Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Releasing Your Potential to Pass Exams
Chapter 1: Passing Exams: Preparation Is Everything!
Developing Your Exam Performance Mindset
Cultivating the right attitude
Setting your purpose
Clearing roadblocks
Understanding Your Brain’s Capabilities
Looking at Ideal Ways to Learn
Enhancing Your Thinking Processes
Effective Exam Preparation
Factoring in relaxation
Studying with purpose
Boosting your memory with pictures and patterns
Rehearsing for recall and your best on-the-day performance
Chapter 2: Meeting Your Amazing Brain
You Don’t Need to Be a Brain Surgeon
Understanding How Your Brain Functions
The Tripartite Model: How Brain Cells Develop During Learning
Making the Most of Your ASSETs: Some Key Principles for Learning
Paying attention
Getting sensible
Making a solid effort
Engaging your emotions
Minding your timing
Surfing the Waves of Your Brain
Exploring brain frequencies
Training your brainwaves
Exploring neuroplasticity: Why the past doesn’t equal the future
Getting Yourself Firing on All Levels: Brain Maintenance
Maintaining optimum health
Getting physical
Juggling with academic intent
Chapter 3: Discovering How to Learn
Organizing Your Ideal Study Environment
Setting up your study space
Eliminating distractions
Using a distraction scale
Knowing Your Best Times for Learning
Discovering How You Learn Best
Seeing it: Visual learners
Hearing it: Auditory (aural) learners
Feeling it: Kinesthetic (physical) learners
Understanding it: Analytical (logical) learners
Developing your learning styles
Finding Out Whether You’re a Linear or Circular Thinker
Getting Motivated to Study
Finding value in what you’re learning
Beating procrastination
Maintaining your concentration
Managing Your Review Time
Chapter 4: Thinking Strategies for High Performance
Understanding How Your Mind Works
Perceiving with your conscious mind
Delving into your nonconscious mind
Meeting Your Memory
Conceptualizing Your Memory of You
Believing is seeing
Resisting change
Improving Your Self-Talk for Better Exam Results
Exploring your self-efficacy
Enhancing your self-esteem
Modeling Yourself on High-Performance Students
Developing Academic Goals
Setting goals helps you stay on track
Setting goals stimulates your awareness
Setting goals motivates your mind
Writing Affirmations: Declaring Your Intentions
Using Your Mind’s Eye: Visualizing Success
Part II: Relaxing Comes First
Chapter 5: Exploring the Power of Relaxation
Making Time for the Fun Stuff
Accessing Alpha State (Your Ideal Learning Zone)
Developing your own alpha relaxation technique
Exploring self-hypnosis and mental rehearsal
Using Personal Development Programs
Chapter 6: Finding Ways to Relax
Exercising for Relaxation
Exploring Sound and Music
Stretching Out, Breathing Out
Mindful breathing
Body balance
The five-minute morning stretch
Meditation
Releasing Unwanted Emotions
Blissing out with professional relaxation sessions
Juggling
Managing Time
Enriching Your Life
Part III: Reviewing and Rewriting Your Notes
Chapter 7: Knowing Your Academic Purpose
Developing the Power of Intention
Setting Your Intention for Each Study Session
Focusing on what you want
Telling your brain what should get through
Staying on target
Setting Your Intention for Long-Term Goals
Setting weekly intentions
Setting monthly or yearly intentions
Setting a time limit
Preparing a time planner
Chapter 8: Reviewing Your Notes
Sourcing Information
Deciding what you need to review
Paying attention at a review class
Questioning your former knowledge
Finding Additional Information
Chapter 9: Improving Your Reading Techniques
Reading for Different Purposes
Dipping into Your Text: Skim Reading
Digging Deeper into Content: Study Reading
Getting ready to do study reading
Taking in the facts
Going over class notes
Testing your comprehension
Going Faster: Speed Reading
Going beyond Speed Reading: Photoreading
Chapter 10: Preparing Your Study Notes
Condensing Your Notes
Diagramming a Mind Map
Connecting Ideas with Concept Maps
Spreading out a spider map
Ranking information with a hierarchy map
Organizing a flowchart
Circling around a systems map
Planning Literary Pathways: Essay Route Maps
Applying Visual Formats: A Practical Guide
Part IV: Remembering with Pictures and Patterns
Chapter 11: Making the Most of Memorizing Skills
Use It or Lose It
Six Keys to Good Memory
Focusing on one thing at a time
Using vivid pictures or patterns
Adding emotion
Incorporating movement
Pegging memory into place
Practicing to strengthen memory
Chapter 12: Using Mnemonics: Simple Memory Techniques
Learning by Rote
Memorizing with Mnemonics
Grouping first letters: Acronyms
Rhyming with acrostics
Remembering with maps
Using music for memory
Making voice recordings
Creating flashcards
Acting out
Using spreadsheets
Chapter 13: Fine-Tuning Your Memory: Advanced Visual Techniques
