ACING FINAL EXAMS: It’s Not Over ‘til It’s Over! Dr. Saundra Y. McGuire Center for Academic Success B-31 Coates Hall

2004 National College Learning Center Association Frank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award

Date of Final Exam:December 14, 2005 Meeting with Student No. 1:December 12, 2005 Meeting with Student Nos. 2 & 4:December 2, 2005 Meeting with Student No. 3:December 8, 2005 The final was worth 100 points with a 10 bonus question. Prof. Isiah Warner Fall 2005

Presidential Recognition White House Oval Office November 16, 2007

Reflection Questions What’s the difference, if any, between studying for finals and learning the material that the final exam will cover? What learning strategies have worked for you so far? How many of your final grades will be determined by your final exam score?

Prerequisites for Success Mastery of all Concepts (not rote memorization!) Realistic Study Schedule Effective Use of Resources (office hours, tutorial room, etc.) Managing Anxiety

Reflection Question Have you ever experienced a situation in which fear (or nervousness) made you unable to do something you were actually capable of?

Result of Anxiety? Presidential Swearing In Ceremony

So, What Can You Do for Finals? Spend enough time reviewing and mastering the material Aim for 100% mastery Use office hours for clarification Use the Study Cycle with Intense Study Sessions Study information carefully to avoid careless mistakes

Answer the following questions:* In baseball, how many outs are there in an inning? A rancher has 33 head of cattle standing in a field, when suddenly a bolt of lightning kills all but 9 of them. How many head of cattle are left standing? Some months have 31 days, and some months have 30 days. But how many have 28 days? Two U.S. coins are worth a total of $0.30, and one of them is not a nickel. What are the coins? *

Exam Preparation Stage I Before the Exam Use The Study Cycle Utilize Intensive Study Sessions Organize the information

The Study Cycle Phase One: Read or preview chapters to be covered in class… before class (Create chapter maps) Phase Two: Go to Class. Listen actively, take notes, participate in class Phase Three:Review and process class notes as soon as possible after class Phase Four: Incorporate Intense Study Sessions Repeat

(The “Power Hour” ) 2 minutesSet a goal for the next 50 minutes 50 minutesStudy with ACTION and FOCUS 10 minutesTake a break 5 minutesReview what you have just studied Now begin your next study session with another goal! Read your text, highlight, fill in your notes with more detail, create mnemonics, create maps, predict test questions, practice recall… (Part II) Work in 2-4 sessions each day. (Make them shorter if necessary) Intense Study Session

Review all of last week’s notes/materials from Chemistry Review all of last week’s notes/materials from Sociology Weekend Review 3:00 - 3:45 4:00 – 4:45 5:00-5:45 5:45 – 7:00 7:00-… Review all of last week’s notes/materials from Math Take a longer break Example: Continue with other course work… Simply review and quiz yourself on information from your notes, text and other course material. Make note of anything that still does not quite make sense. (Be sure to follow up with the faculty or a tutor to work on this information.) Not only review notes from this last week, but also the week before that AND the week before that. (Part III)

Get the Most Out of Lecture Arrive early Actively participate Review notes soon after class Rethink all examples covered in class

Exam Preparation Stage II 1 – 2 Weeks Before the Exam Plan Final Exam Review Determine the type and scope of the exam Construct Practice Exam with Friends Aim for 100% Mastery!!! Locate Exam Room Double check time of exam Eat Well, Sleep Well, and Exercise Visualize Success!

Survey the Task Gather Information from... instructor text lecture notes to answer the following questions: 1. What will the test cover? 2. Is it comprehensive or non-comprehensive? 3. What kinds of questions will be used? 4. How many questions (of each type)? 5. Where/when will the test be given? 6. Will I need any special test materials?

