Okay. I'm at the end of my first semester in college and I'm trying to devise the best way to study for my exams.
Two of my exams I've been struggling with the most. One format is where I have been given 3 key terms and must elaborate on them in essay form and link them all together somehow, and the in the other one I have been provided with the essay questions (which are a series of questions compiled into one big question) but I must come up with the answers ahead of time and put them into essay form on the day of the test.
I've been thinking about making a huge list of things and then generalizing what I want to say in my essays.. Anyone have any other good ideas for either one? If I need to clarify more please let me know. [Please keep all comments serious]
Suggestions...
Started by Zylia, Dec 09 2004 09:33 PM
4 replies to this topic
#2
Charon
-
- Members
- 617 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 10:20 PM
Please bear with me if this isn't helpful at all ... I'm trying ^^
For essays...
Its probably best if you first work out how much time you'll have for each essay (or each part of the essay) when you sit them.
If there are any parts which are worth more marks, think about them for a moment first.
Then divide your time so that each part gets appropriate treatment. If theres a part that gives more marks... give it more time.
Its better to have many slightly shorter parts (so that you can get some marks for each segment) than one amazingly detailed part (because then you dont get any marks for the parts you havent done, no matter how good what you have done is)
As for the best way to study... a lot of it is down to you and your study style.
Some people find it useful to tear through books, some find it useful to have a quiet space where they can spread out their notes and rewrite them.
Some like cue-card style key points
Some like recording important things and listening to them
It depends... what you find most useful really
The format with the three key terms... how many terms are there overall, that three get picked from?
Your generalisation idea is probably best here.
I would recommend that you make sure you know a bit about each of the terms you could get asked about, and know how each of them link together in general then it'll be easier to link them together at the end.
If you make your general answer first and then you'll be able to become more specific if necessary, pinpointing the parts you find most difficult to explain. Then you'll be able to spend more time on them.
For the one where you get given the large question that breaks down into small questions the most important thing is that you know where you want to go with each essay- so again, your generalisation is important.
Think about what you want your conclusions to be first... write them vaguely in the introduction, and then you'll have a focus point for all your answers
Then I'd recommend writing out the basic answers to each part as short as possible in bullet points.
Take each point one by one and see if you can elaborate a little- that way, you'll notice if there are any areas you're cloudy on and you'll be able to look them up, and find the things that will lead you to the conclusion you want.
If there are equations you may need for the essays... memorise them. Write them down, get people to test you - There's no other way about it ^^
For some exams you're required to need quotes too... I don't know about yours, but if thats the case it will help if you make a small list of quotes that could be useful... its normally best if they can be used in multiple situations too
Little things that can help you to back up what you want to say - little quotes because they're easiest to manipulate and harder to forget ^^
Whatever you do... its normally better if you can find people able to help you... even if those people only ask questions for you to think about answering.
I tend to find that exams go slightly better when you have people to bounce ideas off... because even if they don't have a clue what you're talking about, it makes you feel like you aren't all alone ^^
I assume you aren't allowed to take crib sheets into either test?
For essays...
Its probably best if you first work out how much time you'll have for each essay (or each part of the essay) when you sit them.
If there are any parts which are worth more marks, think about them for a moment first.
Then divide your time so that each part gets appropriate treatment. If theres a part that gives more marks... give it more time.
Its better to have many slightly shorter parts (so that you can get some marks for each segment) than one amazingly detailed part (because then you dont get any marks for the parts you havent done, no matter how good what you have done is)
As for the best way to study... a lot of it is down to you and your study style.
Some people find it useful to tear through books, some find it useful to have a quiet space where they can spread out their notes and rewrite them.
Some like cue-card style key points
Some like recording important things and listening to them
It depends... what you find most useful really
The format with the three key terms... how many terms are there overall, that three get picked from?
Your generalisation idea is probably best here.
I would recommend that you make sure you know a bit about each of the terms you could get asked about, and know how each of them link together in general then it'll be easier to link them together at the end.
