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  • Should You Stay or Go? Writing Exams in University and College

    Should You Stay or Go? Writing Exams in University and College

    When you ask yourself this question, you may be thinking of relationships, moving away to go to school or debating on taking a new job; you might not be thinking of exams. When you get to college or university, you may spend about 120 hours sitting in exams. When I started university, I’d see people get up and leave an exam as soon as they were finished. I would think to myself: Why is that person finishing so early? Okay, maybe you think this won’t apply to you. Many times it did not apply to me, but sometimes, it did. The first time I finished an exam early, I opted to stay until “my time was up,” and thereafter, I never left an exam early. So, why stay? Later, I could articulate a reason: once I got out of that door, it was over. I realized later that I was paying for the full three hours of exam time, and that I should always use the time wisely.

    Staying may mean: Not giving up. While writing a second-year psychology exam, I did not know the answer to two questions. I spent several minutes reading the exam, the questions and my answers to the questions, and then discovered clues to help me find the answers to those two questions. If I left early, I would have never discovered these things. I didn’t just stay for the few marks; I stayed to use the time I was given in the best way I could. If I got up and left, I really would have been shortchanging myself.

    It takes time and practice to become skilled at reading and analyzing questions during an exam. We pay for the time. It’s part of the tuition fee. No one will reimburse you for the time you don’t use. If you don’t show up for a class – you don’t get any money back.

    You must learn to stick it out during an exam and focus. Any small activity can be a distraction. Sometimes, there are big distractions. One tough exam experience took place first thing Monday morning. We wrote in a gym. The heat had been off all weekend, and no one had turned it on. The temperature was freezing when we left the exam; thank goodness I had my winter coat with me. Many others had left their coats outside in the hall, and were not allowed back out to get them. It’s a rule – once you are in, you’re in. Once you are out, you’re out. In mentioning this, remember to always be prepared for the unexpected.

    Writing exams is a study in itself and there are many tips for getting through an exam successfully, but it takes practice. You usually have three hours to totally focus on your paper. You paid for the time. There’s a saying, “The reward of patience is patience.” Stay or go? Here’s hoping you find the few small rewards attached to staying.

  • Tips on Studying for Multiple Choice Exams

    Tips on Studying for Multiple Choice Exams

    In many college and university classes, instructors will use multiple-choice or Scantron exams because they are much quicker and easier to grade. Can you imagine marking short-answer and essay exams for a class of three hundred? As a student, you need to learn how to effectively study for multiple-choice exams.

    First, start studying early! This advice applies for all tests, but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to start studying early. You are given your class schedule at the beginning of the semester, so there is simply no excuse for getting caught by surprise by the test date. Ideally, start studying at least two weeks before the exam.

    Second, get copies of old multiple-choice exams for the course you are studying for. It is better if these old exams were also written by the same professor that is currently teaching your course. Don’t just read through the exam questions, but actually work through them and answer them. This will give you experience with the kinds of multiple choice questions you might expect during your actual test.

    Third, there is another advantage of taking old exams. Because your time is limited, you need to be strategic about how you use your time. By answering old exams, you can now identify areas where your understanding and knowledge recall is weaker. Focus on the areas where you are less confident. Once you have brushed up on these topics, take the old exams again and see how much you’ve improved!

    Fourth, do not neglect specific details. You might think that since it’s a multiple choice exam, you can figure out the correct answer by the context. This is good advice for when you are taking the exam, but do not become reliant on this. Your professor may ask questions where options (a) to (e) differ by just one or two words. For these kinds of questions, it is difficult to figure out from the question and the options what is the correct answer, if you do not know it. So make sure you study the specific details as well as the broader concepts.

    The secret to acing multiple-choice exams is preparation. There is no magic. Just follow the tips above and you will find your multiple-choice exams a less stressful experience!

  • Every Ending has a New Beginning…

    Every Ending has a New Beginning…

    Hello, Gang!

    My name is Erin Lynne Bouman and I am your new JPD Content Editor! I am very excited to start a new chapter with you and share as much great new content as humanly possible. Right now you are all probably wrapping up your school year with exams and final projects- summer is almost here!