Developing Visual Association Techniques
Storing pictures by location
Linking pictures in your mind
Creating a memory peg list
Creating Symbolic Pictures
Remembering unusual, foreign, or large words
Remembering numbers using visual association
Remembering science formulas
Remembering Exam Essay Content for Easy Recall
Applying Memory-Enhancement Techniques
Part V: Rehearsing for Recall and Performance
Chapter 14: Rehearsing Your Recall
Working with Your Learning Styles
Setting Recall Times
Counting down the days
Applying the three Ps
Chapter 15: Rehearsing Your Performance
Using Your Imagination
Mentally rehearsing to improve your test performance
Expanding your comfort zone
Dealing with Exam Anxiety
Thinking through the mental approach
Taking a physical approach
Unblocking mentally and physically
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 16: Ten T ips for Exam Day: Before the Event
Organize Your Equipment
Know Your Exam Time and Venue
Get a Good Night’s Rest
Eat Healthy, Energizing Food
Use Positive Self-Talk
Practice Your Mental Rehearsal
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Turn Nervousness into Excitement
Keep to Yourself
Go For It!
Chapter 17: Ten Tips for the Exam — No Going Back Now!
Recall Your Study Notes First
Read Exam Questions Carefully
Determine which Questions to Answer
Pace Yourself
Identify and Answer Easy Questions First
Make all Multiple-Choice Answers Count
Plan Essays before You Begin Writing
Take Regular, Quick Breaks
Ask for Divine Help
Review Your Answers — Don’t Leave Early!
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Maintain Momentum between Exams
Staying Balanced
Being Relaxed
Planning Rewards After Each Exam
Keeping Your Eye on Upcoming Exams
Ensuring Comparisons Don’t Erode Your Confidence
Reorganizing Your Preparation Time
Going to Bed Early
Maintaining Your Mental Rehearsal
Celebrating Your Completed Exam(s)
Getting Your Life Back!
Part VII: Appendixes
Appendix A: Planners
Appendix B: Relaxation and Visualization Scripts
Relax first
Ideal process script
Ideal outcome script
Appendix C: Learning Style Quiz and Motivational Reminder
About the Author
Passing Exams For Dummies®
2nd Edition published by
Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd
42 McDougall Street
Milton, Qld 4064
www.dummies.com
Copyright © 2014 Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Author: Sherratt, Patrick, 1970 –
Title: Passing Exams For Dummies / Patrick Sherratt
Edition: 2nd edition
ISBN: 9780730304425 (pbk.)
Notes: Includes index.
Series: For Dummies.
Subjects: Examinations — Study guides
Test-taking skills
Dewey Number: 371.30281
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Introduction
In school, I under-achieved and my exam grades showed it. As a teenager I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school. I knew what I didn’t want to do — go to a university! My parents didn’t go; my older brother and sister didn’t go, so going to college never really entered my head. With no clear goals, I floated through school doing enough to get through, but never aiming to excel. A decade later, standing in the unemployment line because the company I’d been working for had gone bust, I realized that I needed to go back to school.
As an adult student in college, I wanted to do well academically. I studied psychology and education, and in the process of taking a lot of tests, became interested in finding out how examinations measure learning. As I researched and applied how to improve learning and how to prepare for exams, I started to do very well in school. For the first time in my life, I was getting As and Bs. One year, I won an award for excellence. My confidence soared and my academic self-image improved — I was smarter than I once thought.
Are you taking an exam soon? Let me assure you: After you discover how your brain functions; how your thinking influences your learning; how your memory works; and then synthesize this kind of meta-cognitive knowledge into a practical step-by-step approach to preparing for exams, you can make huge improvements to your exam results. I did, and I’m convinced that doing well isn’t necessarily about how naturally smart you are academically, but about how smart you are in your preparation techniques.
So why are you holding this book? Are you a senior wanting to get through high school, or a college or university student going for a degree? Perhaps you’re in a life transition and returning to education to gain new skills, or you’re about to take a career exam to improve your chances of a promotion? Whatever your reason for picking up this book on passing exams, achieving academic success is possible when you know how.
Be aware. Words don’t teach; experience teaches. The information contained in this book is absolutely meaningless unless you’re prepared to incorporate it into your current exam preparation.
