My New Test Preparation Abilities

Last semester when I prepared for exams, I usually prepared the same way that I studied in high school. But from Day one, I knew that the old method was not going to work...

I only had TWO exams last semester in which I knew that I could get higher grades and know most of the material.

Right now I have a big COM 107 Exam on March 28. (Yes, it's three weeks from now) and I want to get ahead with my studying. So I decided to try out three methods that could really help me to get an easy A on the test.

Topic Outline

As a visual learner, I want to be able to see the topics that are presented to me. I chose to make a topic outline in order to divide the Main topics that are in the syllabus and divide aspects that are mentioned separately. I also chose this technique in order to study more effectively and not having to wait until my professor gives out the study guide the week before the exam.

Source Outline

Now that I have written the topics, I needed to know where they came from. So, I decided to work on another outline, this time based on the sources. I did the outline in order to find the source in a convenient easy manner.Once again, I turned to the class syllabus to organize the sources. In the syllabus, my professor always gave a source like the main textbooks to read, but I also included the lecture days in order to go over my notes and review for the exam.

Study Schedule

Now that these two important tasks are done, WHEN I am going to study?

To save time and not having to study all the material a week before the exam, I designed a study schedule with a specific topic to study every day. It's better for me to study by topic and not study the entire study material.

I already took my first COM 107 Exam that had multiple choice and short-answer questions, so I already know that the second exam will have the same format and how the professor is going to evaluate me.

For the days that I am studying, I will be using the 20 minute Test Prep to create study aids and questions based on what I was asked on the first exam.

Once again, I'm a visual learner. I have to idea to study effectively for me and that is posting my study schedule on my dorm room wall to know and not forget on what day I am supposed to study.

My Thoughts

I cannot say that all of this has worked for me fully since there is a lot of time left until the exam date, but the strategies that I'm using are starting to be helpful for my study abilities. I hope that my abilities can help me get an A on the test and that others can use my abilities to succeed in the future.