Academic Success Workshop Exam Preparation

1. Academic Success WorkshopExam Preparation Professor Kevin Anderson

2. Purpose and Objectives • To ensure students are adequately prepared for exams • To introduce study techniques that can be used for exam preparation • To explain what an “Exam Study Guide” is and how to create one • To find the best place or places to study • To get organized • To determine “what’s the best time for me to study?’ • How to gain the most out of 15 minutes of exam study • Study groups: Do they help and when should you use them

3. To ensure students are adequately prepared for exams • You are not getting a new brain; You have to use the one you have

4. What Kind of Learner Are You? • Auditory Learners – learn best by hearing (lectures, discussions, CD’s) • Visual Learners – learn best by seeing (films, pictures, flash cards, charts, diagrams) • Kinesthetic Learners –learn best by doing (labs, hands-on activities)

5. Noted educator – Dr. William Glasserstates students learn: • 10% of what they read • 20% of what they hear • 30% of what they see • 50% of what they see and hear • 70% of what is discussed with others • 80% of what they experience personally • 95% of what they teach to someone else

6. Get ORGANIZED for Study • Determine how long you will need to prepare (hours, days, weeks, months, etc..) • Apportion the time (Do I have 1 week or just 3 days?) • What do I hope to accomplish out of this particular study session (i.e., memorize rules of law) • How long should my individual study session be?

7. Organize Your Study Session • Research has shown that students learn the most during the first and last 10 minutes of any study session. • If you need to memorize anything do that first. • Take a break every 45-50 minutes.

8. What is an “Exam Study Guide” and do I need one? • It’s the “Holy Grail” of exam preparation. • Everything you need to know for your exam can be found in the exam study guide. • It is created from your instructors exam review, lecture notes, past class assignments you will be tested on. • Anything else you deem important (day and time of the exam, scantron forms, #2 pencils). • Begin creating it immediately after the exam review.

9. Where is the best place for ME to study • Do I need complete quiet? • Am I easily distracted or interrupted? • Do I need a place that is well lit? • Do I need a lot of desk space? • Will a friend or classmate Hinder or Help me?

10. How to gain the most out of 15 minutes of exam study • Organize your study guide in a way you can review most important topics in 15 minutes or less. • If you have 15 minutes of free time review just one of the important topics in your study guide. • Athletes traveling a long distance to away events, put your study guide on a disk that can be heard with an MP 3 Player. (It really works!)

11. To introduce study techniques that can be used for exam preparation • Memorization – should be done first • Practice writing – if your exam is an essay exam • Sample test questions – from the book, the web, and sometimes from your instructor. Begin with short answers (a paragraph or less). • Place yourself under exam conditions and practice taking the exam (do this at least 2 times before an exam), it helps relieve test anxiety.

12. Study Groups: Do they help and when should you use them • Yes they can but should not be a substitute for personal study. • Ensure each group member is prepared when the group meets. • Know before the group meets what the groups wants to accomplish at this study session • Stay focused

13. Repeat the Process over and over and over and over and over again!