Exam Prep

I was thrilled when I found out this week's topic was Exam Prep-- I just happen to have two mid terms coming up. I usually put off studying till about 2 or so days before the exam, if not the night before. This probably explains why I do not always do so well on exams. I have never been a good test taker, and being unprepared doesn't help either. Because I am a very kinesthetic and visual learner, the best study aides come in the form of note cards, study guides-- things I can visually read as well as actively participate in.

So this week I decided that doing the 20 minute test prep would be the most effective way to prepare for my up coming exams. This technique has always worked for me in the past, so I know I can trust it. Here's a few reasons why it works for me:

1. It's Quick and Easy- It's name gives it away. The 20 minute test prep is great because it doesn't take up all your time. Sitting for long period of time and studying is never fun, and that isn't a problem this strategy. Depending on the class and the amount of notes of takes in it, this strategy can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes.
2. It's flexible- I feel like there is never enough hours in a day and sometimes working in time to study just isn't an option. The 20 minute test prep is great in that it doesn't take up a lot of time and its easy to do it whenever and where ever
3. It Works- If you do the 20 minute test prep, it is almost impossible for you to do poorly on the exam. You have so many materials to help you succeed such as the study guides , note cards, and test questions created during this strategy. Both of my classes have a lot of terminology so I found note cards extremely useful this past week. I sometimes even color coordinate my note cards!

So this week I kind of combined two strategies into one. I have two tests coming up, one in HTW 318 and the other in CFS 388. Obviously, I chose to do the 20 minute test prep because I know I can trust it. Also, as an introduction to the Experiment project we are starting, we got assigned to create a source and topic outline. Since they both are used for exam prep, I just did them together in my two classes.

Source Outline- This is great because it may not be extremely specific, but it gives you an overview of where all the key information for your exam is. Being able to look at my source outline and automaticall

y know all the places I can find certain information makes my life so much easier. In HTW my source outline was a lot more helpful because we use more sources in that class. In CFS we basically only have two sources where as HTW we have 3.

Topic Outline- I see the topic outline as a more specific version of the source outline. It takes the sources and breaks them down by topic. I have also been trying to improve on my organization skills and the topic outline helps me with it.

Overall, I had a great week doing exam prep and feel very confident that I will do well on my upcoming exams!