TVCC

Help! I have an exam!

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First of all, DON'T PANIC. Use these tips to help yourself prepare

for and rock your exam.

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Tip #1: Take good notes.

This is a tip you should put into practice on the very first day of

class. One question that you should keep in mind as you take notes

is, "What shows your understanding of a topic or subject?"

(Drew & Bingham, 2010, chap. 9). Drew & Bingham (2010) offer a

list of possible answers to that question:

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Can you...

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• Identify the important figures in the topic?

• Explain key concepts?

• Identify the current issues or research directions in the topic?

• Compare opposing points of view about the topic?

• Explain the points of contention in the field?

• Ask focused questions about the topic?

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You can use these suggestions to help you focus your note-taking in class and as you read.

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Tip #2: Make your own study guide.

Yes, your own. The simple act of recalling and listing what you have learned during the term is a powerful study tool! When you begin to develop your study guide, consider these prompts from Drew and Bingham (2010):

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• "The most important/key issues/theories for the topic.

• Things we've spent a lot of time on in class.

• Things that usually come up.

• Something my gut says might come up.

• Things the [instructor] has hinted will come up.

• Things that are my best topics and where I know I'll do well.

• Things that are my worst topics and where I need to most improve" (chap. 6).

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Tip #3: Regulate your emotions.

There is power in identifying your emotions, and even more in validating them. Don't feel bad about yourself for feeling stressed or anxious; this creates a self-perpetuating stress spiral that will only lead to self-sabotage. Instead, learn how to confront the emotion. The Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, writing with Katherine Weare (2017), has developed this step-by-step process to increase mindfulness:

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• Recognize the emotion you are feeling and call it by name. 

• Accept that you are feeling that emotion. Ignoring the emotion will only make it worse.

• Embrace the emotion. Allow yourself to feel stressed, or happy, or sad. 

• Examine the causes of the emotion. Thich Nhat Hanh (2017) calls these the "roots" of the emotions (p. 134). What thoughts or perceptions are feeding the emotion?

• Know that you are more than this one emotion. It is "impermanent and ever-changing" (Hanh & Weare, 2017, p. 134), and you have control over the emotion.

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Once you ride out the stress, you can start to plan the actions that will help you finish your project or study for your exam.

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The videos below from CrashCourse (2017) will explain exam strategies and test anxiety in greater detail.