    It is a great time to start thinking ahead. What do you want your summer to look like and how do you prepare for it? These are the types of questions you should be asking yourself. This month, we have some great advice on volunteer options and how to chill out and make the best of your summer. We have tons of new Career Profiles to sink your teeth into, including some great career options in the trades’ section. Have you ever kicked yourself in the butt for not finding a summer job quick enough? Stressed to the max and need some advice on how to deal? Interested in learning about Sports scholarships? We have all those articles and more; we got your back.

    Summer isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. It can be a time to reflect on your past year and what goals you want to set up for your next school year. Work hard, play hard, as they always say. You want to be able to walk into a new school year and shout, “I am ready!” So, don’t fall in the hole that is the summer boring blues so you can look back and go, “I wish I could have done that”; no regrets. Use June as your springboard and spring into summer ready and rocking…

  • Study Strategies: Tests and Exams

    Study Strategies: Tests and Exams

    Whether you’re going through university exams or are feeling the pressure of evaluations in high school, this is a stressful time of year for all students. If you want to do really well, no doubt you could use all the tips you can get.

    Here are three study strategies to keep in mind when preparing for tests and exams.

    Plan ahead. If you have a test coming up, make the most of your time leading up to it in order to figure out the best way to prepare. Use a calendar and assign yourself small tasks every few days (e.g. “summary notes for Chapter 1”, “review glossary”). This will ensure that the big, scary evaluation worth a chunk of your final grade doesn’t catch you off-guard; as a result, you’ll do better. This is also a good strategy with which to integrate planning tools you may already use (agendas, to-do lists, etc.).

    Tip: For those of you who tend to procrastinate, you can still make good use of this strategy by creating a “Crash Course” list of things to cover in the limited time you have. (That said, procrastination is definitely not a good study strategy, so in the future make sure you leave yourself enough time to study properly.)

    Reformulate. Studying straight out of the textbook will get you nowhere (except maybe remembering a couple of sentences word-for-word). Instead, make notes on the material and organize it in your own way. It’s a good idea to formulate lists of key concepts and important things you need to remember, based on (but not just copying) your full lectures and readings. Don’t be afraid to mix media, too: if you like to organize (or if you really need the help), make yourself a study package of raw notes, summaries, flash cards, and whatever else might come in handy.

    Tip: Tailor this strategy according to the type of evaluation, as well as the course being taught. For example, studying French parts of speech might make good use of those flashcards, but practice tests may be a better strategy if you’re writing an algebra test.

    Study in groups. Before you groan about the horrors of “group-work” assignments (in which one person—maybe even you—winds up doing all the work), consider the fact that group studying can positively influence your test performance. Discussing the material and applying it outside of the classroom will help you remember it better. Plus, study groups offer you an opportunity to help others who don’t know the material as well as you do, which is not just a nice thing to do—if you can teach what you’re doing to someone else, then you probably know what you’re talking about.

    Tip: Study groups can have low turnouts, so hold people accountable. Give everyone a task to perform prior to the session (e.g. to take notes on a specific chapter) and check in with them to make sure they’re still involved.

    With those strategies in your back pocket, hard work, and a little luck, you’re sure to ace your next evaluation!

  • Tips for Writing the Perfect Paper

    Tips for Writing the Perfect Paper

    The perfect paper is a true work of art. It’s perfectly organized and has a clear, structured flow from thesis to conclusion. It has a flawless bibliography and citations, with no spelling or grammar mistakes in sight. It has a title that’s both concise and clever; maybe it even has headings. But that perfect paper can be hard to come by—because it takes a whole lot of work to nail down.

    If you’re in the pursuit of the perfect paper, here are some tips to help you out.

    Use your own words. You may feel the urge to pretty up your sentences with lots of figures of speech and adjectives you dug out of the thesaurus. Don’t. You’d be surprised at how effectively you can get the point across if you just use your own words. Of course, you should be professional and use academic language, but going on in circles just because you want to sound competent will actually make you seem anything but. An embellished paper is not necessarily well written; simpler is better.

    Be specific. Provide historical examples, data sets and any information that you feel will best back up your claims. Specificity provides clarity on your subject, as well as credibility that you actually understand the information you are presenting. A good paper can then connect the facts you present to broader themes in the discipline. Vague statements that don’t have evidence to support them will unfortunately fall flat.

