SOAR Ch. 12-13

The best way to study for a test is:

• Spend a few solid hours of non-stop studying the night before a test.

• Do your reading and homework on time and review your notes every day.

• Save all your papers, quizzes, and tests, and wait until the day before the test to study them.

• Pull "all-nighters" to get as much information as possible into your brain immediately before taking the test.

Preparing a study guide…

• Should be based only on what the teacher tells you about the test.

• Means spending many hours, the night before a test, rewriting all of your notes.

• Is automatically done for you when you use questions to read your textbooks and study your notes.

• Only needs to be done for big tests, like final exams.

When your teacher gives you a study guide, you should:

• Ignore your notes and textbook; the study guide is all you need.

• Ignore it because you have already made your own study guide.

• Stop paying attention in class; the study guide has all the answers you'll need for the test.

• Use it to help you decide what to focus on the night or two before the test.

The night before a test, you should

• Spend 30-60 minutes reviewing your notes, homework, and textbook, then quiz yourself by talking aloud.

• Spend a few solid hours studying, non-stop

• Reread everything in the textbook that will be covered on the test.

• Look over your work for a minute. You don't need to spend any more time on it because you've taken notes and done your homework.

When you first get your test, you should do all of the following, EXCEPT:

• Read the directions.

• Read ALL questions before answering any of them.

• Jump into the first test question and move through the test as quickly as possible.

• Write down any information you had to memorize for the test, such as: formulas, important dates, names, etc.

What should you do if you get to a question for which you don't know the answer?

• Slow down and spend as much time as you need thinking or solving the problem.

• Ask your teacher for clues or hints.

• Mark the question, skip it, and move on. Come back to it if you have time.

If you are stuck on a multiple-choice test, all of the following are helpful tips, EXCEPT:

• After reading the question, try to think of the right answer before reading the options.

• Read ALL answers carefully. Some answers may sound correct, but have subtle errors.

• Statistics show that answer "A" is the most common correct answer, so when in doubt, always choose answer "A."

• Select the answer with the most words; it's most likely to be the right answer.

All of the following are important tips for essay questions, EXCEPT:

• Begin your answer by restating the question.

• Write neatly.

• Since time is usually a factor, just get started with writing; you can always go back and edit.

• Write a brief outline in the margin to help you write an organized response. Your teacher may only read your outline, anyway.

What is the main reason people struggle with writing?

• They aren’t comfortable using language.

• They aren't clear about their purpose for writing

• They get distracted by spelling issues and struggle to focus on writing.

• There get confused with too many complicated grammar rules.

What is the "80/20 Power Strategy" for writing good papers, with ease?

• Turn all topics to address into questions.

• Set a time limit for writing; spend 80% of the time writing and 20% on reviewing/editing.

• Write all of your thoughts down as they come to you and have somebody else edit.

• Set a time limit for writing; spend 20% of the time writing and 80% on reviewing/editing.