If you make your general answer first and then you'll be able to become more specific if necessary, pinpointing the parts you find most difficult to explain. Then you'll be able to spend more time on them.
For the one where you get given the large question that breaks down into small questions the most important thing is that you know where you want to go with each essay- so again, your generalisation is important.
Think about what you want your conclusions to be first... write them vaguely in the introduction, and then you'll have a focus point for all your answers
Then I'd recommend writing out the basic answers to each part as short as possible in bullet points.
Take each point one by one and see if you can elaborate a little- that way, you'll notice if there are any areas you're cloudy on and you'll be able to look them up, and find the things that will lead you to the conclusion you want.
If there are equations you may need for the essays... memorise them. Write them down, get people to test you - There's no other way about it ^^
For some exams you're required to need quotes too... I don't know about yours, but if thats the case it will help if you make a small list of quotes that could be useful... its normally best if they can be used in multiple situations too
Little things that can help you to back up what you want to say - little quotes because they're easiest to manipulate and harder to forget ^^
Whatever you do... its normally better if you can find people able to help you... even if those people only ask questions for you to think about answering.
I tend to find that exams go slightly better when you have people to bounce ideas off... because even if they don't have a clue what you're talking about, it makes you feel like you aren't all alone ^^
I assume you aren't allowed to take crib sheets into either test?
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." --Rudyard Kipling
#3
Dan
-
- Members
- 388 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 11:17 PM
what are these things? what classes? etc..? elaborate a little more please.
#4
Zylia
-
- Members
- 64 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 11:20 PM
Thats a lot of tips Charon! Thank you!
Its a History exam and an American Politics exam so I imagine quotes aren't too important. Suggestions you made are excellent though. Right now what I've been doing is making a MSWord file with 3 terms per page and I'm just going to fill in little factiods about each term... Then a conclusion/summary will go at the top of it. [Unlimited college printing rocks] I'll probably review with those once I complete them. I tend to be a computer-based studier. Most of my studying is done on a computer and usually consists of me typing in things I learned from texts or notes. So far this has worked the best. Still open to trying new ways to study though.
I know the answers to the terms and stuff, just trying to think of the best way to plant them in my head. Heres examples:
3 Term:
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The Fugitive Slave Act
John Brown
Mini-Questions:
Describe the roles which Americans expect their Presidents to perform. Why do post-WWII Presidents have more power than their predecessors? [more but I'm not going to type it all out >.o]
Its a History exam and an American Politics exam so I imagine quotes aren't too important. Suggestions you made are excellent though. Right now what I've been doing is making a MSWord file with 3 terms per page and I'm just going to fill in little factiods about each term... Then a conclusion/summary will go at the top of it. [Unlimited college printing rocks] I'll probably review with those once I complete them. I tend to be a computer-based studier. Most of my studying is done on a computer and usually consists of me typing in things I learned from texts or notes. So far this has worked the best. Still open to trying new ways to study though.
I know the answers to the terms and stuff, just trying to think of the best way to plant them in my head. Heres examples:
3 Term:
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The Fugitive Slave Act
John Brown
Mini-Questions:
Describe the roles which Americans expect their Presidents to perform. Why do post-WWII Presidents have more power than their predecessors? [more but I'm not going to type it all out >.o]
Crib Sheet? Is that like a note sheet because I'm glad you said that. The one with the Questions format allows a one page front and back note sheet. I forgot about it completely!I assume you aren't allowed to take crib sheets into either test?
Edited by Zylia, 09 December 2004 - 11:34 PM.
#5
Dan
-
- Members
- 388 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 11:32 PM
Fairly easy courses to pass. Generally alot of quotes are a bad idea, because it just says you only studied that portion and not the surrounding areas.
After you get everything written down, read it all into a tape or something. This way your not stuck straining at the words, and you can even fall asleep while listening to it.
It worked for me when I was in college.
After you get everything written down, read it all into a tape or something. This way your not stuck straining at the words, and you can even fall asleep while listening to it.
It worked for me when I was in college.
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