    Cite well. This is specific to research papers: keep a detailed record of what information you got from what source. Make sure you are keeping up with footnotes/endnotes or in-text citations (depending on the required format), and that they fall in line with what is written in your bibliography. This becomes especially crucial once you enter university, because plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence (even if it’s accidental). Keep track of your information and you’ll be in the clear.

    Proofread—repeatedly. No matter how good a writer you are, you should never hand in your first draft as a final copy! Look over your paper not only for spelling and grammar mistakes, but in order to eliminate redundant words, rephrase awkward sentences and overall make your paper flow as seamlessly as possible. You should do this a couple of times until you’re sure what you’ve produced is your best work. Still in doubt? Have a classmate look it over and see if there’s anything you missed.

    Take these tips to heart, put pen to paper and get writing!

  • High School Exam Prep

    High School Exam Prep

    Are you ready for your exams? High school exam periods can vary, but they typically occur either at the end of the year (for non-semestered schools), or at the end of both January and June (for semestered schools; winter and spring exams, respectively).

    Whether your evaluations have just passed, are coming up soon, or aren’t for a while, it’s always important to know how to prepare. An exam not only has a significant impact on your final grade, but it can also be a way to measure how much you’ve learned throughout the course. You should take every exam seriously, and make sure you allot enough time to get ready. It never hurts to do well!

    Here are three tips for high school exam preparation:

    Know the structure. Aside from obviously just studying the material, preparing for the format of the exam can be very valuable. Teachers usually release information related to the structure well in advance. As well, many exams are combined-format, so you might need different study strategies for each section. Let’s say an exam has 50 multiple-choice questions and an essay. You can create flashcards of key terms, concepts and definitions, as well as brainstorm potential questions and arguments.

    Play your strengths and weaknesses. If you know a certain part of the curriculum inside out, there’s no point in reviewing it in great detail. When you’re studying, focus on what you don’t know so well and make sure you understand it before moving on. This way, you’ll at least have general knowledge of all the material, instead of only studying what you’re good at. If you focus only on what you’re good at, there’s always the chance that those topics may not even appear on the exam anyway!

    Choose wisely. Sometimes exams offer students a choice (between short answer topics, for example), and this can be a great way to showcase your strengths. That being said, if you have to choose, pick the option that is easiest for you. Students sometimes try to write about what they think the teacher prefer, even if they don’t know what that specific topic is about. Take advantage of the opportunity and write about what you know. You’ll be able to provide more accurate information and concrete examples instead of “speculating” about something you don’t fully understand.

    Following the above guidelines will help you out, but ultimately you still have to put in the work. Make sure you make time to study properly before the exam (and preferably not the night before the exam). And remember, there’s no reason exam preparation can’t be fun—as long as you’re still being productive, studying with friends or classmates can actually be a great way to prepare. Good luck!

  • University Exam Prep

    University Exam Prep

    Before you can escape the stress of school and enjoy the winter break, you have to pass finals! You’re not alone. University students all over the country are cracking under the pressure of their exams. While this is an undeniably difficult and often exhausting time of year, it’s important to stay focused and motivated. You wouldn’t want all the hard work you’ve done over the course of the semester to go to waste over one bad test.

    When your exams are held depends on the university’s examination period. However, typically half-year courses taken in first semester have their exams in early- to mid- December. That being said, many full-year courses also have mid-term tests around this time of year, and while these may not be worth as much as final exams, it is nevertheless important to make sure you’re prepared for them.

    Here are some tips on how to get ready for a university exam.

    Summarize. Go through all your lectures and create a set of condensed exam notes. Write down all the important stuff, and paraphrase as much as possible in order to make the material more manageable. If you do this properly, eventually all you’ll need to do is glance at the key words and you’ll be able to explain the related material in detail.

    Draw connections. A subject can seem pointless if you don’t make the effort to connect it to your own life—instead of blindly memorizing, see if you can explain things through examples or anecdotes. Take a political theory and see if it’s manifested anywhere in world news, or do some more research on an experiment you found particularly interesting in biology. Get away from the word-for-word method of studying and think of ways to make what you’re studying relatable (and thus, memorable).

