Exam in a few hours Kind of nervous

[Null_]

It's my last physics I exam before the final, and I don't think I prepared enough for it. I did study about 12 hours in the past 24 hours, and I have covered a great amount of material. I think the class goes too slowly for me, and I just get behind because I work better at a faster pace.


Anyway, I always find myself making really stupid mistakes. Any tips on preventing these? I'm talking about writing down a formula wrong that's given, and stuff like that. Also reading the problems wrong. I really want to get an A+ on this...need to bring up my B+ grade that I currently have..


Thanks!

 

[Phyisab****]

Study harder.

There is a thread like this once a week. If you want an A you better be willing to fight for it. There's no secret to hard work. If you want an A, then do whatever it takes to go into the exam KNOWING that you are ready. Unless your school has low standards, you are competing against people who are willing to do whatever it takes.

 

[Null_]

Sorry to bring it up again then...

How can I make myself study something harder for a long period of time if it just takes me a short amount of time to learn it? I suppose I could do a few chapters a day at the beginning of the test period, then review like I do now a few days before the text.

And also, how to not make careless mistakes? I try doing the test twice, but I remember what I did the first time and usually make the same mistakes because of that..

 

[Phyisab****]

I'm not sure there's any answer to the first question besides discipline. I usually do every problem which I think is at all relevant. Then I do them all again 5-10 times. Sure it's boring after the first time through, but it works, for me at least. Once you've done every problem a ton of times, it will also be easier to notice when you've made a mistake and things aren't looking right.

 

[Ryker]

I usually do every problem which I think is at all relevant. Then I do them all again 5-10 times. Sure it's boring after the first time through, but it works, for me at least. Once you've done every problem a ton of times, it will also be easier to notice when you've made a mistake and things aren't looking right.

How do you find time for all of this? I mean, getting through all of the relevant problems is enough time-consuming as it is, but doing it 5-10 times?! I mean, if it works for you, then that's cool, but how much time do you spend on that then? And what do you do with other courses? I personally can't imagine finding time for that when you have a normal course load of 5 classes.

 

[lisab]

It's my last physics I exam before the final, and I don't think I prepared enough for it. I did study about 12 hours in the past 24 hours, and I have covered a great amount of material. I think the class goes too slowly for me, and I just get behind because I work better at a faster pace.


Anyway, I always find myself making really stupid mistakes. Any tips on preventing these? I'm talking about writing down a formula wrong that's given, and stuff like that. Also reading the problems wrong. I really want to get an A+ on this...need to bring up my B+ grade that I currently have..


Thanks!

Seems I would make more stupid mistakes when I was tired and/or overly stressed. Now, there's not much you can do now about being tired at this point - I hope you got a good night's rest last night. As far as stress, you can't get rid of all of it (a small amount is actually good, I think) but it would help me to on a short jog or a fast walk up a hill. Some sort of exercise would help to make me calm and more focused.

Good luck!

 

[Phyisab****]

You can go through them faster once you've done them a couple times. If they are getting really repetitive then sometimes I time myself to do every problem relevant to an exam, then I try to beat my time on the next iteration.

If you can get straight A's doing less then more power to ya. But if you're not getting A's, and you want to, there's only one thing to do: work harder. There's plenty of people that get by with less, and I'm pretty much a recluse when school is in session. But if you want to get straight A's and you aren't getting them with your current method, then there isn't much you can do besides work harder. Even if you're already working hard.

 

[Null_]

I got 9 hours of sleep last night, so I'm good there! It's about a 15 minute walk to the exam, and the weather is nice and chill so I think that will help. Thanks LisaB :)

I'm wondering if going fast and doing it twice is better than going once and doing it slowly? Phyisab****, I will take your advice for finals and next semester. I'm a freshman and didn't develop the best study habits..

 

[Dembadon]

...

And also, how to not make careless mistakes? I try doing the test twice, but I remember what I did the first time and usually make the same mistakes because of that..

Checking your work is an exercise in critical thinking. You must not assume you did anything correctly! I'll usually talk-through each step of the problem, and my solution, in my head when I'm reviewing my work. When I do this, it's easier for me to spot inconsistencies/errors because I'll notice something that contradicts what I'm saying.

You need to be extremely careful with how you organize your work. Write clearly, and have a consistent method for organizing your calculations, if you can. I can't stress enough how important being methodical has been for me. It doesn't usually lend to faster test times, but faster times aren't the goal! Exams aren't a competition; one doesn't get more points for completing the exam early. Your goal should be to finish the exam with enough time to check your work. If you understand the material, this shouldn't ever be a problem unless the professor has set an unrealistic time limit.

I'm wondering if going fast and doing it twice is better than going once and doing it slowly?

Statistically, going fast (in mathematics) has been worse for me.

 

[Null_]

Thanks, Dembadon. I will try writing clearly and neatly for all of the problems. There are 5 multiple choice questions and three short answer, and I usually end up missing one mc out of pure carelessness.

I just found out that this strategy worked for the last test I took in Calculus (not going over every problem a second time).. Yay for being the curve setter! I will definitely be taking my time for this test..

 

[lisab]

Thanks, Dembadon. I will try writing clearly and neatly for all of the problems. There are 5 multiple choice questions and three short answer, and I usually end up missing one mc out of pure carelessness.

I just found out that this strategy worked for the last test I took in Calculus (not going over every problem a second time).. Yay for being the curve setter! I will definitely be taking my time for this test..

Oh, and checking units is quick and easy. If the question asks for a velocity, make sure you're not answering in grams .

 

[Null_]

Wow, I can't believe I feel REALLY good about that test!

 

[mathwonk]

no matter how it comes out, make it a learning experience in how to get a good grade. If you score low, find out exactly why, and rework all the questions into the form that was desired.

feeling good about a test means you answered what you thought was correct, but it is possible the professor as looking for something different. make it a point to learn what that is, and see things through the graders eyes, if you want a high score.

 

[Null_]

^I'll definitely make this into a model for studying for future exams, but I will prepare farther in advance for future tests (next semester). I got a 99, and the class average was 51... ^_^.

Instead of reading the book as I did for past exams, I just worked all of the practice problems twice for each chapter.

 

[lisab]

^I'll definitely make this into a model for studying for future exams, but I will prepare farther in advance for future tests (next semester). I got a 99, and the class average was 51... ^_^.

Instead of reading the book as I did for past exams, I just worked all of the practice problems twice for each chapter.

Fantastic grade - great job!

But I have to be honest, I'm a bit wobbly on your plan to not read the text. In upper division classes, the exams can be more about the concepts, rather than just the calculations. Just keep that in mind .

 

[Null_]

I suppose reading the text is useful, but I usually pay attention in lectures where he explains nearly everything in the text. The chapters are quite long and ramble on a lot (maybe we just have a bad book...). We use the same book for Physics II (E&M), so I don't know if I will be able to sit down and just read it.

I think that my original question is irrelevant, so does anyone have any recommendations for E&M textbooks? I have the one we use for class, but I wouldn't mind reading a textbook if it were concise and clear in its explanations.