Psycho-Babble Students Thread 578446

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Study tips?

Posted by Gee on November 13, 2005, at 22:25:10

Does anyone have any study tips? No matter how hard I study I can't seem to get above 70% on tests. It's like I blank out or something. I do really well on assignments. Any suggestions?

 

Re: Study tips?

Posted by Maynerd on November 14, 2005, at 17:35:03

In reply to Study tips?, posted by Gee on November 13, 2005, at 22:25:10

Do you feel that you are learning the information but having problems at test time? I have two friends, one has an anxiety disorder and the other has a BP disorder, who have this problem. What they did was get permission from the school to take their tests in a quiet, secluded environment which helps them tremendously. If you do well on assignments but not exams this may be an option for you to look into, both friends have brought their grades out of the abyss since starting this.
Do your profs post their lecture notes on blackboard or any other digital format? If so it is always good to print them out and take lecture notes on the printouts. The reason for this is divided attention, when you are busy writing what they have on the board or overhead projector you cannot fully attend to all the extra details that tie everything together. If your profs don't provide their notes online, suggest to them that they should. I work in a cognition research lab and have seen and read enough data that supports this.

 

Re: Study tips?

Posted by Gee on November 15, 2005, at 13:46:05

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by Maynerd on November 14, 2005, at 17:35:03

Doing my tests in a different environment might help. I'm not sure. None of my profs provide notes on line. Last year a couple did, and I found it better for me to write everything down instead of just making notes on the print out version. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to talk to my profs and see

 

Re: Study tips? » Gee

Posted by rainbowbrite on November 15, 2005, at 16:13:26

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by Gee on November 15, 2005, at 13:46:05

talk to the disablity department. Im sure they can arrange something for notes. I dont really have any good study tips. Except maybe ask the prof for direction in where to focus your studying. The less there is the better. You could try repeating things outload when you study

 

Re: Study tips? » Gee

Posted by alexandra_k on November 15, 2005, at 22:43:35

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by Gee on November 15, 2005, at 13:46:05

What kind of tests?
Multiple choice?
Short answer?
Essay?

> I found it better for me to write everything down instead of just making notes on the print out version.

Yeah. It is like when you are reading notes... Highlighting isn't typically so helpful...
Rephrasing it and writing it in your own words helps more because you have made the information meaningful to you.

I'm not sure what to suggest.

Can you get past years exams and study with those in mind?

Sometimes... There are fairly predictible patterns in the types of questions they ask.

 

Re: Study tips?

Posted by Gee on November 16, 2005, at 21:35:36

In reply to Re: Study tips? » Gee, posted by rainbowbrite on November 15, 2005, at 16:13:26

We have an online test bank, and if the prof's have any old tests they'll be on there. But since the tests are student donated, not many of the profs let students take tests home after they're done... I don't think I'm making much sense

Maybe I just need to study more. Maybe it's my use of time or something. It just gets frustrating when I think I know something so well and then don't do very well on the tests.

Thanks for the tips. I'll keep them in mind while I'm studying

 

Re: Study tips? » Gee

Posted by rainbowbrite on November 16, 2005, at 22:34:21

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by Gee on November 16, 2005, at 21:35:36

> We have an online test bank, and if the prof's have any old tests they'll be on there. But since the tests are student donated, not many of the profs let students take tests home after they're done... I don't think I'm making much sense
>

nope you made lotsa sense. I know what you mean


> Maybe I just need to study more. Maybe it's my use of time or something. It just gets frustrating when I think I know something so well and then don't do very well on the tests.
>

could you find a study group? thats always helpful.
These things may sound trivial but do you get a good nights sleep before tests? Do you eat before? do you study for an extended period befor each test or cram? Preparing ahead really helps you retain info. Ive also found that if I study in very small chunks, that I retain more. I have difficulties with it too, I know how frustrating it is.

 

Re: Study tips?

Posted by alexandra_k on November 16, 2005, at 22:44:21

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by Gee on November 16, 2005, at 21:35:36

> We have an online test bank, and if the prof's have any old tests they'll be on there. But since the tests are student donated, not many of the profs let students take tests home after they're done... I don't think I'm making much sense

That makes perfect sense. Over here... In psychology especially... The people who write the text book typically write some multiple choice tests too. The lecturers can purchase them to save them writing their own. And the text book writers make sure people are penalised for not purchasing the current edition of the text book... Anyway... The tests are closely guarded. You aren't allowed to keep them. You can view a copy with a copy of your paper in a closed room but thats all.

> Maybe I just need to study more.

Maybe...
Do you have an estimated number of hours of study that you are supposed to devote to each course per week?

