[Greenkirby21]

Kinda sad I am making this post now that since I am graduating next semester xD.

Anyone have tips on how to study for test? I feel really dumb because tests always bring my grade down. I am a very studious student. I have never skipped class, take notes, and always do my homework. In almost all of my classes my grades are 100% homework, 100% quizes, but then my test average are always low like 80's. I end up making A's in most of my courses anyways, but I feel like I am putting in wayyy to much effort as opposed to everyone else.

It seems little things always kill me. I think i have really bad memory. On our test today, everything was going pretty well, until I completely forgot the mass of an electron. Because of this, I couldn't do 3 problems completely. Once again, I am probably going to make around an 80 over something so stupid and little.

Like I said, I always do my homework. One of the questions on our test was directly the same problem from the homework. I do the homework by myself, didn't copy, yet on the test I completely forgot how to do it even though I did it less then a week ago.

I normally study 6-10 hours for a test, yet my friends/classmates do just as well as me with only 2-3 hours of studying.

Its starting to make me really mad : <. I have a test tomorrow and my morale is down because I did so bad on my test today even though I studied the entire weekend x[

[justinnum1]

Adderall

[Foodle]

You could unfortunately be one of those people that always under perform on tests. My wife is that way. She always says that's she made "stupid" mistakes on the test, but actually knew the answer.

If you'd studied as much as you say, how did you not know the mass of electron? It sounds fundamental to the class work.

Also while you may be spending a lot of time studying, are you spending it efficiently? What are you doing when you are studying? I see some students spending half their time on Facebook when they are "studying".

Finally, are you focusing on the fundamentals or on minutiae and pattern matching? Good tests will test if you know the fundamental concepts, not some random memorized factoid.

[E90SoFlo]

drugs

[Hisam135i]

Doesn't matter how many hours you study.. Matters how productive those hours are.. Try a new technique of studying

[Greenkirby21]

Originally Posted by Foodle

You could unfortunately be one of those people that always under perform on tests. My wife is that way. She always says that's she made "stupid" mistakes on the test, but actually knew the answer.

If you'd studied as much as you say, how did you not know the mass of electron? It sounds fundamental to the class work.

Also while you may be spending a lot of time studying, are you spending it efficiently? What are you doing when you are studying? I see some students spending half their time on Facebook when they are "studying".

Finally, are you focusing on the fundamentals or on minutiae and pattern matching? Good tests will test if you know the fundamental concepts, not some random memorized factoid.

I guess your right it could be my study habits. I am a CS major and taking quantum mechanics as part of my nanoscience minor. I guess when I do the homework I have all my notes with me so I easily don't think about things like memorizing constants and stuff since its right in front of me.

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by Greenkirby21

I guess your right it could be my study habits. I am a CS major and taking quantum mechanics as part of my nanoscience minor. I guess when I do the homework I have all my notes with me so I easily don't think about things like memorizing constants and stuff since its right in front of me.

I'm not advocating you go memorize a bunch of constants. The prof should have made clear which constants would be provided and which you would be responsible for knowing. If you had been doing a lot of practice questions and reviewing the problem sets, then you would have naturally memorized some common constants (like the mass of an e-) just from repeated use.

One other thing to be careful of is pattern matching rather than really learning. A lot of students will just try to match the type of question asked on an exam with stuff they'd done on problem sets or in practice exams, but a good prof will be able to come up with different kinds of questions.

Learn the fundamental concepts. Go over all lectures, problem sets, and practice exams, and you should be ok.

Oh, yeah, and GO TO CLASS. College is not an exercise in self-study (someone also needs to remind the med students of this ).

[Greenkirby21]

Originally Posted by Foodle

I'm not advocating you go memorize a bunch of constants. The prof should have made clear which constants would be provided and which you would be responsible for knowing. If you had been doing a lot of practice questions and reviewing the problem sets, then you would have naturally memorized some common constants (like the mass of an e-) just from repeated use.

One other thing to be careful of is pattern matching rather than really learning. A lot of students will just try to match the type of question asked on an exam with stuff they'd done on problem sets or in practice exams, but a good prof will be able to come up with different kinds of questions.

Learn the fundamental concepts. Go over all lectures, problem sets, and practice exams, and you should be ok.

Oh, yeah, and GO TO CLASS. College is not an exercise in self-study (someone also needs to remind the med students of this ).

Ya, I think that is more my fault. I am the only non physics major in the class(only 15 of us) and I haven't done physics since a few years ago. They probably all know it by heart just like I know many CS things by heart xD.

Don't worry, ive never skipped class ^_^

[Brey335i]

I am a CS major and I was about to suggest CS because 80% of my grade is based off other things than tests... Lol

[HotIce]

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=674004

NWS Link. Put notes on pictures.

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by Rated ///M

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=674004
NWS Link. Put notes on pictures.

If my textbooks looked like that, I would not have learned a single thing in school.