So, you have a decision to make. How badly do you want to pass your exams? Are you prepared to do the work and apply the ideas in this book? If not, put this book down right now and walk away. You’ll find no value here unless you’re willing to explore different parts of this book and use the exercises to improve your exam preparation skills.
About This Book
I’ve devoted a lot of time and effort over the years to implementing different learning strategies for students, based on my Masters in Education research and personal trial and error. In this book, my intention is to connect with students like you, and give you the best ways I know to improve your exam preparation and ultimately your performance. You can avoid making the same mistake I made in high school; you can take advantage of my years of research and exam experiences and apply these ideas immediately.
In Passing Exams For Dummies, 2nd Edition, you can start reading anywhere you want to. The book’s modular format means that instead of reading from cover to cover, you can dip in and get the how-to information you need. This is a great time-saving feature — and believe me, I know all about saving time. When you have a mountain of reading to do for exams, the last thing you want to read is another book!
Consider this book a study guide waiting to offer you some well-researched, good advice on how to better prepare for your next exam. Do this and you’ll ultimately save time!
I deliberately tried to make this book easy to read by using simple language. I use the following conventions to help information stand out:
When I introduce a new concept, I italicize the term, then provide a definition.
I show website addresses in a different font so they’re easy to identify — just type the address as it appears in the book and you’ll go straight to the site. And, if the URL breaks to the next line, I don’t add a hyphen, so type in exactly what you see.
If you’re interested in saving time (like me), you can bypass some information in this book, which I put in simply to please the publisher, otherwise the book looks too thin (just kidding!). For example, occasionally I explain a technical term, especially when covering how your brain works. These paragraphs are accompanied by a Technical Stuff icon, and you can skip them if you want. Similarly, the Patrick Says icon highlights paragraphs that offer personal experiences you may find interesting, but they’re not vital reading.
I’ve also thrown in some fun exercises in the sidebars — those shaded boxes you see in many chapters. You can skip these too; however, I’m hoping you find them intriguing.
Foolish Assumptions
Exams are not something people do for fun, but they’re necessary as long as education systems use the current assessment paradigm. (Although many people believe exams should be done away with, I would be out of a job if that were the case.) So, I assume you have a genuine purpose for reading this book, which may be any one of the following — or a combination of several:
You’ll be undertaking exams in the near future and you’re looking for some basic guidelines and quick tips to help you improve your chances of passing them or doing better than before.
You’re interested in the how-to of good exam preparation but want the minimum amount of theory.
You want to feel confident that you’re making the best use of your study time because your time is precious.
You may have not done so well on exams in the past and want to improve your overall performance.
A long time has passed since you last studied and you want to ensure your success.
Passing these exams is really important to you and you’re serious about applying these ideas to maximize your results.
Icons Used in This Book
Use the icons in the margins of this book to pinpoint the information you desire. The meaning for each icon is explained here:
Beyond the Book
In addition to the material in the print or ebook you're reading right now, Passing Exams For Dummies, 2nd Edition, also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the Web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/passingexams
for some quick action steps you can use to turn your preparation into improved results. The online Cheat Sheet will help you feel confident in knowing that the time you do spend preparing for your exams is used in the best possible way. For the latest updates on other companion material for this book, visit www.dummies.com/go/passingexamsfd
.
Where to Go from Here
I have absolutely no doubt the information in this book can help you improve your exam performance! If you’re facing your first exam, check out the chapters in Part I for ways to develop your exam performance mindset. If you have trouble remembering pertinent information, go to Part IV for some tips. Or, if you want to cover all the bases, read this book in sequence, especially the practical steps included in Parts II to V.
After your exams are over, that’s it. You can place this book on the shelf to gather dust until your next exams. It’s simply a tool to help you improve a certain aspect of your academic life. In the meantime, use the tool wisely. Write in it, scribble in it, tag or dog-ear pages for future reference — do whatever you can to get the best use out of this book.
Finally, I wish you well through your examination process and sincerely hope you can apply these powerful ideas to help you prepare and pass your exams with ease. Go well.
Part I
Releasing Your Potential to Pass Exams
In this part . . .
Find out how your brain works and explore the mechanics of what happens in your brain when you are learning and studying for exams.
Discover key principles to get your brain switched on and working to improve how you review, retain, and recall information.
Explore your ideal learning states and styles to help make learning and study easier.
Get essential tips on how to keep motivated, manage your study time, and concentrate effectively.
Understand how your mind works and how to harness the power of an exam performance mindset to improve your preparation and ultimately your results.