Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i am in college and studied pretty hard for this biology exam. took the test, felt pretty confident. i get my score back its 82 percent so 41/50. pretty depressing and frustrating, i dont get it. i ask the professor to see my exam so i will see if she lets me, but it makes me think that something is wrong with me.
i had a history of this, i usually average b and c but didnt really address the issue. now i need to do well so need some tips and advice. i felt really confident about my answer choices and am frustrated. please help
Despite what most americans have been conditioned to think, the really difference between those who are successful and those who are not, is due to how we deal with set backs. Like this one.
OP whether you decide to take what you can from this, change what you do, and try again, is entirely up to you and is not a function of how innately intelligent you are. It is a function of how much grit and perseverance you have.
I find that repeated contact with the material helps me best. I pretty much made A's in nearly all of my college classes. This is what I did:
Before class:
Skim each chapter to get an idea of what is going to be covered.
Read and take detailed study notes on each chapter.
Make flash cards of major terms, equations, processes, etc.
During class:
Get there early and review study notes while class is getting ready.
Pay very close attention to lecture and take clear notes with plenty of space to make annotations later.
Write down questions in my notes during the lecture.
Ask questions if the class allows.
After class:
Review class notes and study notes, making annotations.
Reread the chapter to see what was not mentioned in class.
Do all the homework questions, writing questions about anything unclear.
If there is a paper to be done, do preliminary research early, then begin making notes with complete bibliography references. Write the rough draft early, then review it several times before writing the final draft. Be sure to use standard English
Visit the professor to follow up on questions that were not answered in the reading or lecture.
Sort the flash cards into two stacks: Need to review and Need to study.
Before an exam:
Skim chapter and notes.
Review and study flash cards.
Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast.
Arrive early to the exam period and focus on the exam.
During the exam:
Read the entire exam before beginning.
Do the questions first that are the easiest.
Use the test questions to help answer the other questions.
Write essay responses carefully, using standard English with correct mechanics--punctuation, capitalization, transitional phrases, etc.
Reread essay prompts to ensure that the question has been completely answered.
Double check all answers to make sure that they are all complete and accurate.
In 160 college hours, mostly high-level math, computer science, and foreign languages, I had about four B's and one C. If you aren't willing to do A-level work, you aren't likely to receive A results.
flash cards for computer science? How exactly do you make flashcards for algorithms and math problems?
If it helps, I once took a Business Law exam that I felt good about. Turned out I had one of the lowest, if not THE lowest, scores in the class. Now THAT was depressing. I hung in there and ended up doing pretty well by the end of the Semester. Stuff happens. Shake it off and try to do better next time. You probably will.
This is a very common problem today, and I see it with many of my students.
Many students study (if they study at all) just enough so that they are "comfortable" with the material. However, "comfortable" usually means that they can sort of follow the book, and my lecture/discussion mostly makes sense to them. However, there is a HUGE difference between following along with the book or the professor, and actually being able to work the problem materials on an exam, without any assistance. This is a disconnect that many students fail to understand. Once a level of comfort with the material is achieved, don't stop. Continue working to go from "comfort" to "mastery."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
