative G.P.A. Instead, view each courses as an individual challenge to come up with the most efficient possible method for learning the material. Sometimes you’ll screw up the actual exam. That’s okay. Believe in your strategies and keep improving; it’ll save you a fortune on ulcer medication.
April 28th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Thanks for the post Cal, it comes at a good time.
(I ordered How to Win at College last night, and will be reading it over during the summer in preparation for my transfer in the Fall.)
April 28th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
A fortune in ulcer medication, you say? You’ve just convinced me!
Seriously though, this is good stuff.
I’m having a break between semesters — I think my schedules are kinda different — but that doesn’t mean I won’t be honing strategies now. Since I probably won’t have time to really dig into it when my exam periods come up.
Thanks!
April 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Thanks Cal.
Fortunately I only have one exam this semester, but it’s stuck write in between two essay deadlines. Your study skills have really helped me focus.
David
April 28th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
“In character, in manners, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
April 29th, 2008 at 4:12 am
[…] link: Study Hacks guide to exams [Study […]
April 29th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Yet Longfellow also says:
“Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.”
How do we combine sublime simplicity with greatness. There’s the real head scratcher…
October 14th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
[…] the exam. If she doesn’t, remind her. Once you know these general constraints, then, in standard Study Hacks style, you need to devise the most efficent and specific possible study strategy that prepares you to […]
October 15th, 2008 at 1:29 am
[…] before the exam. If she doesn’t, remind her. Once you know these general constraints, then, in standard Study Hacks style, you need to devise the most efficent and specific possible study strategy that prepares you to […]