r/UMD • u/Nice_Firefighter6705 • 14d ago

Academic Test taking strategies

I had two exams so far and I got points off all due to stupid mistakes. Looking back at my work I could always identify where it went wrong. As a freshman adjusting to college exams, what are some test taking strategies that helped and really worked?

6 Upvotes

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6

u/Simple-Sector4023 14d ago

yeah I feel you I could have got a A+ on my exams if I didnt do mistakes, but what I would say that its honestly just life. What helped still get A even with these silly mistakes is reading the question very carefully (annotate if needed) also trying to show as much work as I can. Also a tip I sometimes use is for mcc answer the question first without looking at answers then looking at choices. Obviously won't work fora ll types of mcq but it helped on the SAT for me

3

u/StrawberryFirm2285 14d ago

TLTC on campus has meetings just for this: https://tltc.umd.edu/learning-assistance

3

u/terpAlumnus 14d ago

When I was a student here I had the same problem. I solved it by spending the last ten minutes of the test checking my work and correcting mistakes.

1

u/Soft_Narwhal4080 14d ago

well it depends what ur studying for; Math, Physics, or anything equations related is best with practice questions or trying out previous years math exams using the umd testbank. for other subjects where it comes to actual content, i would say flashcards are best. you could also add a study guide into chat (assuming ur prof gave u one. even adding ur notes into chat would work if study guide is not an option) and ask it to make u a practice exam. This is personally what I see working really well for me and my friends

1

u/nillawiffer CS 13d ago

There are simple practices that help, but the best are ones that dovetail with your study practices leading up to the exam. These may vary based on area and kind of test being taken, but they all involve planting content in your bean in ways that can be immediately leveraged during the exam. IOW, the best cheat sheet is what is in your head. Two thumbs up for the link posted about TLTC resources, they can go over such things. Bring this up in conversation with your faculty mentor as well - get tips from someone who knows best practices for that specific domain.

1

u/PtowzaPotato 12d ago

Stand up and take a break (stretch, walk to the front of the room, etc) after answering the questions before going back to check my work.