Midterm P reparation W orkshop

1. MidtermPreparation Workshop Presented by Alex Cuatok

2. The Four Steps to Learning 1) Begin with the past 2) Proceed to the present 3) Consider the process, the subject matter 4) Build in review

3. Begin With The Past • What was your experience with learning? Did you like to read? Solve problems? Memorize? Recite? Interpret? Speak to groups? • Did you summarize? • Did you ask questions about what you studied? Reviewed? • Have access to information from a variety of sources? • Did you study alone or in groups? • Needed several brief study sessions, or one longer one? • What are your study habits? • How did they evolve? Which worked best? Worst? • How did you communicate what you learned best? Through a written test, a term paper, an interview?

4. Proceed to the Present • How interested am I in this?  How much time do I want to spend learning this?What competes for my attention? • Are the circumstances right for success?   What can I control, and what is outside my control?  Can I change these conditions for success? • What affects my dedication to learning this? • Do I have a plan?  Does my plan consider my past experience and learning style?

5. Consider the Process • What is the heading or title?What keywords jump out?What do I already know about this subject? Any related subjects? • What kinds of resources and information do I have that will help me?Will I only rely on one source for information?Will I need to look for additional sources? • As I study, do I ask myself if I understand?  Why?Should I go faster or slower? • Do I stop and summarize? Is it logical? Evaluate myself? • Do I need time to think it over and return later?Do I need to discuss the information with others in order to understand? Do I need to find an "authority”?

6. Build in Review • What did I do right?What could I do better?Did my plan coincide with "myself?" • Did I choose the right conditions?Did I follow through; was I disciplined with myself? • Did I succeed?Did I celebrate my success?

7. Effective Habits for Effective Study • Take responsibility for yourself • Center yourself around your values and principles • Put first things first • Consider yourself in a win-win situation • First understand others, then attempt to be understood. • Look for better solutions to problems • Look to continually challenge yourself

8. Time Management • Monitor your Time • Reflect on how you spend your time • Be aware of when you are wasting your time • Know when you are productive

9. Types of Goals • Short-term goals. These reflect assignments or things that you want done within a timeline of days, weeks, or months. • Long-term goals. These reflect things that you want done within a timeline of months, or years. • Goal-Related Peer Pressure

10. Goal Setting • What are your obstacles? • What is your goal? • Obstacle vs. Goal • Ideally goals should be strong enough to overcome any obstacle that arises.

11. Understanding Stress • Stress is the conflict between what you perceive and how you react. • Acute stress often results when time is short and demands are heavy. • Chronic stress builds up over time. • Some stress is normal. But some stress can have a negative effect on your mind and body. Stress management is key.

12. How to Deal with Stress • Learn how to best relax yourself • Remove yourself from the stressful situation • Set realistic goals for yourself • Don't sweat the small stuff, Don't overwhelm yourself • Selectively change the way you react, Change the way you see things • Avoid extreme reactions • Get enough sleep

13. Concentration • Stick to a routine • Study in a quiet environment • Avoid daydreaming • Review notes • Show interest in the lecture • Resist distractions

14. Mind Mapping Method

15. During the Test . . . • Relax. • Read the directions carefully.  • Answer the easiest questions first. • Ask yourself if your final answer makes sense to you. • Pace yourself by tracking time. • Never cheat or plagiarize, regardless of how unprepared you find yourself.

16. During an Essay Exam . . . • For short essays exams, answer each question exactly by changing it into a topic sentence and retaining as much of the question as possible and then creating a brief outline.  • Question: What is a theme of Hamlet by William Shakespeare? • Topic Sentence: One theme of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is . . . • Outline: briefly outline the order of your ideas before starting. 

17. Activity • 2 Practice Test • DO NOT STRESS! • Go over the answers

18. Exam Checklist • Carefully read the instructions • Make sure you are answering the question that is being asked! • Often students know how to solve a problem, but they misread or misinterpret the question itself. • Check that you have correctly rewritten the problem • If you use a scratch piece of paper make sure that you correctly rewrite the problem. • Don't skip steps. Start from the beginning.

19. Exam Checklist (cont’d) • Clearly write each step of the solution • Be neat and don't rush writing numbers down. • Keep checking your solution as you are working. • Neatness makes it easier to recheck your work. • Don't Dilly Dally • If you get stuck on a problem, move on and come back to it later. • When you are finished, recheck all your work.

20. How to Get Support During Finals • Come to the Learning Center or Library on campus • E-mail your professor to set up a meeting time • Set up a study group • Other ideas?  

21. Some Web Resources • Dartmouth College provides tips on how to study: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/study.html.  • Study Guides and Strategies, http://www.studygs.net/index.htm , offers several useful handouts on taking tests: 10 tips for test taking, true/false tests, multiple choice tests, short answer tests, open book exams, oral exams, and essay exams. 

22. THANK YOU!!!