Test Taking Preparation, Approaches and Strategies

• Determine the best approach for your learning and practice it continuously. Generally in this class, there is a lot of hands-on work: experiential learning.
• Plan on spending extra preparation and homework (suggested exercise) time on this class. It can sometimes be more difficult than expected.
• Come to every class, pay attention and participate.
• Go to the labs for your software work. Do the software tutorials. Try examples on your own, from scratch.
  
• Keep up with the class (don't fall behind) and put in the amount of effort it takes for you to master and apply the concepts.
• Come to class with interesting questions. If you are not sure what to ask, chances are good that others will ask questions that will invoke your learning.
• Read the chapters and do the tutorials. Try stuff out as you go.
• Answer the questions and exercises in every chapter.
• Practice peer learning with the above. Go over each class with your course buddies and try out material with them.
• Do not plan on doing all of your exam studying the night before. It will not work.
  
• If you had planned to coast through this course and do minimal work (i.e., little or none of the above), right before the first exam is a good time to withdraw.
  

• Focus on the latest material since the previous test. Even though new material almost always builds from the previous material, the focus on each exam is primarily weighted on the new material.
• Review as much relevant material as you can from the texts, lectures, and help/review sessions.
• Do any questions and exercises that you have not done yet. Review the ones you have done.
  
• Reread the chapters/tutorials and do the parts that were troubling before: discuss and/or implement them alone and with your course buddies. There is no substitution for hands-on implementation.
• Peer Learning:  Discuss difficult conceptual and implementation ideas/concepts/issues/etc. with your couse buddies. Chances are good that most of you share the same difficulties.
• Peer Learning:  Work with your course buddies to dream up sample exam questions. Then solve them.
• Plan ahead:  Start studying at least a week before the exam and develop a study plan. Then follow it.
  

• Well before you approach the exam, do not drink alcoholic beverages or take illegal drugs.
• Likewise, adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating habits and regular exercise.
• If you are descended within a Western culture, have your family name start with the letter "A."
  
• Get a good night's sleep before the exam.
• Eat a high protein meal before the exam (we're talking meat, chicken, fish, beans, soy, etc.).
• Watch or read something funny right before the exam (scientifically speaking and empirically proven, this opens up the creative processes in your brain.).
• As you are about to start the exam, smell some peppermint, eat a peppermint mint, or chew some peppermint gum (again, scientifially speaking and empirically proven, peppermint also opens up the creative processes in your brain).
• Do not wear provocative or revealing clothing to the exam (proven empirically to distract both the wearer and observer).