Provide “A+” Answers The potential pitfalls during an exam are numerous, but the most common are: (1) running out of time and (2) providing answers that, although detailed, don’t fully answer all parts of the question being asked.

Step 6

‌For an exam with a small number of questions, mark right on the test pages the time when you should begin and finish each one. For an exam with many questions, divide the exam into equal fourths, then jot down the time you should begin and end each section ‌these recorded times will keep you updated on how close your current progress matches your predetermined schedule

‌Prepare Memorization Aids using flash cards ‌Schedule Your Organization WiselyD on’t try to organize and study in the same day

‌In a course with no favored sources, readings that directly address the specific topic of the lecture act as the favored sources for the day. ‌Don’t Work Alone on Problem Sets ‌Solve Problems on the Go ‌Write Solutions Right the First Time

1. Match the lecture to the problem set that covers the same material. 2. Copy sample problems from these lecture notes onto a blank sheet of paper. You don’t have to copy the steps or the answers, just the questions. 3. Label the blank sheet of paper with the date of the lecture. This will help you later figure out where these problems came from (and more important, where their answers can be found). 4. Fasten this sheet with a paper clip to the problem set you matched it to in step one.

Conquer the Material ‌Trust the Quiz-and-Recall Method‌Using the Quiz-and-Recall Method for Nontechnical Courses‌The physical act of writing and the manipulation of the material in my mind was usually enough to keep things straightput little check marks on your quizzes next to any questions that you had trouble answering.‌Using the Quiz-and-Recall Method for Technical Coursesthe important equations and concepts out by hand.‌Memorize over Time

Step 4

Strategy #1: Review First, Answer Questions Later ‌Always read through the entire exam first Strategy #2: Build a Time Budget lay down very strict time limits for myself on each question ‌First, take the time allotted for the exam and subtract ten minutes. ‌Next, divide this amount by the number of questions. The result is how long you have to spend on each prompt.

Strategies 

Marshal Your Resources ‌Define the Challenge• Which lectures and reading assignments (or problem sets) are fair game?• What type of questions will there be, and how many of each? “It’s helpful to know in advance what kind of knowledge will be asked for on the exam—IDs, dates, broad syntheses of the texts’ major arguments?”

Step 3

Step 1Take Smart Notes ‌Gather the Right Materials‌Take Smart Notes in Nontechnical Courses (What’s the Big Idea?) **Nontechnical course” refers to any course outside of math, science, economics, and engineering. ‌Format Your Notes Aggressively‌Capture Big Ideas by Using the Question/Evidence/Conclusion StructureQuestionEvidenceConclusion‌A Brief Example

Part-2 quizzes and exam

• Is the exam open note or open book? • For a technical class, will formulas be provided or do they need to be memorized? • How much time will be available? Does the professor expect the exam to be easy to complete during the test period or a challenge? ‌Build a Study Guide (Organizing Nontechnical Course Material) ‌Construct a Mega-Problem Set (Organizing Technical Course Material)

Take Smart Notes in Technical Courses (Where’s the Problem?)‌The key to taking notes in a technical course is to record as many sample problems as possible.‌Don’t Read Your Assignments, but Do Keep Them HandyPrioritize Your Note-taking‌First priority: Record the problem statement and answer.‌Second priority: Question the confusing‌Third priority: Record the steps of the sample problem.‌Final priority: Annotate the steps.

Demote Your Assignments‌Work Constantly‌every Sunday night and plan out the week‌complete one problem a day, one hour at a time.‌reading assignments—knock off a chapter a day‌Don’t Read Everything‌It’s important to triage your assignments: What do you need to read? What do you need to skim? And what can you skip entirely?”‌Always read the assignments from favored sources‌Readings that make an argument are more important than ‌readings that describe an event or person, which are more important than ‌readings that only provide context (i.e., speech transcripts, press clippings).

Step 2

Invest in “Academic Disaster Insurance” ‌Eliminate Your Question Marks • Ask questions during class. • Develop the habit of talking to your professor briefly after class. • Ask classmates.• Come prepared to exam review sessions (if offered).

Step 5

Here is the second part of this books i reviewed, hope it will be useful to everyone. 

Looking to jumpstart your GPA? Most college students believe that straight A’s can be achieved only through cramming and painful all-nighters at the library. But Cal Newport knows that real straight-A students don’t study harder—they study smarter. A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, How to Become a Straight-A Student reveals for the first time the proven study secrets of real straight-A students across the country and weaves them into a simple, practical system that anyone can master. You will learn how to: • Streamline and maximize your study time • Conquer procrastination • Absorb the material quickly and effectively • Know which reading assignments are critical—and which are not • Target the paper topics that wow professors • Provide A+ answers on exams • Write stellar prose without the agony A strategic blueprint for success that promises more free time, more fun, and top-tier results, How to Become a Straight-A Student is the only study guide written by students for students—with the insider knowledge and real-world methods to help you master the college system and rise to the top of the class.

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Looking to jumpstart your GPA? Most college students believe that straight A’s can be achieved only through cramming and painful all-nighters at the library. But Cal Newport knows that real straight-A students don’t study harder—they study smarter. A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, How to Become a Straight-A Student reveals for the first time the proven study secrets of real straight-A students across the country and weaves them into a simple, practical system that anyone can master. You will learn how to:  • Streamline and maximize your study time  • Conquer procrastination  • Absorb the material quickly and effectively  • Know which reading assignments are critical—and which are not  • Target the paper topics that wow professors  • Provide A+ answers on exams  • Write stellar prose without the agony A strategic blueprint for success that promises more free time, more fun, and top-tier results, How to Become a Straight-A Student is the only study guide written by students for students—with the insider knowledge and real-world methods to help you master the college system and rise to the top of the class.

Cal Newport is Provost’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, and the author of seven books. His ideas and writing are frequently featured in major publications and on TV and radio.From his website: "I write about the intersection of digital technology and culture. I’m particularly interested in our struggle to deploy these tools in ways that support instead of subvert the things we care about in both our personal and professional lives."

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