Take test piece by piece, speaker says

by Mary-Kate Woodruff
reporter

Taking a test is like eating an elephant, a South Campus counselor told students last week in a presentation.
Annie Dobbins presented How to Take a Test and Pass as part of the College Student Success Seminars, organized by South Campus counselors.
“How are we going to eat an elephant? Piece by piece,” she said.
Dobbins stressed the importance of staying positive.
“If you say you cannot, then you have already defeated yourself,” she said.
Learning how to take a test effectively can increase a student’s confidence and grade by as much as 10-15 percent, the counselor said.
Dobbins offered steps that should be taken before, during and after the test to be successful.
“Knowing that you know the material before a test will increase confidence and cut down nervousness, but reaching this point of confidence can only come through hard work,” she said.
Dobbins explained that students should read textbook notes and lecture notes together within 24 hours to help burn the information into long-term memory.
When the test is handed out, Dobbins said students should look through the entire test first and decide how much time to spend on each section.
True/false sections can sometimes be tricky for students.
Dobbins said to assume all statements are true unless the student can establish that they are false.
Dobbins also advised students to pay close attention to extreme modifiers such as nobody, all and always.
Most students will have particular interest in learning that the most common multiple choice answer is B not C, Dobbins said.
“If the answer choices all look the same, you should pick B; however, if C is the longest answer choice, go with C,” she said.
When the test is handed back, students should correct any missed questions regardless of the grade they made to ensure the information is learned before the final.
After the seminar, one woman participant said Dobbins builds her up and gives her confidence to follow through with school.
Future College Success Seminars include Effective Note Taking: Getting the Most Out of What the Instructor Says and Improving Your Memory Helps Raise Your Grades.
“The seminars are designed to give students tools to be successful in college,” Dobbins said.
For more information, contact the South Campus counselors office at (817) 515-4558.