Smoke Signals, Wednesday, February 5, 1975 • PAGE 15
• How to Prepare for Examinations
(Continued from Page M)
for the first time. Review is
critical because it strengthens
the retention of this new
knowledge.
Forgetting taices place most
rapidly immediately alter
learning. Review and recall,
therefore, is more effective soon
after study. Following each
class go over the main points for
10 to 15 minutes to reinforce
them in your memory. TTiis
makes reviewing for exams later
a quicker, simpler task.
.. Don't overtax you memory or
stamina. Research shows that
most people can absorb and
retain just so much knowledge at
one time. It’s important to leam
day by daj;, week by week. But
each period of study scheduled
into your work plan should be no
longer than 1 or 1% hours,
followed by some kind of
recreation, meal or other ac
tivity.
Take legible class and study
notes. Mark the margins and
underline your textbooks
throughout the term and you will
be able to review for weekly
quizzes of final exams with a
minimum of strain.
USE GOOD REVIEW
TECHNIQUES
If you have applied yourself
during the term, then preparing
for exams is largely a question of
review. The time needed is not as
extensive as some students think
provided you have been working
consistently. Review for weekly
quizzes should take no more than
15 minutes, a mid-term hour
exam 2 or 3 hours, and a final
examination 5 to 8 hours.
Your preparation for a final
should be carefully scheduled q
into the two weeks prior to exam
day. Organize a schedule that
does not interfere with your
regular study for on-going
classes. Beware of racing your
motor. Make sure you still allow
time for rest and relaxation, with
no longer than 1 or hours of
review at one time. Your mind
needs breaks.
Plan your review
systematically and consistently.
Go from main idea to main idea,
using the textbook chapter
headings or your instructor’s
term outline as a guide. Go from
chapter notes to chapter notes of
from class notes to class notes,
recalling the important headings
and ideas in each. If certain
points are difficult for you to
remember, then reread the text,
otherwise stick with your notes,
plan to learn something for the
first Ume.
Making summary notes is often
helpful, depending on the amount
of the material to be reviewed. In
4 to 8 pages you can outline the
main points of your detailed class
and text chapter notes. Headings
with indented numbered points
under them make relationships
more obvious. This procedure
will also help reinforce the major
ideas and important details.
Summary notes can also serve
as a self-test toward the end of
your preparation for exams. Put
a sheet over each page and slowly
uncover the first heading - see if
you can remember the main
points under it. As you go, ask
yourself what, when etc.
Try to predict the exam
questions. Be alert throughout
the term to the emphasis in
structors put on certain topics,
aspects or ideas. They often give
clues to points that are important
or particularly need review.
Ask your professor what he
recommends for pre
examination work. Use his
comments as a guide but don’t
try to out guess him.
Group reviewing can be
helpful. But it shouldn’t take the
place of working on your own.
Limit discussions of significant
points and possible test questions
to 30 or 45 minutes, with no more
than 4 or 5 people.
Avoid cramming. If you have
followed a regular schedule of
study and review, you should not
have to cram the last dav.
Remember, forgetting takes
place more rapidly right after
learning. If you have to cram, be
selective,. Don’t attempt an
exhaustive review.
“How to Prepare Successfully
for Examinations”, appearing
here in two installments, is the
second in a series of AAP
STUDENT SERVICE articles
designed to help collegians im
prove their use of study time and
learning materials. A com-
[iimentary complete copy will be
sent to you if you write to AAP
STUDENT SERVICE,
association of American
Publishers, Inc., One Park
Avenue, New York 10016.
The first half of this article
pointed out that successful
preparation for an exam starts in
the beginning of each term and
continues throughout. It em
phasized the importance of
establishing a term study plan
and using good review
techniques.
DEVELOP A CONFIDENT
ATTITUDE
Your attitude toward exams
can make a difference. Tests do
serve a good purpose. They give
you an opportunity to check your
progress. Students who have
formed good study habits
throughout the term should be
confident. Exams will solidify
your knowledge of improtant
ideas, and give you an op
portunity to know how well you
are doing. Examination grades
also help pinpoint your
weaknesses and give you a
chance to correct them.
ORGANIZE PRE-EXAM
HOURS
The day before an im
portant exam plan to review a
maximum of 3 hours, in
terspersed with pace-changing
breaks. Remember to question
yourself as you review your
notes. Recite the main points to
yourself and reread text
passages only when you are
having difficulty remembering
them.
2. Eat and sleep well so that you
are refreshed the day of the
exam.
3.. Take a shower, have a good
te-eakfast, do some exercises or
take a walk, breathe deeply.
5. Stay calm. It may be helpful
to take a 1st look at your smn-
mary notes but avoid them if it
makes you nervous.
6. Be sure you have all toe
supplies you need before leaving
your room.
7. Arrive in the examination
room a few minutes ahead. Take
a seat whre you wiU have good
light and not be distracted by
friends of noise.
PACE THE EXAM
CAREFULLY
When the exam begins, listen to
the instructions and then start
reading through the entire test.
ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS.
Budget time for each question.
They might be equal in scoring,
so answer the easy ones first.
Remember to number the an
swers to match the questions.
Think carefully about one
question at a time. Your first
sentence should be clear and
contain some, if not all, of the
mian points in your answer. The
instructor wants a focus on the
question and kirect answers.
Jot down key words as giiides
for your writing. Indenting
paragraphs, numbering points
under them, or making a rough
diagram or diagram or outline
can be helpful to you and the
person correcting.
Write legibly or else the in
structor will not be able to read
easily, and your mark will suffer.
Short-form or objective
questions demonstrate your
ability to recognize details and
your judgement in choosing
among alternatives. Attention
must be given to key words like;
all, none, never, might, or should.
Fill in the easy ones first and
mark the spaces clearly. Avoid
leaving blanks, an answer might
be correct even though you are
not sure. An ommission will
probably count against you. In
multiple choice, cross out what
you think is wrong an think about
what is left. Be sure to com-
jJetely erase if you change an
answer.
Essay questions test your
ability to express yourself, to
interpret and to organize
material. The instructor never
expects one question ( or even an
entire exam) to be a demon
stration of all you know. Im
portant cue words will give you
the key as to what or how much
the instructor wants you to write.
The ones most frequently used
are : analyze, compare, contrast,
creiticize, define, describe,
discuss, elaborate, enumerate,
evaluate, explain, illustrate,
interpret, justify, list, outline,
rove, relate, review, state,
summarize, trace. Each one of
these terms calls for some
specific type of material, so think
about their meanings in advance.
Finish each question as best as
you can and then go on to the
next, leaving some room at the
bottom for possible additions.
When answering essay questions
in exam books, some students
find it helpful to use only the
right-hand pages, leaving the Idft
page for additional remarks or
highlight.
Make answers as concise and
clear as possible. Do not waste
time with long-winded or
repetitious sentences.
Reread everything carefully
after you have answered all the
questions. You might have left
out a key word or remember
some other points.
REASSESS YOUR WORK
When you receive your grades
and get back exam books, read
over the answers. Con^)are them
to your textbook and class notes
in order to check mistakes and
find out why or how you answered
incorrectly. If you don’t un
derstand your instructor’s
marks, ask him where you wnet
wrong. This re-evaluation will
help you recognize faults in yoiu*
study skills. Leam by your
mistakes and go on to the next
phase of enjoyable and suc
cessful college work.
This article is part of a series
recently initiate for college
students by the Association of
American PuUisheres to help
students with their study skills.
Coppies of the complete HOW TO
PREPARE SUCCESSFULLY
FOR EXAMINATIONS or HOW
ZOR HOW TO GET THE MOST
OUT OF YOR TEXTBOOKS can
be obtained free by writing to
AAP STUDENT SERVICE, One
Park Avenue, New York 10016.
Future topics will give
suggestions on other proven
techniques for using study time
and learning materials.
Do We Care?
Who cares? Do we care? To
what degree are we concerned
about the thousands who are
starving? What is our respon
sibility for innocent victims of
time and place (war, floods,
drought, earthquakes)? Have we
become hardened through over
exposure by television and
magazines to the effects of
natural disasters? Have we
concluded that hunger has
always been with man and that
we cannot solve such complex
and challenging problems? No
Saturday Fishing Trip
On the Meherrin River
By DEAN LEWIS
For now that fishing trip to an
angler’s paradise in Canada or
Florida may be unrealistic. But
what about the Meherrin River!
Bass, bream, crappie and catfish
are there for sportsmen. Coach
Jerry Hawkins has agreed to help
Student Personnel organize one
or more fishing trips or contests
for Chowanians who have the
urge to get away from it all. If
interested, complete the form
below and give it to Dean Lewis
or Miss Willoughby, secretary to
personnel deans.
Name
Post Office Box Number
Dorm and Room Number
doubt we have mixed emotions
about our involvement in such
misfortunes in far away places.
Yet, we identify in various ways
with pictures and news releases
explaining life under such ad
verse conditions.
We, in the Chowan College
community, cannot solve the
gigantic problem of hunger
facing human beings in places
like Honduras, Africa or
Bangladesh. However, if
provided leadership, we can help
bring relief to a few people.
Where is the leadership? Will it
emerge as an individual, a
campus organization or a
residence hall? How is the best
way to solicit funds for such a
project? Will we respond to
dynamic leadership?
Any individual, club or dor
mitory officer interested in at
tacking the challenge of
collecting a relief offering is
urged to present a sound plan of
action to one of the three student
persormel deans. Once collected ,
the contribution will be sent to
officials of the Baptist State
Convention in Raleigh, North
Carolina, who will forward them
to the Foreign Mission Board. If
we at Chowan plan to participate
in this state-wide project, we
need to act immsdiately.
“The day of the great private
fortune is gone. People no longer
can give only money to com
munity projects - they must give
themselves.” Thomas H. Coulter.