by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
With midterms and test anxiety in the air, the College Enrichment and Outreach Programs uses the Adam Sandler movie "Billy Madison" to teach students how to study more effectively.
The program is sponsoring a test-taking workshop today from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Mitchell Hall Room 102.
"Test-taking skills is not exactly the most exciting topic," said Ricardo Romero, senior student program adviser. "What we try to do is incorporate that to make it a little more interesting for students."
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In the movie, Sandler plays a 27-year-old high school graduate who must retake every grade in 12 weeks to keep his father's company from being taken over by an evil business mogul.
Romero said students are not prepared for exams because they don't know how to study or use study time efficiently.
If they're not prepared, they can become anxious about the exam, Romero said. Test anxiety can affect memory, he said.
"For the most part, students do a good job preparing," he said. "When it comes to the actual test time, the anxiety can actually inhibit their ability to put what they know on the test."
The best way to alleviate test anxiety is to know the material, Romero said.
"Obviously, if you know all the answers, it's easy," he said.
Romero said studying for exams should be a semester-long process.
"Reviewing the notes five to 10 minutes after class can be more effective than studying six hours the night before," he said. "Review the notes before class to kind of eliminate questions you may have."
Romero said students should use study guides to categorize information by what they know, what they don't know and what the best way to learn it is.
"The goal of one test isn't to know everything," he said. "Being able to strategize and do that - just knowing exactly what the professor is
telling you is on the test - just focusing on that."
Romero said the workshop will show students' techniques to get information in their long-term
memory.
"If you can commit things to long-term memory, even if you're stressed out, you will still be able to recall those things in an intense situation," he said.
Student Rosemary Finney said she studies by using flashcards and study guides.
"I usually study the night before," she said. "It works for me."
Finney said she occasionally does poorly on a test when she doesn't
plan well.
"Sometimes I forget to study, or I didn't know there was going to be a test," she said. "That's happened to a couple of times."
Student Madison Whatley said she usually goes to CAPS the day before a test.
"I'm a procrastinator," she said. "But it's more fresh in your mind that way."
Romero said students will save time by attending the workshop.
"Students can really benefit, especially because they're proven methods," he said. "If you're able to not have to study tons but still learn the material, that's great."
Tips for studying:
Avoid cramming. It increases anxiety and hampers retention.
Do daily, short pre- and post-class reviews of notes or readings.
Study in short sessions. Six hours split in three sessions increases retention.
Find an ideal study space.
Use study guides and attend review sessions. Ask yourself: What do I already know, what don't I know, and how can I learn it?
Organize and summarize your notes. Go through your notes and organize them around key test topics and condense them, so that they are easier to review.
Create outlines using your notes, texts and study guides. Start preparing outlines for each of the possible questions.
Study with a group, but only if it is really a study session and not purely social.
Tips for cramming:
Don't try to learn it all when you cram. Pick out a few of the most important elements of the course and focus on them.
Cramming is always done when time is short. Take a few minutes to create a plan. Choose what you want to study, determine how much time you have and set a time line.
Condense the material you have chosen to study. Drill yourself with the flash cards.
The key to cramming is repetitive recitation. Go over the material over and over. One option is to record yourself while you recite and play the tape when you go to sleep.
Because you do not learn material well when you cram, you are more likely to freeze and forget it under the pressure of the exam. Relaxation techniques can reduce test anxiety before and during the exam.
One word to avoid while cramming is should. For example, you could start your cram session by telling yourself you should have studied earlier and should have read the assignments. By the time you open your book to study, you may feel too guilty and depressed to continue.
Source: The College Enrichment and Outreach Programs and Becoming a Master Student by David B. Ellis, Doug Toft, Eldon L. McMurray and Dean Mancina
