NSD 225 Exam

Name: Mayra Najera Date: Feb. 25, 2010

SCREAM! I never attended class & now a final exam? Shaking my head! I can see the disappointment in my mother’s eyes. I will bring shame to the family’s name...

STOP! I have an overnight exam strategy that has worked wonders. Firstly, I want to make it clear that procrastination is never the answer. I own the procrastination title and I have faced terrible situations. I highly recommend everyone to stop the procrastination once and for all! I know that it is hard, but here is a step that will help you prepare for an exam, if done correctly two weeks in advance. Or, if you are running out of time, try it my style: studying two nights before. But, for best results, you need time to complete the entire process. I took a NSD 225 exam, this past Tuesday, and experimented with this strategy firsthand. I anticipated the questions that could possibly appear on the exam. Therefore, I was semi-prepared for the exam. I did not feel confident, due to the short amount of time I spent studying, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw at least ten of my questions on the exam. The only thing that I would change from my mini-experiment is to start two weeks in advance.

Anticipating Test Questions:

1. Carefully study your syllabus/ study guide/ powerpoint slides or any other resource provided by the professor. Check if more time is spent on a subject; expect multiple questions on the exam regarding this subject.

2. Listen carefully for questions the instructor asks in class. Write them down on your notebook.

3. Write a number of questions that you think your professor will ask on the exam; add the questions your instructor asked in class.

4. IMPORTANT: Attend your instructor's office hours to ask if your anticipated questions represent the type of information that you will be tested on. The instructor's feedback is essential, because it will determine the quality of your question.

Test Preparation Mini-Experiment

Now, it is time to examine if the technique (anticipating test questions) worked for you. 1) Make a chart similar to the one illustrated on this page. 2) Label the columns: Course, Major Source of Information, How You Use the test Preparation Tools, Why You Choose to Use That Test Prep Tool and Results of Using the Test Prep Tool. 3) Reflect on how this strategy helped you or not.

My next exam is on April 12, 2011.

I WILL BE READY!