    Safety in numbers. Studying in groups is extremely valuable because you get to interact with the material instead of just reading alone in your room. Get together with a study group a few times before the exam. You should continue to study independently as well, but discussing concepts, quizzing, or even explaining things to someone else within a group will improve your knowledge and your memory.

    Get help. Don’t be intimidated by your professor or TA: they are really just there to help. If you have any questions about the course material, it is crucial that you clarify them before the end of the semester rolls around. Chances are, if you mention you’re stressing out about the exam, the prof or TA would be happy to give you some help on how to prepare.

    Take care of yourself. Get a good night’s sleep the day before the exam and make sure you’re keeping yourself healthy. Study hard, but make sure you keep well—otherwise, it could actually interfere with your focus. You wouldn’t want to compromise all of your hard work with one all-nighter or sick day, right when it matters the most.

  • Staying Healthy During Exam Season

    Staying Healthy During Exam Season

    Exam season is easily one of the most stressful times of the year for students. For some, it might even be the worst.  Now image how bad the season would be if you were sick! To prevent this, it’s important that you’re taking the necessary steps to cater to your health. Below are some tips to help you survive that dreaded time of year. And even if exam season has passed for you (thank goodness), just keep these tips in mind for the next time around.

    When it comes to exam season, sleep is almost always the first thing that goes out the window for students. It doesn’t have to be this way! If you set your schedule up properly, you can find yourself catching a full night’s worth of sleep every day! The key to this is studying in advance. Far too many students begin studying for two or three days before the actual exam. Because of this, they find themselves pulling consecutive all-nighters. If you begin studying about a week in advance, you can spread your notes across more days and you’ll have with a few more hours each day to allocate to sleep! Also, don’t be afraid to take a nap once in a while. If you find yourself dozing off every other minute, you’re probably not retaining any information. In this case, you might as well just take a quick nap to re-charge yourself.

    Believe it or not, a lot of students actually refuse to sleep at all because they fear sleeping in for an exam and missing it! Although it’s a valid concern, it’s definitely not healthy. Instead of pulling an all-nighter out of fear, set several alarms or ask a friend to set an alarm then give you a wake up call! This works especially well if you’ve got a roommate.

    Your brain is like a giant battery that needs to be recharged often enough to keep it functioning properly. With all the craziness of exam week, many students forget to eat properly, opting for highly caffeinated beverages and chocolate bars instead. Not only is this unhealthy, but it will also work out for the worst in the end. Your body and your brain will be running low on energy which will ultimately reduce the amount of time that you can stay alert and retain information. To give yourself the energy that you need, take some time out of studying to have a well-balanced meal. In fact, you should set a daily schedule for eating so that you make sure you’re on the right track. It’s far too easy to get lost in the notes and readings that you have to do and forget about your healthy

    One of the most important things that students forget to do is cater to their mental health. With hours of endless studying on the schedule, it’s easy to find yourself feeling down. If this is the case for you, take a few minutes every now and then to treat yourself!  Spending a few minutes with some friends or doing a bit of exercise will make you feel far more energized. You’ll be able to get back to your studies with a refreshed mind and perhaps a smile on your face too!

     

  • Would You Benefit from a Tutor?

    Would You Benefit from a Tutor?

    Many students will experience difficulties with academic subjects at some point during their academic career, but all universities provide some type of resources to help during those times.

    Professors are probably the best people to ask when you need some clarification about something, but they usually have limited office hours. In that case, your school’s resource centre is your best bet to finding more accessible help. Hiring a tutor through your school also means a higher likelihood that the person is a reputable tutor and could even be offered at a subsidized cost to you.

    You can find a tutor outside of your school, but consider taking the extra time to ensure the person you hire is in fact knowledgeable in the field and understands the tutee/tutor relationship in order to be worth the money you are paying.

    “I think it depends on how much help one needs as a tutee. If one is lagging behind in a class and wanting to catch up, then tutoring will be helpful as it re-teaches the material; but if one needs tutoring for a specialized personal need or wants to excel in an area, then tutoring is only useful if the tutor is competent and one-on-one, and most tutors are not competent enough for that”, said Virginia Zhao, 4th year UBC student.

