3 Days to an A!

Have several days to prepare for a test?  Try this method to break up the study tasks:

Three Days Before the Test:  Reread the key textbook chapters and class notes.

Two Days Before the Test:  Recite key points out loud – to someone you know or even a pet/favorite toy – without looking at the notes or textbook.  Refer back to them and see how much you remembered correctly.

The Day Before the Test:  Take a practice test or complete a new study guide (online can be a great source for this) if you have one.  On the questions that you miss, reread key points.  Want some added insurance?  Look over your notes right before bed!

The Day of the Test: Skim notes over breakfast.  OR skip the last minute studying and relax with deep breaths or tension-breaking exercise.

AT THE TEST: 

~ Do a brain dump.  If you can, immediately write in the margins of the test or on a scrap paper any key events, characters, concepts, dates, etc.  That way, you won’t have to worry about forgetting the important details.  You will be able to refer back to this as you take the test.

~ Scan and skip. Look over the whole test, then start with the questions you’re sure of.  Answering familiar questions first will boost your confidence and save time for tougher questions to come.

~ Manage Multiple Choice. In general, with a four-choice question, you should be able to eliminate two possible answers right away.  Then you can choose your final answer from the remaining options.

~ Review and Regroup. After a test, review it.  Don’t just throw it away or toss it in a folder.  Look at the responses you answered incorrectly.  Why did you?

More “At-Home” Study Strategies

• Go “old school:” Flash cards are a tried-and-true way to help remember complex facts.  Write key words/concepts on the front and jot definitions on the back.  Have someone quiz you.

• Make up mnemonics: I’m a fan of acronyms (words formed by using the first letter of each word in a list) and phrases to help kids memorize long lists (formulas, sequences, groups, etc).

i. e. Taxonomic Order ~ King Phillip Came Over For Good Soup (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)

• Get Artsy:  Draw simple diagrams of hard-to-remember relationships, concepts, plot points, etc.  Silly pictures also help recollection of challenging vocabulary words.

i.e. To remember the difference between “dominant” and “recessive,” draw a picture of a big dog barking at a tiny dog.   The name on the big dog’s collar could by “Dom” and the little one could by “Recess.”

• Embrace your inner American Idol:  Admit it . . . You still remember most of the Preamble to the Constitution or the function of conjunctions thanks to the “Schoolhouse Rock” songs from Saturday-morning cartoons.  Tunes and rhythm seem to cement new information into memory unlike anything else.  Put facts to songs!!

• Play online:  Many textbooks offer practice tests available for access from home.  As a bonus, practice tests often foreshadow the actual exam.

Improve Reading and Writing Skills at Home

• Read and circle:  Preview questions ahead of time.  Circle key words like “main character” or “make a list.”  Then, as you read the passage, circle the answers.
• Talk it out:  Don’t be afraid to read aloud in the comfort of your own home.  Reading a difficult text aloud can help the information stick in your memory more effectively.
• Play detective:  Find the “five W’s and H’ in every passage.  This may seem elementary but finding these main clues helps one make inferences and deeper analysis later on.
• Ace the essays:  Create a mind map for the answer.  OR, if you do not know what the essay question is, anticipate what the essay questions will be and write out answers to those questions that you anticipate.

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