Preparing for Final Exams

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Preparing for Final Exams
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Final Exams

• Ready!
• Set!
• Go!

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Get Ready Prepare Yourself

• Prioritize, set goals, know where you stand in
  your classes, how much this grade counts, other
  grades, grading policy, etc.
• Check the exam schedule to see when your exams
  will be held
• Know the rules about final exams See UT Finals
  Policies Office of the Ombudsman

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UT Ombudsman Final Exam Rules

• There is no rule limiting the number of finals a
  student can take on one day
• No exam worth over 30 of the final grade can be
  given in the last class week or during class days

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Get it Together

• Collect all materials, lecture notes, old exams,
  homework, readings
• Talk to professor/TA
• Set a plan with your study group
• Accept Your limits
• Develop a master plan of to do lists

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Get Set Plan Ahead

• You have _____ weeks to plan
• Make a Master To Do List
• Make a schedule

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Master To Do Lists
Read Review Read Review Biology
Ch 3-4 ? ? Ch 5 ?
? Ch 6 ? ? Ch 7-9
? ? Ch 10 ? ? Ch
11-12 ? ? Math Ch 4-5 ?
? Ch 6-8 ? ? Redo Homework
Ch 4 ? Ch 5 ? Ch 6 ? Ch 7 ? Ch 8 ? Psy
Ch 1-2 ? ? Ch 3-4 ?
? Practice essay exam questions ?
Etc
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Another To Do List
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Example Time Inventory For FinalsClass Hours
16, Work Hours 12, Final Exam Hours 10Final
Exam Study Hours 45.5, TOTAL 83.5

• French
• Translation 2
• Grammar 2
• Conjugation 2
• Vocabulary 2 Total 8
• Biology
• Ch. 18 2
• Ch. 19 2
• Ch. 20 2
• Review Ch. 18 1.5
• Review Ch. 19 1.5
• Review Ch. 20 1.5 Total 10.5

• History
• Ch. 15-17 2
• Ch. 18-20 2
• Weeks 1-4 Notes 2
• Weeks 4-8 Notes 2
• Weeks 8-12 Notes 2
• Review 3 Total 13
• Math
• Linear Equations 2
• Quadratic Equations 2
• Polynomials 2
• Functions 2
• Review 6 Total 14

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WEEKLY PLANNING SCHEDULE  
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(No Transcript)
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Monthly Calendar
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Time Management

• Break larger tasks apart Distributive Study
• Vary the subjects you study
• Take breaks Use 1 hour study sessions
• Do the hardest tasks when you feel your best
• Remember that most tasks take twice as long as
  initially anticipated
• Have tasks ready to do during wait/travel time

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Intense Study Sessions

• 2 - 5 minutes Set goals for next 40 min.
• 30 - 40 minutes Read text more
  selectively/highlight
• Make doodles/notes in margins
• Create mnemonics, work examples
• Create maps
• 5 minutes Review what you have just studied
• 10 minutes Take a break
• Repeat

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Final Exams are no Time to Forget Your Priorities

• Get enough sleep
• Eat healthy food
• Exercise
• Study
• Allow time for recreation

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Go Study Smart

• Library time You can more without distractions
• Study Actively Set goals and reward yourself
• Diversify Use different study methods
  reading, practice problems, reviewing homework
• Overlearning practice, practice, practice
• Do some homework problems twice

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Review Sheets

• Outline Review, various formats, 1- 10 pages
• Review charts, matrices, and index cards
• Concept Maps, Matrices, Note Cards Flow Charts
• Summary Sheets from notes/text
• Practice diagrams and drawings
• Mock exam questions

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Studying with Others

• Set an agenda
• Test each other
• Teach each other
• Compare notes, work homework problems
• Brainstorm test questions
• Make study/review sheets
• Create wall-sized mind maps

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Asking the Right Questions

• As you review, be sure to ask questions at each
  level of thinking
• Review old exams to predict possible exam
  questions
• Watch for clues in class
• Stay active Ask yourself What would you ask?

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Blooms Taxonomy
Judgment the ability to make decisions and
support views requires understanding of values
Evaluation
Combination of information to form a
unique product requires creativity and
originality
Synthesis
Identification of component parts determination
of arrangement, logic, semantics
Analysis
Use of information to solve problems transfer of
abstract or theoretical ideas to practical
situations.
Application
Identification of connections and relationships
Interpretation
Restatement in your own words paraphrase summary
Comprehension
Facts Who, what, where, when, why?
Knowledge
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How to Test Yourself

• Review each study sheet several times, asking
  questions at the various levels of thinking
• Try to make connections between terms and
  concepts
• As you find information that is difficult,
  unclear, or unfamiliar, mark it for further study
• Jot appropriate questions on the study sheet to
  help predict possible exam questions
• Practice writing, drawing, or verbalizing
  concepts

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Final Thoughts..
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Cramming

• Good only if you do not want to remember the
  material later. (Not good for classes with
  comprehensive exams).
• Cramming the night before an exam is the best way
  to retain large amounts of detailed information.

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Which is bestCramming or Spaced Learning?

• Both!
• Information is learned more accurately if it is
  learned more than once, especially if there is a
  gap in the time between the first and each
  subsequent exposure.

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Thoughts on Concentration

• Eliminate internal and external distractions
• Reconsider your goals focus your interest
• Establish a time and place for study
• Vary your tasks
• Practice actively looking is not learning
• Pace yourself
• Organize what you have to do
• Use Self-talk

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Thoughts On Memorization

• Intend to remember
• Focus attention
• Over Learn
• Preview/review frequently
• Learn in as many ways/modalities as possible
• Learn in a variety of ways to trigger memory
• Schedule time for assimilation

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Taking Exams
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Taking Exams

• Check the location, arrive on time
• Allow yourself to relax
• Write memory list, formulas, etc. Do a brain
  dump.
• Preview the test
• Plan your time, monitor as you go

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Objective Exams

• Work easy ones first, mark questions unsure of or
  not answered
• Mark key words
• Read each question twice
• Guess if allowed choose answers that are
  grammatically correct or choose from one of
  several similar choices

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Short Answer Exams

• Read the question carefully
• Include as much information as possible
• Use diagrams when possible

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Essay Exams

• Read all questions first
• Start with easy questions
• Plan your answer
• Monitor time, allow time for editing

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Problem Solving Exams

• Read all problems first
• Start with easy problems
• Show all work as neatly as possible
• Monitor time, allow time for checking your work

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Test Anxiety

• Deal with your thoughts
• Say stop to negative thoughts
• Visualize successful completion of exam
• Praise yourself
• Consider the worst (and remind yourself how
  ridiculous you sound)

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Deal with PhysicalSensations of Anxiety

• Concentrate on breathing deep and slowly
• Tense and relax
• Use guided imagery
• Describe it/be with it

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it occurred to me that if I was going to
succeed at this strange new adventure, I would
have to read longer and more thoroughly than my
colleagues Barbara Jordon
Try Your Best!