The J-TAC

Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: News

Media Credit: umt.edu In order to fully prepare for a test, both the physical and mental aspects of the take must be taken into consideration.

At this week's session of "Enhancing Your Study Skills," Student Success Program Coordinator, Diane Rodriguez, discussed techniques used in "College Test Taking."

Rodriguez said that in order to fully prepare for an exam, students must look at both the physical and mental aspects involved. She said students should get a full night's sleep prior to test taking and eat a healthy meal to be physically prepared. Students should also prepare mentally by trying to relax, designing a study plan and joining a study group or tutoring.

"If you have a test on Friday, you're not going to study Thursday," Rodriguez said. "You need to study two weeks to one week ahead of time and plan your time wisely."

She also told students to be prepared for the exam day itself by knowing information such as seat assignment, the length and format of the exam or penalties against guessing. Rodriguez said one way to get an idea of what is on a test is to speak with students who have already completed the course.

She then gave students tips to take into consideration while taking a test. She said to relax and do breathing exercises rather than taking medication and not to linger on difficult questions. Rodriquez told students not to become distracted if other students finish their exam first, to ask for clarification when necessary and to use clues to help jog their memory while taking the test. She also encouraged students to double-check their work before handing it in.

For multiple choice exams, Rodriguez said to try and answer the question before looking at the options. She said to mark out incorrect choices and read all options before making a choice. She also said students should avoid second-guessing themselves and skip questions they do not know the answer to and come back to fill in the blanks later. She told students, if all else fails, to go ahead and guess.

Strategies for taking a true or false test include watching for absolutes such as "always" or "never." Rodriguez said that this kind of phrasing usually indicates that the answer is false, which relative words such as "some" indicates that the answer is true. She said to remember that if part of the question is false, then the answer is false and encouraged students to go with their hunch.

Rodriguez said that when taking short answer exams, students should write clear, logical and brief answers. She told students to avoid adding excess information, as it suggests they do not understand the concepts.

"Put what you know about that topic and don't put anything extra because they're going to think you're babbling," Rodriguez said.

She also told students that when taking essay exams, to read the question carefully, outline key ideas for a clear and coherent thesis statement. She said to develop the main body of the essay to support the thesis statement and to conclude by summarizing these points. Rodriguez told students to watch their grammar, spelling and punctuation and to use humor when it fits. She also said to make sure the question is fully answered before completing the essay.

"Enhancing Your Study Skills" meets every Monday and Tuesday at noon in the Multipurpose Room of the Dick Smith Library. For more information or a schedule of upcoming topics, visit www.tarleton.edu/~success/studyskills.

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