Preparing for the exam is an exercise that needs to be planned in advance, right from the first lesson. So time management, active presence in class, note taking, reading and reviewing lessons are behaviors that will help you prepare for exams.
Consult your teacher as needed and have extra time in case of unforeseen events.
You will quickly see which material you will have to put more effort into memorizing before the exam. It will therefore be easier to estimate the time needed for adequate preparation. A re-reading and consultation of the notes relating to little known or unknown aspects will facilitate the appropriation of the material in the long-term memory.
You can even make a knowledge chart to organize what you know, what you know more or less, and what you don’t know. Here is an example:
Read the course objectives and the information in your lesson plan. The lesson objectives listed in your lesson plan are an excellent guide to help you prepare for exams.
Effective technique for reorganizing and summarizing course notes and highlighting the links between concepts to facilitate memorization.
To make your own networks of concepts and to schematize the information to memorize, you can use the format of your choice. Here is an example:
On one side of the card, write key words, phrases or important ideas from which you can formulate different questions.
Then ask the questions out loud and answer them out loud as often as possible.
SPECIALIZED LEXICON
A lexicon is a list of words corresponding to the specific vocabulary mentioned during the course and specific to your discipline. In other words, a lexicon is a specialized dictionary that you will build yourself as you progress through your study program.
Complicated words, which are heard for the first time or which require further explanation will be included in the lexicon. So, for each course, identify the keywords that need to be inserted into your lexicon. Write the word and add a definition to help you understand the term. Thus, you will prepare your study for the exam and it will be easier to use this vocabulary during the evaluations.
It is even more important to do this work if your teacher offers open book exams. Your lexicon will therefore save you time and energy!
Also think long term and not just for the duration of the course. The specific and specialized vocabulary that you learn in your courses will then serve you on the job market.
STUDY GROUPS
Study groups are group study sessions where students meet to share information and explain exam material to each other. It’s a good way to review what you’ve studied. Being able to explain the material is a good indication that you know your material. In addition, by actively participating in a group study session, you increase your chances of retaining information. Provided that the members of the group are well prepared.
Accompanied by up to 4 people, during a study group session, you and your classmates can:
You can even make a knowledge chart to organize what you know, what you know more or less, and what you don’t know. Here is an example:
A single review after the course is not enough. It is suggested to return to the same material four times to ensure that it is memorized. Take the time to evaluate and clarify your understanding of the elements covered in class and then ask your teacher questions.
MEMORIZATION
It is important to understand the material you are memorizing and to be able to explain it in your own words. As you study, be sure to ask yourself the following 5 questions to validate your understanding.
- What is it? What is it about?
- What for? What is it for?
- How? How do we use it?
- With what? What can I compare it to? What link can I make?
- Why? What is the origin?
SPECIALIZED LEXICON
A lexicon is a list of words corresponding to the specific vocabulary mentioned during the course and specific to your discipline. In other words, a lexicon is a specialized dictionary that you will build yourself as you progress through your study program.
Complicated words, which are heard for the first time or which require further explanation will be included in the lexicon. So, for each course, identify the keywords that need to be inserted into your lexicon. Write the word and add a definition to help you understand the term. Thus, you will prepare your study for the exam and it will be easier to use this vocabulary during the evaluations.
It is even more important to do this work if your teacher offers open exams. Your lexicon will therefore save you time and energy!
Also think long term and not just for the duration of the course. The specific and specialized vocabulary that you learn in your courses will then serve you on the job market.
STUDY GROUPS
Study groups are group study sessions where students meet to share information and explain exam material to each other. It’s a good way to review what you’ve studied. Being able to explain the material is a good indication that you know your material. In addition, by actively participating in a group study session, you increase your chances of retaining information. Provided that the members of the group are well prepared.
Accompanied by up to 4 people, during a study group session, you and your classmates can:
DO A Q&A SESSION
Each member of the group brings a list of questions (3-5 questions per topic) that encompass the material to be examined. During the study session, group members take turns asking each other these questions and each can then add to the answer if it is not complete.
DO EXERCISES
The group can use the exercises provided by the teacher or those in the course manual.