Test Prep: An Example from a Current Metro Student​

 

Note: This article is based on another article titled “How-to: Test Preparation.” Read that article before proceeding with this one.  

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Reviewing and Memorizing Notes:

In my experience, reviewing notes is best done by writing down all of the topics that will be on the test. Typically I do this by writing down topics by day/lecture and then further breaking those topics into the subtopics that were taught that day. 

For my Linear Algebra class, I had an upcoming midterm where I listed the topics in this way. For most classes, this can be a lot shorter. The key is listing everything that will be on the test, even the topics that you are confident about. For each lecture, I listed the general topic, then listed bullet points of smaller subtopics. After going through notes from each lecture, I identified the topics I felt unsure about and needed more practice.

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Utilize Provided Materials:

My professor was kind enough to provide a list of topics that we should focus on while studying. For these topics, I broke each down based on the procedure required to solve problems. If a teacher provides study materials, they should be one of the first materials you look at after listing all exam topics because the study materials will almost always be tailored to the exam. In my case, the relatively short list below detailed nearly everything that was on the test. This kept test surprises to a minimum and made the midterm go a lot smoother. 

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While this was the only form of “study guide” provided, it still proved very useful.

 

 

Find Outside Resources:

While I mainly used the lecture notes,  I also utilized a few outside resources to prepare for my midterm. Archived lecture notes, as well as the textbook, detailed more than enough information for most topics. The type of resources that will help the most depends on the student, but I found videos and web pages explaining the material the most beneficial. I used Google and Youtube to find resources for some material. Online calculators also proved invaluable to check my answers.

 

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Teach Someone Else:

Teaching someone else the topics of my midterm would have been difficult because I likely would not have had the time to be able to find someone given that I had little time. Instead, I talked with one of my friends about many of the topics my class was learning. Because they are taking honors linear algebra, the content was similar, but not quite the same. Although our conversation did not involve working problems, explaining and conceptualizing the somewhat abstract topics left me with a better understanding. Even if it is a short conversation, reasoning through exam material with someone else can be very beneficial and get you closer to fully understanding the material.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get in the Mindset and Relax:

Every so often, I would take breaks from studying. Breaks are very important because they help you reset In the end, breaks helped me stay focused in the long run.

An hour before the test, I stepped away from studying and did my best to calm my mind so that I wouldn't feel mentally drained during the test.

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Using good test prep strategies will help you immensely in all of your classes. Start building good study habits now!

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By: Drew Pang 

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