PREPARING FOR YOUR FINALS

Brian Cafarella, Associate Professor, Academic

Foundations-Mathematics

This Workshop

• Motivation

• Preparation

• Test-taking tips.

Why is this a stressful time?

• Juggling multiple exams at once.

• Still completing required course work.

• Juggling school and life.

• EXHAUSTION!!! WE WANT OUT OF HERE!

• Bottom line: we need to get motivated and organize!

How Motivated are You?

• Valence- How much do I really want to achieve my goal? Rate yourself between 1 and 100.

• Expectancy- Do I truly believe that I can do the work needed to achieve my goal? Rate yourself between 1 and 100.

• Instrumentality- What is my perceived probability that doing the work needed will help me achieve my goal? Rate yourself between 1 and 100.

Why do I freeze on exams?

• We are all familiar with feelings and the symptoms of anxiety.

• However, the brain reacts to anxiety as though you were in physical danger.

• Your body prepares to “fight” or “flight.” • If your life was in danger, would you really care

about remembering facts for a history test? • This is why you draw a “blank” on a test even

when you were prepared.

START EARLY TO HELP PREPARE FOR FINALS

• About two to three weeks before finals develop a study schedule.

• Using a calendar, decide how much time (hours per each day) you are going to devote to each final.

• Obviously, you will devote the most time to your most difficult courses.

• However, don’t assume that there are courses that you don’t need to study for!

TO PREPARE FOR YOUR FINALS

• Consider a study group or a study partner.

• Have other people quiz you using flash cards or whatnot.

• If your instructor gives you a “practice final” do all of the problems at least twice!!!

• “Zero in” on what you need to practice.

Keep in mind….

• If you find that you have simply too many finals and there is not enough time to prepare, you should rethink your schedule for next quarter.

• You may be either working too many hours or taking too many classes.

• Also, you should start thinking about your final at the beginning of the quarter. Do not assume that the grade on the final exam will “save you.” Remember, finals are a terrible time of the quarter.

Why you need to practice all quarter and before the final…..

• When you practice or study a certain topic, the dendrites in your brain develop!!!

• Dendrites are specialized for receiving information and form synaptic contacts with the terminals of other nerve cells to allow nerve impulses to be transmitted.

• The more you practice that skill, the more your dendrites will develop.

• For example, accountants have well-developed dendrites when it comes to business sense, because that is what they have studied!!!

• If you haven’t studied or practiced, the dendrites in your brain are wilted and shriveled!!!

Also!!!!

• One hour after class, your brain can only recall 60% of what you learned.

• After twenty-four hours, your brain can only recall 30% of what you learned.

• The greater the lapse in time, the percentage continues to decrease. This emphasizes the importance of reviewing class notes on a daily basis and spreading out homework practice. That is why you need to review past lessons throughout the quarter, not just at the end of the quarter.

Before the test….

• Be as well prepared as possible. • Get a good night’s sleep the night before.• Eat healthy throughout the day. A cup of coffee

or some caffeine is fine but do not overdo it. Have a bottle of water for every cup of coffee or caffeinated pop.

• Take care of yourself! You can be no good to anyone if you deprive yourself of sleep or food!!

• Arrive for the test as early as possible. Don’t show up all stressed out and out of breath.

Before the test…

• Do not “cram” or attempt to learn new material immediately before the test. Your brain cannot handle that.

• Listen to your favorite song over and over.

• Have confidence, if you’re prepared the info is not going anywhere!

Some Tips for Test Time!!!

• Do not even read a single question!• Perform the “Data drop off.” • Before you read a single question- simply

write down all of the information, formulas, facts that you are afraid that you will forget.

• You can write this info on the test or on a separate blank sheet of paper. Practice

the “Data drop off” while studying.

Sample of “Data Drop off”

• Area of a rectangle= L x w• Order of operations use PEMDAS• Adding/subtracting fractions- use a

common denominator• Dividing fractions- leave change flip• Metric system- King Henry Died

Drinking Chocolate Milk• Kilo Hecto Deka Deci Centi

Milli

After the “Data Drop off”

• READ, READ, READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE TEST!!!!!!!

• Quickly search for the questions that is most friendly and familiar. Do that question first! It will give you a burst of confidence!

• After that, do another question that you are familiar with, and another and another!

• This will give you more and more confidence!!!!!

Stumped?

• Do not get “bogged down on single question.

• Place a “star” next to it and come back to it.

• Look for a similar problem.

• If it is a math or science question, retrace your steps to find out where you got lost.

• Never leave it blank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More……….

• If it is a timed exam, be AWARE of the time. • Don’t obsess over the clock; simply use it as a

way to pace yourself. • It is less stressful to be cognizant of the time

throughout the exam than to find out you only have five minutes to do twenty questions!!!!

• If you know that it will be a timed exam, practice for that. Practice answering questions or solving problems in a timely fashion. For example, start by trying to answer ten questions in fifteen minutes.

ESSAY/PAPER

•Try Free Writing

•Use this on an essay test or a paper

When finished….

• ALWAYS use the remaining time to quickly make sure you have answered every question.

• If it’s a math or science test you may want to recheck some of the more cumbersome problems.

• If it an essay test, proof read it a few times for errors.

Just to Clarify….

• It can be confusing to students when we say” Always go with your first instinct.” But then we say, “Check over your work.” That sounds contradictory.

• We want to emphasize that “Always go with your first instinct” refers to the mechanics of a question or an essay.

• “Check over your work” refers to spot checking for silly mistakes. In mathematics this could be simple arithmetic mistakes (3 + 2 = 6). In essay writing, it could be ensuring that the grammar is correct.

After the test!

• Celebrate!

• Do something nice for yourself!

• Give yourself something to look forward to on test day!

My info

• Brian Cafarella

• brian.cafarella@sinclair.edu

• Phone: 937- 512-2097