Test Taking - Part I

<-- Here's a pic I took at the Switchfoot concert on Monday.


Now that hopefully all of our midterms are over, what better time to talk about EXAMS !!
I know, I know, not exactly what you wanted to hear. But wait! Before you close my page and start researching other vitally important issues, like why Britney Spears shaved her head - listen to what I have to say. (By the way, what's up with that?)


Now that exams are over, it's a perfect time to look at what we did and how we can improve for finals while things are still fresh in our minds.

Ever since I started writing this blog I have been thinking more about my studying skills, some of them good and some bad. I have never been great at taking tests but I have learned a few tricks that might help you out -

First, if I can, I like to try to start studying about a week before the exam. Even if I just study the first couple of lectures I find that it 'breaks the ice' so to speak, or 'gets the ball rolling', if you will. (I promise not to use another tacky cliche for at least the next 3 paragraphs - no promises after that). I find that when I have an exam in a couple days and I have already reviewed a small part of the material (maybe even the just the first chapter) it helps to take some of the pressure off. On the other hand, when I have to start from square one a couple days before, I often end up procrastination even further.

For bigger exams (midterms and finals) there is often a tremendous amount of material, sometimes entire textbooks. Since I can't think of anyone who has time to review everything, I'll give you my personal take on the issue:
-When preparing for an exam, I need to realistically look at a few factors - a) How much time I have to study for this particular test and b) how much time I will actually spend studying (snack breaks and naps in the library not included). I also need to look at how well I have been doing in the class - have I been paying attention? Does this stuff come easily to me? If the answers are 'no' then I know I will have to spend more time and effort before the exam.


This semester I have been taking a Business Statistics course in which we have been using Normal Distribution graphs (or for non- geeks, 'Bell Curves'.)

I've realized that my time spent studying and my success rate are closely related to this graph. I know you guys probably left math back in high school for a reason, but try to stay with me on this one.
On the graph above, the area under the curve = the percentage of the test that I get correct (if the whole area under the curve is filled, I get 100%). The numbers underneath represent equal blocks of time spent studying (We will use 1, 2 and 3 hours just for example).

So, if I spend 0 hours studying - I get a very low score and cover no area. If I spend 1 hour studying, I will go over the key concepts and therefore cover a large chunk of area (the lightest purple area). Now if I study a second hour, I will go over more of the secondary concepts and cover the darker purple area which, as you can see, is not as much area as the first hour. If I spend a third hour studying, I will go into the smaller less important details and still cover area, but a much smaller amount than the first and second hours.
(Note : The 1,2 and 3 hours is just for example because usually it takes me several hours just to cover the main concepts)

So what is the point of this chart? Many people think that if they spend 10 hours studying for a test they will do twice as well as if they spend 5 hours studying. This may sometimes be the case but usually it is not. The first few hours of studying should be on the key concepts because this is most likely what the bulk of the exam will be on. As you spend more time studying you will review concepts of lesser importance which will make up fewer questions on the exam.

Study Smarter- I'll tell you about two of my friends that I used to go to school with- My friend Jacky used to spend hours and hours studying, consistently staying up until 1am with her homework. However she always seemed to get 'average' grades. My friend Aaron spent much less time in the books and somehow managed to score much higher.
Both of my friends were about the same intelligence, however, one studied smarter. The problem was that Jacky spent most of her time stressing out about and reviewing minor details that she thought might be on the exam. Aaron, on the other hand focused his time on the foundation principles and practiced them until he became good at them. This in turn made the secondary information easier to understand.

This chart is useful because it gives a rough outline of how much time you spend and how much reward you get out of it. When time is tight it is better to spread out the studying among your tests rather than to focus more on one in particular. Your hour studying minor concepts in one subject will not get you the same amount of grades as that hour spent on the major or 'first block' concepts in another subject.

These are simply my ideas and opinions, they have not been scientifically tested - If you want some more information on tests, study habits - send me an email or stop by the Learning Centre -

Thank-you, Ugly Betty

There are a few things that I’m good at. Among the best I am definitely an excellent procrastinator.

Everyone in my household knows when I have a big test or paper due the next day because when they arrive home, all the dishes will be washed, the floors vacuumed, and, if it’s a really big test, perhaps even the bathroom may be cleaned. Yes, I am a master procrastinator. I’m not bragging, I’m just being honest.

