Update on Procrastination & Motivation Strategy sessions 🚦❗
Procrastination Strategies is next, Dec. 14, 2024. Click here for details. This is the fourth strategy in the series.
Click here to read recap of the Nov. 23, 2024, session on Motivation.
Exam in 1.5 weeks or 1.5 months? Here’s the plan:
If you write your final or midterm math exam in the next 1.5 weeks or 1.5 months (high school or university) or if it’s your first time (e.g. grade 7s) then here’s the plan that maximizes hitting your potential! But before we get to the plan, here are some
useful test links to help with your exam prep and exam writing:
If your school midterm or final exam (e.g. university students) is in the next 1.5 weeks,
think of it as preparing for a Big Test that covers everything you’ve been taught. And follow the byte size chunks of studying plan:
1st Quiz self on Summary Sheets
to see how well you’ve remembered the course fundamentals & basics.
Start with first Summary Sheet from September … and see if you can do that easy question. If you’re confident in your work then look to your Sheet solutions to verify, you’re correct, and see other answers (for Word, Symbol, Picture). Summary Sheet below is for a Grade 7 student.
Grade 7 student Summary Sheet
If you cannot do the question, then think about meaning of Word or Symbol meaning or the draw the Picture, to see if that helps with your recall – this is important as you’re training your mind to think and problem solve now, which you’ll have to do on your exam; versus just giving up looking at answers which you can’t do on an exam. If needed look to your Summary Sheet solutions.
Then repeat for second Summary Sheet and continue until all completed.
Grade 10 student Summary Sheet
This work on the fundamentals, along with your problem solving and deeper thinking, will act as a refresher, and you’ll be remembering and feeling more confident about what you’re going to be tested on. You’re on your way to being ready for that exam 😁! And all of that will have you better prepared for the next step, re-doing each test.
Chunking is breaking a big task into smaller tasks:
Go to Test #1 and quiz self on the first page, and again, if you get stuck think about the Word & Symbol meanings or the Picture as one of them will help.
Then check your work with your answers you wrote on the original test* and/or your corrections or teacher’s solutions.
Once you’ve strengthened that, it’s onto second page of Test #1.
Do that until you’ve completed all test questions**
*The massive advantage with checking against your own initial handwritten test work is the odds are it will trigger a reminder, as in, ‘Oh yeah I remembered doing that’, which will help you recall it quicker 😊!
**If you’re a 70s student, for example, and the last question on the test is one you’ve struggled with, do not attempt it. Leave it. What you’re trying to do as quickly as possible is redo tests questions you understand how to do, but are a bit rusty on.
Once test #1 completed, start chunking Test #2, and repeat. Do until all tests completed.
3rd Then and only then do the exam review given by your teacher.
And yup, do it in chunks – one concept at a time (or one page at a time), and treat each question like a Summary Sheet and test question – if you get stumped, think about the Word or Symbol meaning or Picture for help.
And again, if you’re a 70s student don’t spend time on the toughest questions. You want to strengthen the math you knew as quickly as possible.
4th If your teacher gives you an old exam given or mock exam
then do that in one-sitting (so no chunking this time) and take the same number of minutes as you will have for your exam. If you get extra time then factor that in (e.g. time and a half).
5th Optional: Some students will also go back and
Re-read all class notes, redo every homework question, and do every unit review.
Of course, doing that gives you more reps and will have you be even better prepared!!
And of course, doing all of this depends on your level of motivation (e.g. aiming for 90s requires finding every question in the course easy)!
But at a minimum it’s the first four points you’ll want to do.
If your final exam is in 1.5 months, well, here’s your plan:
First up, your calendar 📅 will be: 17-days off for the Christmas break, then 1st and 2nd weeks new math taught, 3rd week is exam review days, then EXAM DAY!
Your Goal over that 17-day Xmas break 🎄?
Have the 1st and 2nd steps above (1.5-week prep) completed - fundamentals and tests done and done!
And if you’re thinking, ‘Edison it’s Christmas break …’
Got it, but I’m just saying you don’t want to shut down and shut off your math brain for 17 days. It will be hard to start it up come that first day back at school, Monday January 6, 2025. It’s the ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy of life, though replace ‘lose’ with forget!
Doing these first two steps will have you hit the decks running, and as mentioned above do it in chunks – get some done before Dec. 25 and then some after ... and yes, I do know students who have done this work on December 25 😊 – hey even the guy in the red and white suit, works on the 25th🧑🏼🎄❄️!
And yes, I’ve also had students do this Xmas break work on planes, beaches, hotels … at home … in the car …
Once back at school 🏫
when your teacher starts the exam prep process by giving you the exam review, in third week, you’ll already be way ahead of the game :)! And then just do the exam review as 3rd step above.
And if given an old exam or mock exam, you know what to do - do as 4th step above.
That’s it for my recommendations on your Exam Prep input! Now take all of this and input it into your exam prep, so you get the output you’re aiming for ✅☑️😊⭐.
