Let Freedom Ring!

Last week after my IC meeting with Janine, we made a pact that every week after one of our classes we are going to do a 20 Minute Test Prep. This idea was derived out of frustration and anger; in my Introduction to Nutrition class (NSD225) we’ve had two tests thus far, both of which I haven’t done great on despite hours ofstudying. After thinking about what I was doing wrong and what I could do to succeed, I realized that instead of trying to learn all of the information a few days before the exam, it will be more beneficial and productive to do a 20 Minute Test Prep and learn a little bit after each lecture.

Tuesday was the first day of enforcing my new studying habits. I just had my NSD225 class where I printed out the notes the professor put online, and then wrote any extra notes onto the sheets during lecture. After class I came back to my room and went over the notes. I decided to rewrite the notes into my notebook because it would make them neater and I find that I learn better when I write the information out by hand.

In class the professor usually tells the class 3-4 questions that will be on the next exam. Since this is very nice and helpful, I decided during my 20 Minute Test Prep that I would make a “Question Bank” and write on the same sheet of paper every time we are given a question. This way I have all the questions in one spot as opposed to having to search through all my notes. Since I hadn’t done this with the past two tests I think it will make studying a lot easier for the upcoming test because I will have created myself a mock exam with the list of test questions. I was able to adapt the 20-Minute Test Prep by adding an additional component that would help me with my studying and better suit my needs.

The second strategy I tried in my Nutrition class was Link, a memorizing technique that I had never used before. I chose three terms from my lecture and then thought of ways to remember their meanings, whether it was by associating it with a certain image or another word it sounded like. By doing this I was able to apply the "7 Ways to Remember What you Need to Learn," that include "select it, write it, recite it, relate it, imagine it, practice it, and anticipate it". I found this strategy really helpful since I am a visual and kinesthetic learner, so being able to draw out the words was a good idea. This will definitely make memorizing a lot easier (and fun) in the future!

All You Can Eat

Have you ever been to an "All You Can Eat" buffet, stacked your plate so high with food that your hands hurt from carrying your plate because it was so heavy, and then sat down to eat and you could only stomach the first layer? Chances are you are one of those people that have "eyes bigger than your stomach." Usually these people are so hungry that they overestimate how much food it will actually take to suppresstheir hunger. So, rather than grabbing amoderate amount of food and then going back up for seconds if they are still hungry, it ends up being like a competition to see who can fit the most amount of food on one plate.

In a weird way, my studying habits are like an "All You Can Eat" buffet. Instead of dividing my studying up to a little bit each day, I tend to wait until the day before a test to start studying, where it all piles up to one huge mess. Each time I trick myself into believing that I am capable of preparing a study guide, making flashcards, and memorizing the material all in one night. I don't know who I think I am, SuperGirl? Because someone must need superpowers in order to get all of that done, and then do well on the test the next day.

Thankfully Dr. Blumin introduced me to the "20-Minute Test Prep," a strategy for test preparation and a method of time management. I first applied this technique to my NSD225 class, Nutrition in Health. As I copied down not es from the lecture, Professor Short would make it a point to inform us when she was about to give us a question that would be on our next exam. In my notes I put little stars next to these questions so I knew to study them for the test. After class I stopped by the Kimmel Computer Lab because I had to print something for a class later in the day. As I waited for the computer to load (PCs take so long!!!) I realized that I could use that time to do a "20-Minute Test Prep".

I took a few minutes to read over my notes from that day and do a quick review. I also made a few flashcards because that's the way I like to memorize information, so by making a few flashcards now I will be saving myself time later on. Knowing that I already had 3 test questions from class, I divided a sheet of paper into two columns, and on one side wrote "Her Test Questions" and on the other side I wrote "My Test Questions," where I would come up with my own set of potential test questions. By doing a quick review and making a list of potential test questions after each class, the amount of preparation I will need to do before the test will be minimal. This way, instead of needing to relearn all of the old material since I had not looked at it in weeks, I will only need to briefly review my notes and my study guide will already be made from the composite of anticipated test questions. Bye Bye Cramming!

With the success I had from using the "20-Minute Technique" in my NSD225 class, I figured why not apply it to my WGS101 class, Introduction to Women's Studies. NSD225, being a facts-based class, it was easy to come up with potential test questions since the assessments are multiple-choice exams. However, even though WGS101 is also a facts-based class, we are assessed through readings and papers, so creating questions off of notes wouldn't be too helpful for me. Instead, after one of my lectures I sat down and reviewed my notes, and then on a piece of paper I wrote down my thoughts and ideas that I could possibly use in one of my upcoming papers. By doing so I am able to review my notes so I will remember the material for the next class, as well as basically start writing my paper since I will have a lot of my thoughts already down on paper. While I did not follow the "20-Minute Technique" 100% for this class, I adapted it to better suit my needs for the class and way of learning.

In the end, it's not about sticking

to the rules, it's about doing what's right for you in order to better manage your time and tasks. By evaluating yourself and your classes, you will be able to then take action and try out different learning techniques that in the end will help you succeed.