Hello everyone!
This weeks challenge is Exam Prep. I think its time to learn how to face and confront an exam!
This past week, on Monday, I had my first Political Science short exam. I still haven't received my grade but I really think I did good. However, I really wish that for next time I'll be better prepared.
Ironically enough, this week in my CLS class we are talking about how to prepare yourself for exams. And throughout the course we have learned how to use the 20 min. test prep, which I used for my PSC 121 course.
Now, we came across more strategies like anticipating test questions, source and topic outlines, Q&A map, and directional word analysis. These strategies will all help you prepare for an exam.
I decided to use the source and topic outline strategy in order to organize all the topics that are coming on my next PSC 121 exam on Monday, October 24.
Before I explain how to do this, SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT!!!
LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME!
LEANER
ACTION
MATERIALS
EVALUATION
I will explain what I did using L.A.M.E. !
L: Because I am a Kinesthetic Learner and I like to have everything organized, I decided to use this strategy just for that. Being a kinesthetic learner I typed up my work while listening and singing to music.
A: I organized myself by doing the SOURCE AND TOPIC OUTLINE. The one you will use to study is the topic outline.
REMEMBER: "Always study by Topic, never by Source"
In the source outline, I listed all my sources of information for my next exam. In this class we use three books but for this next exam we only need one book. In this case, I only need to use the book Choices. After I wrote down the name of the book, I wrote down the title of the chapters where the information is and their corresponding page. So, for this next exam it will be on chapters 4, 6 & 7 and I wrote down their title instead of their number. I also wrote lecture and discussion notes by date and I mentioned an Internet source I can use to study for this class. This outline will lead me to my topic outline.
Now, in the topic outline is where you can get more specific. I started this outline writing down the dates and topic I will hear my professor talk about in class that day. Then, I wrote down the topic and divided it by subtopics as it is divided in the chapter of the book. I tried to change in my own words to make it more personal and understandable. I also wrote the page number where I can find that topic or subtopic.
The same goes with my notes. I wrote down the specific topic we were talking about in class and then I wrote down the most important questions asked in class. I wrote down everything that was stressed throughout my discussion class as well.
M: This strategy helped me organize what is coming up on my next exam. Even though I haven't started studying for this exam I feel more prepared because now all I have to do is follow this outline when I'm making my review. I can even use this outline in class to follow what my professor will be talking about and listening for key words that will most probably come in the exam.
E: I remember I did a draft of this newly improved outline and as soon as I got to my PSC class on Wednesday I didn't feel lost because I knew what the lecture was going to be about. I will continue using this for my exam coming soon.
What I would do to improve this strategy is highlighting the most important topics. Also, I didn't order my topics from most needed to least needed because all the topics are equally important to study from.
Hope you enjoyed and will think about using this great and helpful strategy!
This is my source and topic outline:
Source and Topic Outline: for PSC 121 Exam #2 on October 24 Monday
Source Outline:
1. Books:
Choices-Custom Resources for Political Science
a. Media and Politics (ch. 4) p. 97
*Media in Government and Politics
b. The Constitution (ch. 6) p.179
c. Federalism (ch. 7) p.235
2. Lecture Notes:
Notebook: October 5, 2011
3. Discussion Notes:
Notebook: October 6, 2011
4. Internet:
mypoliscilab.com
Topic Outline:
October 3: The Media and Voter Knowledge & October 5: The Media and Bias Issues: the Ability to Have a Political Dialogue
Book:
Media and Politics (ch. 4) p. 97:
American Mass Media p.99
Types of Media p.107
Patterns of Media Use p.107
Media Coverage of Politics and Government p.113
Are the Media Biased? p.116
Media Effects on Public Opinion p.119
Notes: October 5 & October 6
The Media (october 5):
What's the role of media in Democracy?
What roles do they perform that are part of the logic of how democracy should work?
Does public actually follow the news?
How much does the public follow the news?
How does this affect politicians?
How much is the media biased?
Why do politicians repeat their message?
The Issue of Bias in the Media
2 Problems Politicians Face
Politician: Chris Christie
Discussion (october 6):
WATCHDOG
Definition of Media
CREEP-Nixon, Water Gate
Pentagon Papers
Golf War
News Confrontation: 1960s news death of JFK vs. todays FOX and CNN news death of Osama
October 10: History, the Articles of Confederation, Frustrations, a New Convention, and a Bundle of Interests & October 12: Creating a Constitution, its Language, and Taking Action
The Constitution (ch. 6) p.179
Revolution to Constitution p.182
Crafting the Constitution p.189
The Battle for Ratification p.202
Amending the Constitution p.209
October 17: Federalism: The Legal View & October 19: Federalism: The Political View
Federalism (ch. 7) p.235
The Union p.238
Dual Federalism p.244
Cooperative Federalism p.248
Case Study: Federalism and the Regulation of Native American Casinos p.254
How do we know? Are States Engaged in a Race to the Bottom? p.264
Federalism in Flux p.268
MY FIRST TRY USING THE STRATEGY: I used it for my SPA 202 exam on October 6
Source and Topic Outline: for SPA 202 exam on Thursday, October 6
Source Outline:
Books:
1. Aventuras Literarias
a. Short Stories
2. Imagina
a. Perspectivas Laborales (capitulo 7) pag. 232
*El trabajo y las finanzas
b. Ciencia y Tecnologia (capitulo 8) pag. 268
*La tecnologia y la ciencia
Short Films: found in imagina.vhlcentral.com
1. El hombre que volaba un poquito
2. Happy Cool
Movie: found in HBC 340
1. Frente al mar de Chuz Gutierrez
Topic Outline:
Books:
1. Aventuras Literarias
a. Short Stories
Una carta a Dios p.57
En paz p. 22
La casa nueva p. 100-101
Nacha Ceniceros p.20
Genesis p.16
Apocalipsis p.7
Con los ojos cerrados p.130
Un día estos p.103
El decimo p.66
El arrebato p.138-139
2. Imagina
a. El trabajo y las finanzas (capitulo 7) p. 232
Vocabulario p.234, 267
Bolivia y Paraguay p.242-243
The Present Perfect p.248-249
The present perfect subjunctive p.252
The passive SE p.254-255
La mirada p.264-265
b. La tecnologia y la ciencia (capitulo 8) p.268
Vocabulario p.270, 301
Peru p.278-279
The Past Perfect p.284
The past Perfect Subjunctive p.286
Uses of the Infinitive p.288-289
La ciudad redescubierta p.294-295
La intrusa p. 298-299
3. Short Films and Movie
1. El hombre que volaba un poquito- imagina.vhlcentral.com
2. Happy Cool- imagina.vhlcentral.com
3. Frente al mar- HBC 340
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ReplyDeleteHey girl,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to see how you did your blogg. Great job this week! First, I love how you put l.a.m.e in your blog and also explained in detail about what kind of learner you are. This helps people remember l.a.m.e very well because it helps me. Also I love how you used the topic and the source outline because it makes everything more organized. I can see you clearly understand how to form this outline and study from this as well. By making these outlines it helps you study as well because your searching for the information to form it. I enjoyed!
- Queen Karima
Gil,
ReplyDeleteYour posts continue to get better and better. This seems like you have to get really organized and takes a lot of time to prepare before even studying, did you feel that way at all? It seems like you set it up perfect, so you know what and where every topic is (page numbers), which is sooo helpful I'm sure. I know that we are going to have to be using this, so your explanation and tips will seriously help me.
Good job!!
Natalie