Exam Prep By Zane Green

Preparing for an exam can be overwhelming. And if I’ve learned anything from experience, it’s that waiting until the night before to study rarely turns out to be a good idea. There are steps that you can take weeks prior to the exam that are guaranteed to boost the productivity of your study sessions. Preparation for exams begins with these three steps: Organize, Study and Evaluate.
I. Organize
a. Topic Outline

-Syllabus

b. Source Outline
-Syllabus

c. Study Schedule

-Based on topic outline/planner

II. Study

a. Study Aids
-Flash Cards, Study Groups, Review Sheets

b. Questions
Syllabus, Professor, Previous Tests

III. Evaluate

a. Answers

We begin by developing a Topic and Source outline. We derive this outline from the course syllabus. We then create a study schedule based on our topic outline and personal planner. Having organized our study sessions, we then generate study guides (review sheets flash cards etc.) and begin anticipating questions based on course and class material. For this entry, I choose 20 minute test prep adapted strategy. The jeopardy note-taking style is particularly helpful, because it allows you to generate a study guide based on your anticipated exam questions. The following is my continued jeopardy notes for Anthropology:

ANTHROPOLOGY NOTES:

Communication

Grammatical constructions that deviate from those used by the socially dominant group in society	What is “dialect”?
A form of English spoken by many African Americans, particularly among those of rural or urban working-class background	What is “African American Vernacular English (AAVE)”? (Ebonics)
The ability of individuals who speak multiple languages to move seamlessly between them	What is “Code Switching” ?
The hypothesis that perceptions and understandings of time, space, and matter are conditioned by the structure of a language	What is the “Sapir Whorf Hypothesis”
The analysis and study of Touch	What is “haptics”?
The study of the cultural use of interpersonal space	What is “Proxemics”?
The study of body position, movement, facial expressions and gaze.	What is kinesics?
The science of documenting the relationships between languages and grouping them into language families	What is “comparative linguistics”

I also tried this strategy for Political Science

Public Opinion

Citizens views on politics and government actions	What is “Public Opinion”?
An opinions formed on the spot when it is needed (as distinct from a deeply held opinion that is stable over time)	What is a “Latent Opinion”?
A way of describing political beliefs in terms of a position on the spectrum running from liberal to moderate to conservative	What is “Liberal-conservative ideology”?
The amount of complexity in an individual’s beliefs about government and policy, and the extent to which those beliefs are consistent with each other and remain consistent overtime.	What is the “level of conceptualization”?
The process by which an individuals political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture	What is “Public Socialization”?

When studying, it is important to remember to study by topic, not by source. Also, discipline yourself to keep to your schedule!
20 Minute Test Prep

I. After Each class
a. 20 minutes review that day’s material. Creative Study aid
-Keep aids with you!

II. At the end of each week
a. 10 minutes, review the week’s work in each course. Then 10 minutes write 5-10 test questions
-Ask professor to verify

III. A week before the exam
a. Create a topic outline. Review by topic!!!!
- Use review topic