Stressed for your Test? Not anymore!

Acing a test: 3 Key factors  Taking good notes  Without a good outline to study from, you will either learn too much or too little information  Getting your information from multiple sources is a great idea!  Studying  Reading your notes is not enough  Checking comprehension  Just because you read your notes five minutes before class DOES NOT mean you know the material

Note Taking: Outlining  Begin by creating a topic header and date  EX: Genetics 12/21  You will be able to subdivide the topic later  Use the standard format:  A. Title or main point of paragraph  1. Sub-point = 1 sentence description of “A”  2. Additional important info, one sentence  a: this is for sub-information for “2” if there is any  b: use this for vocab definitions  B. Next major paragraph or major point of interest  1. Sub-point of “B”  2. Etc.  If you find a useful graph or picture, make note of the page in your outline

Keep in mind while outlining  Don’t rewrite everything  Read the whole section FIRST, then go back and outline  This will prevent you from copying everything and will also give you clues as to what is important and what may not be so important  Writing the vocab definitions is NOT enough  They should be included as sub-notes  Write neatly – it is worth the extra 2 minutes to write neatly and save yourself a headache trying to decipher your notes later  Answer section questions at the end when you are FINISHED outlining. You may surprise yourself and be able to answer them without going back to reread.

Note Taking: From lecture  Start the same: Underlined topic header and Date  Listen for the overview – a good teacher will tell you what topics will be covered  You may want to make a quick list of these topics  Follow the same note format you would use for an outline  Use the verbal cues from the teacher to figure out what the subtopics are  EX: A: Genes  1. There are two types of alleles a: dominant alleles b: recessive alleles 2. Dominant alleles always mask presence of recessive alleles 2. Dominant alleles always mask presence of recessive alleles B: Traits 1. Etc

Keep in mind during lecture  If you miss a piece of information, raise your hand and ask the teacher to repeat  Chances are the teacher is going too fast and you are NOT THE ONLY ONE who missed the info  DON’T ask your neighbor what you missed  Both of you will miss the next five things the teacher says and you will have a hard time catching up  Refrain from doodling or doing other work, you will most likely miss important information  Don’t call out and don’t talk to your neighbor even if it is the tiniest of points you want to say to them  This is rude to the teacher, but more importantly, distracting to your peers AND it stops the momentum of the class  If in doubt of any of your notes, ask the teacher to review them! This is what we’re here for!

More note tips  Don’t be afraid to branch out for recourses  Use your parents if they have the knowledge  Check youtube.com for videos related to the information  Ex: Meiosis and mitosis videos are EVERYWHERE, try to find them for DNA replication too!  If you have older siblings with different textbooks, see what the other textbooks have to say, sometimes reading a different point of view on a topic makes it easier to understand

HOW TO STUDY  Don’t wait until the last minute….really!!!!  Cramming may help for five minutes, but you don’t actually learn anything  Start by reading your notes after school everyday for five minutes.  Just read them, don’t try to learn them, don’t ignore them, just read them once  When you get to class, read your notes again.  This should not take more than a minute or two  On the weekend, read your notes over for the week  WHILE READING YOUR NOTES:  Get a separate sheet of paper and keep track of the topics you DON’T understand. In other words, when you see something that makes you go “huh?!?” write it down

How to study con’t  On the weekend, the teacher about your “huh?!?” topics, or see them in class on Monday  Chances are, you are not alone and most people in the class could benefit from going over the same topic as you  Make Flash Cards:  Use these for vocab words or key topics  Make “Fill-in-the-blank” worksheets as you read  Write down the header on a sheet of paper followed by appropriate blank graphs or list that you can fill in later for review  Use this technique for all your notes, not just the ones you don’t understand

How to Study Con’t  AGAIN: Use whatever resources you have  Read the textbook again  Read your outlines again  Look over ANY handouts you have in class  Have someone who knows the material explain tough topics to you  Ask/ the teacher about material you don’t understand  (REALLY! We want you to, this is why we are teachers!!!!!!)

Checking for Comprehension  Reading the material once or twice is never enough, you need to make sure you KNOW the material  Use your “Fill-in-the-blank” worksheets you make to test comprehension  Ask your teacher for practice tests with answers  Have a friend/parent/teacher quiz you  Try teaching the material to someone  can’t find an audience? Stuffed animals or a pet work great!  Speaking out-loud and explaining what you know is the BEST way to learn the material  If you can’t explain a concept, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT! (Saying I know what it is but I can’t explain it means you really don’t know what it is!)

IMPORTANT  Studying takes work and time!  Reading and review notes should be an ongoing activity everyday  Intense studying should begin about 1 to 2 weeks (most days of the week) before a regular test and 3 to 4 weeks (most days of the week) before a major exam (midterm or final)  And remember, JUST DO IT! If you just sit down and start studying (tell yourself you will read your notes for 2 minutes and THAT’S IT) you might find yourself going for longer which is GREAT and if you give up at 2 minutes, at least you met your goal, which is also great  EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!