Advice..?

[WindsorsDaughter]

So my finals are this week and I have horrible test anxiety .. I know all the stuff before the test but during the test I blank , get confused, question my answers, etc. I usually make flash cards but most of these finals aren't like that.

Any advice on how to study? Tricks to tests? Or ways to reinforce the knowledge into my brain.

I'd ask my mom but I usually end up in tears, and I already gave her a mini heart attack calling her balling my eyes out between classes on Tuesday because she thought I got in an accident because I started crying before I said hello.

Thoughts are appreciated.

[colchar]

Sorry Dear, I don't have much advice on taking tests/exams as I've never been all that great at them myself (I usually prefer writing essays). Plus, I doubt the types of exams I took on History classes will be anything like the ones you take.

The only thing that ever worked for me was to read the material (actually, your study notes on the material) over and over and over and over and over again. But be sure to only do one subject for about an hour before switching to another subject. Keep switching about every hour so that you don't start skimming or missing things because you have just read the info a short time ago and are now reading it again. I find that switching keeps me fresh on each subject so that, when it comes back around in the rotation, I'm not sick of it and haven't just read it a few minutes before. I find that, if I really know the material, I am less anxious during the actual exam.

The other thing to think about is that, if your grades are good going into the exam, you don't need to do as well on it to keep your grade as you would if you were doing poorly and needed to improve your grade. Plus, if you have done well throughout the semester and just don't take exams well, that can be taken into account when calculating your final grade - we know this happens and tend to look at the totality of the semester's work when figuring out final grades. Knowing that might help relieve some of your anxieties.

If you have any History courses then definitely post what they are as I can figure them out for you in a few minutes and will be able to tell you what to study and what to ignore so that you don't waste time studying stuff you won't need to know on the exam. Plus, I've graded hundreds of them so I know exactly what they are looking for even if it is outside my area of expertise.

[Lavabe]

So my finals are this week and I have horrible test anxiety .. I know all the stuff before the test but during the test I blank , get confused, question my answers, etc. I usually make flash cards but most of these finals aren't like that.

Any advice on how to study? Tricks to tests? Or ways to reinforce the knowledge into my brain.

I'd ask my mom but I usually end up in tears, and I already gave her a mini heart attack calling her balling my eyes out between classes on Tuesday because she thought I got in an accident because I started crying before I said hello.

Thoughts are appreciated.

I can speak from about 11 years of university teaching and advising experience in the social sciences. I can give you the usual spiel I give my students on how to pass a class (and how to fail a class). Be more specific:
1) What kinds of classes (in which departments) pose the most issues? Are these within or outside your major?
2) What kinds of tests (m-choice, essay, etc...) pose the most issues? the fewest issues?
3) When did the anxiety first surface?
4) What exams do you prefer? [NOTE: "NONE" is an unacceptable response]]
5) Is it any different between final exams and regular exams?
6) Forgive me, but what year are you? Are we talking mostly large survey classes or smaller seminar/writing intensive classes?

Gee, I only had to deal with this issue with a borderline student only a couple of days ago!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[colchar]

4) [NOTE: "NONE" is an unacceptable response]]

The stock comment we all use to undergrads off at the pass ;)

[rockymtn devil]

I think study techniques vary from person to person. I have a specific studying style that I've applied from high school through college, law school, and bar prep that works well for me. Most people think I'm crazy, but nonetheless, here it is.

First, I make an outline of my notes for the entirety of the class. The outline includes all relevant material (meaning it isn't meant as a summary) and I generally do it in chronological order, bolding subject headings and titles. Now that students generally use computers to take notes (that wasn't the case even when I was at Duke from 2000-2004), making the outline is pretty easy.

Next, I find myself a room in which I can get up and move around. I treat the outline like a script, going through it and repeating out loud its contents (while pacing, hence the need for a room you can move around in). After going through it a couple of times, I try and move "off script" so that I can look at the bolded headings and then repeat the substance without needing to actually look at the outline.

If possible, once I'm comfortable with the script, I tackles practice problems to test my application.

The pacing/talking out loud is what generally weirds people out, but it works for me. Good luck!

[DevilAlumna]

So my finals are this week and I have horrible test anxiety .. I know all the stuff before the test but during the test I blank , get confused, question my answers, etc. I usually make flash cards but most of these finals aren't like that.

Any advice on how to study? Tricks to tests? Or ways to reinforce the knowledge into my brain.

I'd ask my mom but I usually end up in tears, and I already gave her a mini heart attack calling her balling my eyes out between classes on Tuesday because she thought I got in an accident because I started crying before I said hello.

Thoughts are appreciated.

I really don't have much good advice for you, WD, but off the top of my head: your first answer is usually right; if all else fails, go for partial credit; and I found that listening to music while studying (the same artist per subject) did somewhat make information recall a little easier.

I'd say just try to relax, be confident that you know what you need to know, and remember that in the big picture, grades don't matter for much, but I also know that that's not very comforting advice given the week ahead of you.

So, I'm sending some finals-week vibes your way, that you get through it okay and head on to Beach Week!!! (Or whatever the "kids" are doing these days ;) )

[Sue71]

I always found that first studying on my own, and then getting together in a group worked best for me. I think it had to do with saying it out loud/hearing it, & the reinforcement that comes with it helps me. Plus if I was forced to explain something to another member of the group who didn't understand it, that was another form of reinforcement.