>Maybe it's my use of time or something.

Maybe. I think there might be... I think I found some study tips for all different kinds of assessment somewhere... From Dr Bob's homepage or somewhere like that. Might be worth a look... There were links to study tips that a variety of universities etc had written to try and help their students.

>It just gets frustrating when I think I know something so well and then don't do very well on the tests.

Yeah. That is frustrating. What kind of thing are you studying? I mean... Is it to do with remembering facts or to do with understanding concepts or what sort of thing???

 

Re: Study tips?

Posted by Gee on November 17, 2005, at 13:39:43

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by alexandra_k on November 16, 2005, at 22:44:21

I'm a french major, pre B.Ed.. So my courses are really all over the place. I have a lot of facts to know, but psych is mostly conceptual which makes it really hard. All the child development theories... my goodness! And french, well it's basically umm... knowing the words and the tenses? Right now, I'm scared. I have to have a 3.0 GPA to get into Ed (which is about 75%) and right now I have about a 70.

If I remember, for every hour in the class room you should be doing about 2.5 hours of "homework".

Do you study on a schedual, or just kinda whenever?

 

Re: Study tips? » Gee

Posted by alexandra_k on November 17, 2005, at 22:03:21

In reply to Re: Study tips?, posted by Gee on November 17, 2005, at 13:39:43

> I'm a french major, pre B.Ed..

Cool :-)

> All the child development theories... my goodness!

Ah. Hmm. What I do... This is how I do it from reading the relevant section of the text / readings / lecture notes. Start with a piece of paper and write the name of the theory and the associated people on the top of the page. (Then don't look and try and remember the name and the people involved). If you can't do it then have a look and repeat it a couple of times. Then look away and try and remember. Repeat till done. Then read a bit... And summarise the first MAIN point (in a sentance). Can you remember the name of the theory and the people involved (without looking?). What was the main point you just noted? Read it if you have to then look away and try again (repeat as needed) Then read to the next main point. Can you remember the theory and the people? How about the first main point? How about the second? And so on... I try and do that to end up with maybe 5-10 main points per theory. (Depending on how many theories you have to do. If you have HEAPS one or two might be sufficient. If you don't have many theories then 7 or 10 might be more like it). Pays to focus on the points that compare / contrast to the other theories. Sometimes you can come up with funny sayings to help you remember. JAMES got his WILLIE PIERCED (its about what you DO with it) is how my study group managed to remember that WILLIAM JAMES and PIERCE are PRAGMATISTS (truth is about how useful it is - or what you can 'do' with the truth). Heh heh.

You remember things better if you are ACTIVE in the way you study. Ask yourself questions (that are likely to come up in the test). We had lots of multi-guess so lots of questions like 'Who of the following are associated with behaviourism?' and I found that method of study to be perfect for that. In the end... You should have maybe 5 or 7 sentances or something like that associated with each theory. Then you can read the section again (that pertains from the point). Look away and try and remember the main points from the paragraph... Eventually... Remembering the sentance should bring the paragraph from the book back to you (handy for writing an essay). Eventually... You can get the points on cue cards. Maybe just have one word to 'cue' the sentance which 'cues' a paragraph. Takes time... But thats how I studied for psychology.

Worked for me at any rate...

And french, well it's basically umm... knowing the words and the tenses?

Hmm. I don't know anything about languages sorry.

> Right now, I'm scared. I have to have a 3.0 GPA to get into Ed (which is about 75%) and right now I have about a 70.

Close though... Thats pretty close.
How about some kind of study group?
They can be terrific if you get a group of people who are into it. I try and seek out adult students because they tend to be dilligent ;-)

> Do you study on a schedual, or just kinda whenever?

Hmm. I don't really study anymore. Don't have classes anymore. I guess... In psychology we could download the powerpoint presentation lecture notes before the lecture. I'd try and read them before going to the lecture. I'd also try and read the relevant section of the text / readings before going to the lecture. In the lecture... I'd write a little explanation of the point (if it wasn't obvious all by itself). And I'd really try and actively listen in the lecture and follow what they were saying on the ppt. Then after the lecture... Read the ppt again. Read the relevant section of the text again. When the assessment was getting close I'd shove my hand in the air and ask whether we were going to be assessed mostly from the ppt or from the readings so I knew where to focus my study... Usually... The ppt was a summary of the text. And we were tested on the ppt. So... The ppt would become my 'main points' and the text would become 'cued' from the 'main points' for the purposes of an essay...

But... I didn't have a life and probably worked much too hard really ;-)

ppt's still swim before me when I'm getting off to sleep sometimes ;-)


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