1 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Chapter Eight Decisions About Study and Test Taking

2 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Learning Outcomes 1.How to prepare yourself for studying 2.Ways to organize study materials 3.Options for practicing and remembering content 4.Online resources for test preparation 5.How to lower your test anxiety 6.How to perform well on exams 7.How to use returned exams to improve future test performance

3 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Decisions About Study Preparation Decide when and where to study Find a secluded study site Set learning goals and use time management strategies Pace yourself

4 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Deciding How Much and What to Study You decide how much you need to study Create a study checklist of topics to address –What does the test cover? –Is the test comprehensive? –What is the format of the test: objective, multiple- choice, true-false, or subjective essay or short answer? –What levels of thinking will I be expected to use? –How much does the test count toward my final grade? –What special materials will I need for the test? –What time constraints affect my study time?

5 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Deciding Whom to Study With: Alone or in Groups Studying on your own –Group member can not let you down Studying with others –share information, active learning, encouragement and support –valuable way for you to meet others and get involved in campus life

6 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Getting the Most From Your Study Group 1.Select group members who have similar academic interests and dedication to the success of the group 2.Seek group members with similar skills and motivation 3.Limit group size to five or fewer students 4.State the purpose and lifetime of the group 5.Schedule regular group meetings at the same time and place 6.Get aquatinted

7 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Organizing Study Materials Organize with charts and maps helps you actively divide and conquer the materials you need to learn through association

8 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Charts Summarize and categorize information 1.Make a vertical list of the concepts you want to use in comparing each concept 2.List horizontally the factors you want to use in comparing each concept 3.Draw a grid by sketching lines between each concept and each factor 4.Locate and record the information that fills each box of the grid

9 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Concept Maps Organize ideas graphically by showing relationships among them 1.Chose a work or phrase that represent yours subject or topic 2.Write the word or phrase at the top or center of a page 3.On a separate sheet of paper, list information about the topic details 4.Examine the elements 5.Choose the type of idea map that best represents the relationships you identify 6.Lay out the information 7.Draw lines or arrows to indicate relationships

10 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Choices for Practicing and Remembering Content Practice needs to be an active process Practice in the form you expect to face during your exam Be realistic about the amount of time that you can concentrate Use mnemonics –Set of techniques for improving your memory skills

11 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Using Online Tools for Test Preparation Software available for concept mapping Use an online flashcard generator or virtual flashcards Search your cell phone for study applications

12 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Overcoming Test Anxiety Figure out what stresses you and why Replace negative messages with positive ones Practice! Use visualization Remember to relax Be prepared and ready to deal with memory blocks

13 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Choices for Exam Success Make sure you are mentally prepared Get to the exam on time Read the exam directions carefully Preview the test Answer the easiest questions first Work at your own pace Review your questions and answers if you have time

14 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Taking Objective Exams Require that you recognize or reason out information from the options that you are given –Look at the stem and try to create an answer before reading the your choices –Make your best guess and then move on –Double negatives cancel each other out –Watch for responses that are essentially the same

15 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Answering Essay Questions Require you to write answers in essay or paragraph form –Consider choosing a title for your essay or response –Take a few minutes to outline your response –Standard essay format matters –Do a final reading and make sure you have answered the question

16 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Taking Math and Applied Science Exams Review class notes Look at example problems in your textbook Find additional problems and create for yourself a test similar to the one you think your instructor will give

17 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Taking Online Exams Make sure you know how to access the test Check and see if the test is timed Know your material even if it is an open-book test

18 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Ethical Academic Behavior Ethics –Standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in certain situations Virtue Ethics –What kind of person will I become if I do this? –Is this action consistent with acting at my best? Instructors Expect –You know the consequences of cheating Each college has a written code of conduct

19 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill After-Exam Analysis Reviewing your test helps you see what test- taking strategies work and which do not Look for patterns and information on how your instructor structured the test Use strategic planning