[PINeely]

Study in 20 minute sections taking a 5 minute breather between. Makes you retain information with fewer rehearsals. Get your notes and read them page to page over and over. When I do this I eventually get to where I both know the info and can see the pages in my head as I turn them. Anything that you can't remember for whatever reason write down on a sheet of paper and cram it 5 mins before the test

[yakev724]

I'm the opposite of you. I always do best on tests and HW and everything else isn't perfect, but luckily profs always value tests >> everything else

I just study to understand the concepts (esp. important in quantum and physics) and everything else kind of falls into place when I do HW problems/practice problems. I usually don't even finish them--just understand what the problem asks and make sure I know how to solve it. This approach doesn't work in all classes. Biochem was almost pure memorization for example, I spent tons of time on that class because the approach I was used to just didn't work.

**Esp. in physics classes: when you're given a formula, take 10 mins and understand it COMPLETELY. Adjust each variable in your head (or on paper/mathcad/etc.) so you understand EXACTLY what relationship it represents and how the variables are tied together. I guess this applies to all subjects, it's just much easier in bio/chem/etc. if you're used to doing it for math/physics.

If you're just doing assigned problems/assignments very punctually and handing them in, try and take a step back and imagine the bigger picture. Think about how what you're applying at a given moment fits into the rest of the class. Think about this as you're solving problems. I find it helps me to keep a mental track of a class by taking each chapter/section and imagining exactly how it fits in and why we learned it. Helps me to remember the concepts that I'll need to review for finals/exams.

You're graduating in the fall? Might help put off graduation to the spring to focus on exams/applications during the winter if that's what you're doing.

GL

[BayMoWe335]

I used to study 20 minutes, then stop for 20 and look over my book/notes again. It takes longer because you have to think about studying for more days (give yourself a week), but it's many times more effective.

I always went to class so studying was somewhat reviewing. You will do so much better if you start studying 1 week prior to the test in short bursts every day. I used to take 18 credit hours so cramming was just impossible. I think cramming for tests only works for easy majors that are straight memorization. Even then, you'll make mistakes if you cram. I was a finance major (which isn't the hardest major) but you couldn't just learn all the finance crap in one night. You'd be screwed.

Any what's with the quizzes and homework? At my school, if you made low 80s on your tests, your grade would be a B- because tests are the only grades you have. Usually 2-3 and a cumulative final. Beating.

[Greenkirby21]

Originally Posted by yakev724

I'm the opposite of you. I always do best on tests and HW and everything else isn't perfect, but luckily profs always value tests >> everything else

I just study to understand the concepts (esp. important in quantum and physics) and everything else kind of falls into place when I do HW problems/practice problems. I usually don't even finish them--just understand what the problem asks and make sure I know how to solve it. This approach doesn't work in all classes. Biochem was almost pure memorization for example, I spent tons of time on that class because the approach I was used to just didn't work.

**Esp. in physics classes: when you're given a formula, take 10 mins and understand it COMPLETELY. Adjust each variable in your head (or on paper/mathcad/etc.) so you understand EXACTLY what relationship it represents and how the variables are tied together. I guess this applies to all subjects, it's just much easier in bio/chem/etc. if you're used to doing it for math/physics.

If you're just doing assigned problems/assignments very punctually and handing them in, try and take a step back and imagine the bigger picture. Think about how what you're applying at a given moment fits into the rest of the class. Think about this as you're solving problems. I find it helps me to keep a mental track of a class by taking each chapter/section and imagining exactly how it fits in and why we learned it. Helps me to remember the concepts that I'll need to review for finals/exams.

You're graduating in the fall? Might help put off graduation to the spring to focus on exams/applications during the winter if that's what you're doing.

GL

thats true. A lot of times I forget about the importance of equations. A lot of questions on the test actually could have just been answered by just looking at the equations and how they relate. thanks for your help!

I'm already in college. I am graduating early because I took many AP courses in high school so I basically had no "freshmen year". I already got accepted into graduate school in CS so I am starting that in the spring xD.

[Catalina Wine Mixer]

Are u in college or high school

[yakev724]

Originally Posted by Greenkirby21

I'm already in college. I am graduating early because I took many AP courses in high school so I basically had no "freshmen year". I already got accepted into graduate school in CS so I am starting that in the spring xD.

I did the same - skipped my freshman year in physics. Ended up changing up my direction and grab a second major instead of graduating early.

CS and coding in general I think is very conceptual (though you've probably done way more than me). I'm sure the best way is just experience.

[bugmcw]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

Adderall

+1000000000000000000

[dtwyim]

Practise on old exams.

[ZJP]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

Adderall

You beat me to it.

[DARK_M3]

Cheat

[MisterSkiMask]

I was a big believer in making flash cards. You remember because you wrote it, then you can do some reps with the material very efficiently when you have a few spare minutes.