How do I cram for the exam???

[lindyloo03]

I have been studying Biology by correspondence through Unilearn for the last couple of months. I have completed my required 10 modules so getting ready to sit the exam.

How do I cram?

It is 1 test for the whole 10 modules. So it is hard to remember the 1st modules, actually hard to remember anything.

I have printed out all my review questions to study those and am currently typing up a list of keywords with whether they are functions/structures etc. What they do and where they are.

I plan to re-read the chapter reviews, go through my disc with moving examples and stuff also.

I have been writing stuff down as I go and of course retyping as I do it up for my cram session.

I also have been getting my husband to ask me the questions as I seem to think about it more in depth that way. Dont know why it doesn’t work that way when I ask myself the question – guess to easy to look at answer.

How do I get all this to sit in my head though. I am going to take 2 weeks off work before the test to really cram with no kids and no distractions.

Personally I think we should be marked (even if just 5% per module) then do a test to finish the grade.

I am so scared I am not going to pass and I need this to get into Uni next year.

Any suggestions/help is much, much, much appreciated.

[ridefluffypowder]

Hey,
It sounds like you’re on the right track. Two weeks is a long time to study! I think everyone has different ways of learning and remembering things, but I’m in 3rd year Biology and here are some of my tricks:
1 – Word associations. I just finished a lab exam today where I had to know 50 Orders and Families of Insects. So I made up some "sounds-like" things just to help me identify them in the beginning until I had them down.
2 – Repetition. I know it sounds obvious, but if you’re having trouble with something, sit there are repeat it to yourself, and keep going back to it intermittently until you don’t have to think about it anymore.
3 – Physically writing it down. This is something I find incredibly helpful. I’ve started to make flashcards (especially for concepts of definitions I have trouble with) and I find the act of writing it imprints it on my mind. Also, you’re forced to spend a much longer amount of time on each concept when you write it as opposed to quickly skimming or even reading it. Then, of course, you go over it millions of times!
4 – Interest. I love Biology. I think if you can appreciate the impressiveness of biology and be interested by it, it will be easier to remember key themes.

Definitely explaining it to someone else is a great idea. This proves that you HAVE to know it if you can make someone else understand it.

Good luck, I’m sure you will rock the exam!

[mcar]

Hope you just finish it well, pass or fail… that won’t make turn your world upside down, specially the latter.

[brunoncyryl]

hello everyone,

here are some tips to cram for the exam hope it will be beneficial to all..

# Find out what you really need to study. If your teacher holds a review session before the exam, take advantage of the opportunity. You’ll find out what topics the teacher thinks are important, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions (although if you’re having to cram, you probably have a few too many questions at this point). Many teachers hand out study guides; be sure to use them. While they probably won’t cover everything that will be on the test, you’ll at least be able to focus on the key topics.

#Don’t forget to take good notes in class so that you can refer to them later!

# Get out your lecture notes. Assuming you attended class regularly, you should have some notes to look over. If you don’t have any notes, try to get copies from a classmate. Your class notes are a treasure trove of important knowledge, because your teacher covers what he or she thinks is most important.

# Note your notes’ notable notions. As you go through your notes, find important definitions, concepts and equations. If you don’t know them by heart, write them down on a separate piece of paper–your cramming notes– or, better yet, on 3X5 note cards. This will help you identify what you need to know, and you’ll have a handy set of flash cards. The process of rewriting may also help you memorize the content.

# Go through your study guide and your cramming notes and look up the important topics in your textbook. Scan the key sections of your text and write down any new information you find that seems important. The idea here is not to write down everything, but rather to identify the specific ideas, facts or equations that are likely to be on the test and focus on those topics as much as possible.

# Look at the beginnings and ends of textbook chapters. The first page of a chapter often identifies key points that will aid your understanding of the material. The last couple pages will often summarize the chapter, define or highlight key terms, and–in the case of math texts–list important equations. Again, write any new important material down on flashcards or your list of cramming notes.

# Review your flashcards or cramming notes. Go through the key topics quickly. If you feel you understand and can remember a certain topic or equation cross it off the list or set its flashcard aside. If you come up with additional questions, look them up in your notes and text.

# Test yourself. If your teacher handed out a practice test, do it now. If not, do the practice tests or review questions at the ends of your textbook chapters. Only do the questions that are directly relevant to the concepts you’ve identified as important. Don’t spend a lot of time on each question. If you get stuck on a question, note it and come back to it after you grade your test.

# Grade your self-tests. Be honest with your grading–if you don’t fully understand something, don’t pretend you do. Look at the questions you got wrong and compare those to your cramming notes or flashcards. You may need to make some new flashcards, and you may need to revisit some of those you thought you knew.

# Repeat step 6. You’ll want to review your cramming notes or flashcards as much as possible between now and test time. Each time you do so you should be able to set aside more flashcards or cross out more topics on your list.

# Contemplate possible essay questions (if applicable) and how you would answer them. By now you should have at least a light grasp on the material. Think about the overarching concepts involved and outline (preferably on paper) your approach to essay questions.

thank you!!

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