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structure » Angela2

Posted by octopusprime on September 23, 2004, at 20:24:39

In reply to Motivation, posted by Angela2 on September 23, 2004, at 13:11:37

re: studying for tests:

i used to be very good at this when i wanted to be. when i was serious about studying for a test, here is what i would do:

1. go to the student society, get a bunch of practice exams. (i don't know if you have these available)
2. photocopy all assignment solutions
3. go through the text book. since i was a math student, i wrote out in long-hand every definition, theorem, and lemma. i'm sure you could adapt the long-hand writing in some other way for a more liberal arts or science based course.
4. do the practice exams.
5. go over assignments, write out solutions, get clarification on stuff i did wrong, etc.
6. if time remains, i would write out proofs from the text. for a more liberal-arts related course, i suppose you could write practice essays here or restate major concepts in your own words.

now this is a heck of a lot of work to do properly. it's at least 8-16 hours per test. but it was a very very effective method for studying. i wrote out the definitions and stuff super neatly and tiny, so i always had summary sheets to look over right before the exam. major studying efforts always stopped at least 2-3 hours before the exam (time for a good meal and some relaxing).

i did not do this for every course. but when i did follow this method, i got excellent results. and somehow just knowing that i had to do so many tasks (each one of which is easily completed), it kept me on track.

you may also find it helpful to work in a group. i got way more assignments done in study groups, and i was much more productive. it was more fun too. i despised actually studying in a group (unless i already knew what was going on, and i was teaching somebody else, which helped to reaffirm my knowledge).

for courses i wasn't serious about, fear and tight deadlines were excellent motivators. (i'm talking about courses where i didn't know the material, didn't do the assignments, didn't go to class, did zippo). i studied effectively because i needed to learn for the first time.

for the record ... i graduated with an 80% average (B+ to A-) ... but my grades in my classes fluctuated from lows of 55% to highs of 95%+ ... it all depended on how much i liked the course and how much i thought it was important. the damn degree requirements got a "D is for Done" level of effort, and the really interesting courses got the best effort. the best motivator is taking interesting classes and having engaging professors. i know this is not always an option.


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