Unfortunately, I think most students can relate to what I’m talking about. I mean, studying is not exactly the highlight of my week. (I apologize to those who truly enjoy studying for exams - Please, no angry emails.) There are a million things that I would rather be doing. But this does not make my papers go away.
On top of my usual college studying, this week I have been preparing for a test in the BCRPA Fitness Trainer course that I’ve been taking. I knew I should probably take a little time to study since the textbook could have been the sequel to War and Peace. So last night I sat down to try to get through as much as I could. I had just finished dinner and it was only 6:30 so I realized I had three or four hours of time to get through it.
I got as pumped up as a guy can possibly get to read a Kinesiology book.
Then I got to the second sentence where I encountered the word ‘Sternocleidomastoid’. – “Alright… time for some food,” I thought to myself. As I was walking to the kitchen my sister came by and asked me how the studying was going. Then she asked if I had time to watch the show tonight.
– Alright, you guys are going to think I’m a geek, but lately I’ve been watching a show every Thursday night. You may have heard of it - it’s called Ugly Betty. It’s actually a pretty good show and also my only contact with any kind of high fashion. - I think you’d like it.

As soon as I remembered Ugly Betty was on at 8:00 I got this strange urgent feeling inside. Suddenly I almost wanted to study for my fitness exam - (stress the word ‘almost’) . The fact that there was something to look forward to that was limiting my study time gave me huge motivation to use my time efficiently. - Funny how that works. In the end I probably put more effort into that hour-and-a-half before the show than I would have with the four hours I thought I had. This ties into what I was talking about in my last post. The key for me to handle procrastination is to schedule time to study between things that I look forward to. That positive energy of anticipation ends up motivating me to get working and keep focussed.

So thanks to Ugly Betty I think I have finally mastered my habit of procrastination.


… Anyways, I have to go. I’m supposed to cook dinner in a half-hour and I left it ‘till now to decide what I’m going to make.

- Ciao

Image courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/rappy/359730722/

Gettin' Busy

Ah yes, I remember the good old days, way back during last semester, the days where I used to sleep in and then attend a 10:30am class. This was often followed by a trip to the cafeteria where I would proceed to indulge in the ever-greasy 'Hearty Breakfast' , and then come home for a 3 hour nap.

Well, those days are over. So far I think this semester has got to be the busiest yet for me. Studying in the business program here at the College, taking fitness trainer courses all day Saturdays, working as an online tutor and volunteering organizing events with CCO has been hectic. I wake up everyday of the week at 6:20am because I always have somewhere to be.

But don't worry, this isn't a 'Feel sorry for Isaiah' article. This is an article about the most productive semester I've ever had.

It seems to me that the more work and responsibility that I have, the more efficiently I use my time, the more I think ahead about future deadlines and the more I accomplish.

This also reminds me of when I was back in high school. I used to play senior basketball - that was a huge commitment. We had either a practice or a game 6 out of the 7 days. Practices sometimes were from 7 - 9:30pm. That made for a long day at school. During the season I always felt pressured to balance basketball with keeping high grades. Often, I felt like my commitment to the team was jeopardizing my GPA and that everything would be fine once the season was over and I had more time to study. That day came in March 2005. It was kind of a relief to be finished. No more spring league, summer team camps or 6:30 am practices. But for some reason my grades didn't get any higher. Even though I had ample time to study and rest, my grades actually dropped. Now that I had extra time, I didn't know what to do with it and I began to waste it.

When I had only a small amount of time, I used it wisely. When I had a lot of time, I squandered it. In fact, when I had a lot of time I probably spent less of it studying then when I was busy.

Alright Isaiah, it's time to land the plane for these guys.

If you're having a tough time balancing work, school and everything else here are some tips I have used:

1. Review your Schedule: - Find out where you are spending most of your time, you may be surprised.

2. Set Priorities: - Have goals and prioritize your time based on what you want to achieve. Friends and a social life are very important. But unfortunately our large collection of movie stubs and liquor store receipts tend not to look great on a resume. Schedule time for 'hanging out' around your priorities and not vice versa.

3. Have Fun: - Needless to say, time flies when you're having a good time. The thing I like about my packed schedule is that there's never a dull moment. I'm always looking forward to the next thing. Spend time to explore and find an area of study that interests you. Find a job that is interesting and challenging. Include new things into your agenda and develop a well-balanced life style.

These days, when I'm juggling school, work and volunteering, I remember way back to last semester; back to my sleeping in, greasy breakfasts and 3-hour naps. - And I think to myself: man, that stuff is way overrated.