No stress on essay testsJun 19 '00 Write an essay on this topic.During my college career I amazed my classmates by consistently walking out of final exams in less than an hour and still managing to get A's. While they were chewing their fingernails, I was relaxed and confident. After my first semester the professors started noticing this and offering me lecture periods prior to mid-term and final exams to prep my fellow students not on the subject matter, but on my area of success, essay testing. Since it helped many students improve their grades by at least a letter, I thought perhaps posting a few of the basic tips here might be useful to some of you who undergo needless stress and anxiety. Most of these tips are covered in Freshman Orientation courses, but a refresher is never detrimental. Before the exam 1) Study, don't cram. This may seem absolutely basic, but you really can't think properly if you're exhausted. Try to get a full eight hour's sleep the night before the test. If you don't know the material already, you're not going to absorb it in one night. Have a quick review sheet of your trouble spots prepared and go over it in the morning. 2) Smile. Odd as this may seem, the physical act of smiling actually releases chemicals in your brain that allow you to function better. If you're truly too nervous to smile naturally, visit a humor page or read the comics right before you head out to take the exam. 3) Eat breakfast. Never go into an exam hungry. Thinking requires calories and your brain will need the energy of a good meal. Try to eat at least an hour before the exam starts, however, or you may wind up with your brain and stomach competing for blood flow during the exam itself. 4) Stretch. A good stretch will not only relax you, but will get your blood flowing and put your brain in the best shape for the work ahead. 5) Be on time. Make sure you leave your house/apartment/dorm with plenty of time to get to the exam without rushing. This includes driving time, parking (a guaranteed mess for finals), and walking to the exam room. During the exam 1) If scratch paper is provided during the exam, get several sheets. You are going to want to organize your thoughts before you write your answer. 2) Make sure you identify your paper. It really is not that uncommon for a student to be so absorbed in the exam itself that they forget to put their name or student ID on their exam. 3) Use pen unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Cursive is preferred, but if your writing is illegible, print. Remember that your instructor or his TA will be grading a large number of exams. If they can't read yours, they won't grade it. 4) Dissect the question. Many students lose points on exams because they answer the wrong question. Make sure you understand what the instructor is asking for. If it's unclear, approach the instructor (if she is available) and ask for clarification. If the instructor is not available, make a note on the exam of what was confusing about the question. This will help later if you seek regrading. Common words you should look for in essay questions are 'compare' (describe similarities and differences), 'contrast' (describe differences), and 'define' (demonstrate an understanding of the term or concept, examples useful). 5) Organize your response. The standard essay response follows the same basic format no matter the length. It should be 5-7 parts long, with the parts being sentences or paragraphs. On your scratch paper, write a quick outline of your response so you know where you're going when you write your answer. The first part should be an introduction. For a single paragraph essay this would be the question restated in sentence form or the statement of your argument for a question requiring opinion. For a multiple paragraph essay, you will want to both restate the question or state your argument and summarize your points. Following this you will want to devote a sentence or paragraph to each point supporting your introduction. The final part will be a summary, restating your argument as conclusion for a single paragraph answer or restating your supporting points and conclusion for a multiple paragraph answer. 6) Write your response as legibly as possible. If not enough space is provided on an exam where you are to write the answers on the exam itself, use extra paper and attach it to the exam rather than squeezing letters. A sloppy paper does nothing to set your grader up for a positive view of your exam. 7) Reread your answer to make sure you haven't made any spelling or grammar errors. Make corrections before turning your paper in. After the exam 1) Review all questions and points deducted if you are able to get your exam returned to you. Pay attention to any notations made by the grader. Check your answers against your lecture notes and course material. Graders are not infallible. 2) If you disagree with your grade, don't hesitate to approach the instructor about it. Your tuition pays his salary, so if instructors intimidate you, consider that you are actually his client, paying him to teach you the course material. This does not, however, entitle you to be rude. The best time to approach an instructor regarding a grade review is during her office hours. Explain why you disagree with the grade you were given and be prepared with reference material from your notes or course material to back up your view. By following these tips you should be able to improve your grades on essay exams, provided you actually paid attention in class and learned the material. Exams should be viewed as an opportunity to demonstrate your comprehension of the subject, not as a source of anxiety.  |
| Write the first comment on this review! |
|
Ads by Google
|