Schedule Enough Time Make a “Master To Do” list List specific details (chapters to read, study exercises, etc.) How much time do I need to study for each class? Create a study schedule How much time do I have before the exam? Where and what kinds of time-blocks do I have available? How will I distribute my study time? Create intermediate deadlines Schedule time for fun Schedule time for consolidation

Study Schedule - Task Oriented MondayThursday French Ch. 6,7 *French Exam at 2 p.m.. Johnson article Math Assignment Math assignment Comm. articles TuesdayFriday French Ch. 8, 9 Comm. Ch. 10, 11 Lab assignmentMake weekend study Comm. Ch. 9 schedule Wednesday Study Group Review/Self-test Saturday Math assignment Review/Self-test

Organize The Information Prepare charts or summary sheets Integrate notes with text information Make concept maps Predict test questions Memorize, create mnemonics Aim for 100% mastery!

Memorize Thoroughly Intend to remember Overlearn Preview/review frequently RECITE and WRITE! Learn in as many ways/modalities as possible Visually, kinesthetically, by association, organization (e.g. outline or map), study group… Focus attention – lose the cell phone dependency! Schedule time for assimilation Learn a variety of ways to trigger memory

Counting Vowels in 30 seconds How accurate are you?

Review Lecture notes and textbook notes Study Sheets and study group notes Self-tests Index Cards Old exams (retake them!) Textbook CD’s (with practice tests)

Tips for Science and Math Exams Develop a list of types of problems Develop problem solving protocols (steps for solving types of problems) Develop a practice test with randomly arranged problems Practice solving problems quickly

Exam Preparation Stage III Day of the Exam Calmly rehearse facts, formulas, ideas Perform deep breathing to relax Use positive self-talk Arrive at the exam room a few minutes early; not too early! Visualize success!

Exam Preparation Stage IV During the Exam Perform deep breathing to relax; use positive self-talk Write down formulas on exam before you begin Read the directions VERY carefully; listen for additional directions; ask for clarification Survey the exam and budget your time Share what you know! And you know it all!!! Expect memory blocks Visualize success!

Answer the following questions:* If there are five apples, and you take away three, how many do you have? Lee's parents emigrated from China. They have five children. The first four are named La, Le, Li, and Lo. How did they spell the name of the fifth? A red house is made from red bricks, a blue house is made from blue bricks, and a pink house is made from pink bricks. What is a greenhouse made from? *

Tips for Multiple Choice Tests Try to answer the question WITHOUT looking at the choices Look at one option at a time, and treat each answer as a true or false question Note that the longest choice is often correct Read all choices before settling on one Note answers with “all of the above” etc.

Tips for True False Tests Watch for words such as always, never. These are usually false; but not always! Watch for words such as seldom and usually. These are often true; but not always! Use the rest of the test for information If in doubt; go with your intuition Don’t change an answer unless you’re absolutely sure you should!

Tips for Essay Tests Examine the question and organize your thoughts before you start to write Outline or map your response before you write Have a beginning, middle, and end If you run out of time, outline the remaining questions for partial credit Proofread your answers; make sure all are grammatically correct!

Exam Preparation Stage V After the Exam Plan Leave the area promptly; don’t talk about the test Let it go! Reward yourself for your hard work Resume preparation for next examination or celebrate that all your exams are over! If your final grade is lower than you expected, ask to see your final exam at beginning of the next term. There may have been a grading mistake.

Use Concept Mapping for Preparation and for Essay Exams

Create a Chapter Map Title of Chapter Primary Headings Subheadings Secondary Subheadings

Persuasive Writing Thesis Details Viewpoint Details Conclusion Reasons, Facts, Examples

Compare and Contrast Concept #1Concept #2 How are they similar? How are they different?

Mistakes to Avoid! Letting the time “sneak up” on you Basing your judgment of knowledge on your short term memory Letting others derail your study schedule Aiming for less than 100% mastery Failing to believe in yourself!!!

If you think you can, you will! If you think you can’t, you’re right. I KNOW you can!

The Center for Academic Success B-31 Coates Hall Unlock your excellence!!!

Please write the following: One study strategy you plan to implement to increase your mastery of course concepts and/or study for final exams. (Copy this for yourself as a constant reminder.)