Final Review Before an Exam
1. Review
-
Take notes on test material if you haven't already.
(Consider flash cards.) Use your underlining as a guide and be very
selective.
-
Recite from your lecture notes and text notes.
-
Make summary sheets of the most important material and
any important unlearned material (or separate cards into piles of cards "to
learn" and "learned").
-
Recite from your summary sheets (or cards "to learn").
-
Make "summary of summary" sheets of any material still
unlearned (or continue to separate flash cards).
-
Recite from these.
-
Make "summary of summary of summary" sheets (or separate
flash cards further).
2. Memorize lists.
To memorize
lists on your summary sheets, use mnemonic acronyms e.g. VISTA - Volunteers in
Service to America), and mnemonic sentences (Every Good Boy Deserves Favor = E G
B D F -- the lines on the Treble Staff in music).
(Hormones of the
anterior pituitary gland are growth hormone, ACTH, thyroid stimulating hormone,
follicle stimulating hormone, leuteinizing hormone, prolactin. (G A T F L P OR G
A T F U P) ACRONYM = FAT PUG (sentence = People always forget to grow up.)
3. Perhaps meet with other students.
-
Find one, two or three well-prepared students.
-
Have an organized agenda to compare perceptions of the
main points and possible essay questions.
-
Don't get bogged down on minor points.
-
Don't take someone else's word on a point you're not sure
about--look it up later.
4. Pay special attention to:
-
Material from the early part of the course.
-
Confusing material.
-
Concepts and principles.
5. Anticipate test questions for essay tests.
-
Prepare main point outlines for anticipated questions (or
even write out essays).
-
Include a couple of specific details.
-
Write out possible questions.
-
Don't expect to be able to anticipate all the questions.
6. Get a decent amount of sleep.
7. Eat something (fruit, cereal, sandwich, granola bar) before
the test.
Back to Academic Success Page
|