    “To that effect, I don’t find tutoring helpful in most situations. When I need help, instead of asking for a tutor, I ask for ‘higher authorities’ such as teachers [and] professors…they are more helpful and efficient than peers” continued Zhao.

    For more specialized purposes, such as wanting to start building a foundation for a particular career while still in school, you might consider working with a mentor. Mentors – whether you work with them in your job or at school – have proven to expand knowledge, help narrow down focus and improve decision-making in their mentees.

    Colleges and universities might have mentorship programs in place where students are carefully matched to their mentors to ensure both parties will gain value from the experience. If a student is even more certain about what they want to do when they finish post-secondary they should consider becoming members of the related associations and join programs where mentorship is available.

    “My mentor was easy to get along with and was very helpful in refining my technical skills” Marko Martic, IT Diploma graduate from BCIT, said. “I Kept in touch with my mentor even after I was done my program and he introduced me to a network of people in my field that eventually helped me find my job”.

    “Maybe one day I’ll have the opportunity to be a mentor and help someone like my mentor helped me – there are always mentees looking for mentors and more people will see the benefits once they get into it” Martic said.

  • Preparing for Exams and Mid-Terms

    Preparing for Exams and Mid-Terms

    Stress – that’s often the first word that comes to mind when students think about studying for finals, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a number of steps you can take to cut back on the stress and anxiety you inevitably feel at test time. Try some of the suggestions below. They should help you feel more prepared and confident going into the exam.

    1. Accept the fact that you have to study. There is no easy way out. Sleeping with a text book under your head will not make you magically absorb all of the information in the book you never read. You just need to realize you HAVE to do some work.

    2. Don’t wait until the last minute to start studying. Cramming will make you more stressed and you won’t be able to remember as much info.

    3. If you are an overly organized person, put your skills to good use. Create a chart to document when, where and for how long you will study each subject. For example: Monday, 6-8 p.m., campus library, History. This will ensure you have enough time to adequately prepare.

    4. If you are a less rigid kind of person make flashcards and recite them while doing household chores, brushing your teeth, riding the bus to and from school, and between commercials while you’re watching the latest episode of The Voice.

    5. Don’t plan to study somewhere super comfy like in bed, wrapped up in a warm furry blanket, surrounded by twenty fluffy pillows. Chances are you will end up doing more napping then studying. Do however find a comfortable chair and work space large enough for all your text books (and snacks) with good lighting. It’ll make life a whole lot easier.

    6. Turn your phone off or, at the very least, set it to vibrate and only check it every 45 minutes (and then only stay on it for 10 minutes). Phones, tablets, iPods, etc. are great, but are very distracting. Contrary to popular belief, being a Candy Crush savant will not help you when it comes to school work.

    7. Before you start studying, write down everything you know about the subject. That way you’ll have a better grip on what you still need to know and what you don’t need to focus as much time on.

    8. Study with friends – but actually study. Don’t just sit around and chat. Your friends can be a great resource. If they were in the same class as you chances are they may remember stuff you don’t.

    9. Read through all your class notes. If you don’t understand a definition or a particular theory, try looking it up online. If you have time, ask your teacher for help.

    10. Take breaks, get exercise, sleep well and eat well. It’s not just studying the material that’s important. Your body needs proper exercise, sleep and nourishment to function at its peak.

    11. Know the material in your own words. This will ensure you actually understand it and haven’t just memorized a text book. It will also increase your confidence and your ability to answer any question thrown at you about the subject.

    12. Make sure you know where and when the exam is and how long it will take you to get there. Try to arrive about 30 minutes early, but don’t do any more studying for about 15 minutes before the exam. This will give you time to calm yourself and get acclimated with your surroundings. Scope out a good seat; get out all your necessary supplies (water, pens, pencils, calculators, scrap paper, etc.). If you have a favorite song that calms or relaxes you, listen to it on your iPod. Music often has a calming and soothing affect and can help put you in just the right mind set before you begin writing the exam.

    The important thing in avoiding exam stress is to be prepared. You may still be a little nervous, but you will have the knowledge and confidence to succeed.