Looking for some study advice

[Kaskadian]

Hey everyone,

I hate admitting this, but I'm terrible at studying. I've knocked out a lot of DSST/CLEP tests already and I've passed them all, but I never feel 100% confident going into the test. To be quite honest, I'm horrible at studying. I put it off, and find any excuse not to study.

Would you folks share some tips that have helped you study better? I don't have tons of time to waste, so I really need to get myself in check.

Cheers,
Kas

[mrs.b]

Hey everyone,

I hate admitting this, but I'm terrible at studying. I've knocked out a lot of DSST/CLEP tests already and I've passed them all, but I never feel 100% confident going into the test. To be quite honest, I'm horrible at studying. I put it off, and find any excuse not to study.

Would you folks share some tips that have helped you study better? I don't have tons of time to waste, so I really need to get myself in check.

Cheers,
Kas

Hello, and welcome to the forum! First, no matter how good you are at studying, I do not know of many people that walk into a test with 100% confidence. It's the nature of self-doubt. That said, everyone's study tactics will be different depending on personal schedules and personalities.

For me, what worked best was setting aside some time every night to at least browse the material. I did not necessarily dive deep every night, but touching on it frequently helped to set facts I'd already reviewed. I was taking those exams while also doing three online courses at TESC, so that available time was limited. I only allotted five minutes a night and if I could squeeze in more, great! If not, at least I spent 5 minutes a day reviewing. You can forego five minutes of a day, right? You probably sit in a waiting room somewhere at least that long, or staying up five minutes later will not throw your sleep schedule in a tailspin? I found that as soon as I cracked open the material, I tended to spend more than five minutes.

During those study sessions, I started by reviewing what I already knew, then read at least one more new thing. That new thing would be included in the review for future study sessions. And I would continue with that pattern until I went through all the material. Then review front-to-back until, during those study sessions, I had a good grasp on what I reviewed. Then sit the test. While I never walked into a test certain I was going to ace it - in fact, I walked into most terrified I was wasting my time off work and money - I scored equivalent of As on most all of them.

Maybe that'll help! I'm sure others will share their study techniques. Do what works best for you, though. The main thing is setting aside some time, even a little bit, and discplining yourself to look at something as often as you can. Repitition is your friend in this. So many times, I had questions that I would read the first time, thinking, "what is this? I didn't go over this?!" Then the second or third read-through of the question, something would click and I'd remember reading it that one time I was searching for something else, and I'd at least be able to make an educated guess.

Figure out what your style is, be dedicated to at least giving yourself some time, and you'll do fine.

[EI2HCB]

Hello, and welcome to the forum! First, no matter how good you are at studying, I do not know of many people that walk into a test with 100% confidence. It's the nature of self-doubt. That said, everyone's study tactics will be different depending on personal schedules and personalities.

For me, what worked best was setting aside some time every night to at least browse the material. I did not necessarily dive deep every night, but touching on it frequently helped to set facts I'd already reviewed. I was taking those exams while also doing three online courses at TESC, so that available time was limited. I only allotted five minutes a night and if I could squeeze in more, great! If not, at least I spent 5 minutes a day reviewing. You can forego five minutes of a day, right? You probably sit in a waiting room somewhere at least that long, or staying up five minutes later will not throw your sleep schedule in a tailspin? I found that as soon as I cracked open the material, I tended to spend more than five minutes.

During those study sessions, I started by reviewing what I already knew, then read at least one more new thing. That new thing would be included in the review for future study sessions. And I would continue with that pattern until I went through all the material. Then review front-to-back until, during those study sessions, I had a good grasp on what I reviewed. Then sit the test. While I never walked into a test certain I was going to ace it - in fact, I walked into most terrified I was wasting my time off work and money - I scored equivalent of As on most all of them.

Maybe that'll help! I'm sure others will share their study techniques. Do what works best for you, though. The main thing is setting aside some time, even a little bit, and discplining yourself to look at something as often as you can. Repitition is your friend in this. So many times, I had questions that I would read the first time, thinking, "what is this? I didn't go over this?!" Then the second or third read-through of the question, something would click and I'd remember reading it that one time I was searching for something else, and I'd at least be able to make an educated guess.

Figure out what your style is, be dedicated to at least giving yourself some time, and you'll do fine.

This is excellent advice, it seems you've made progress in whatever method that you've been doing. Everyone has a different method of becoming familiar with the material some people fly through the flashcards letting the program tell them the answers others take time to type the answer in. Some of us try and get the big picture of the subject and then fill in the details as this seems to work best for me when it comes to history for example. We all approach situations based on what we believe about ourselves, if you've been told that you aren't a good student if this becomes your belief system then you'll approach every exam with fear and trembling. Despite the evidence of getting great scores I sometimes have a hard time being confident about my knowledge and ability. take a look at some of the most successful people on here and their signatures all contain positive and focused quotations from both modern and ancient sources. This CBE thing isn't about getting better scores than someone else but more about "I've done the work, I know the material, lets avail of the credit we can gain by sitting this exam" while fear is a good motivator to do the work and avoid failing leaving it at the door on the way into the exam center is always the best decision. Every time I enter an exam hall I quote to myself Psalm 23 verse " 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Remembering that there isn't anyone inside that seeks my demise I've done my best and I'll walk out again later at best with my passing score or at worst having to repeat the class or exam.

[Snickerdoodle]

First, no matter how good you are at studying, I do not know of many people that walk into a test with 100% confidence. It's the nature of self-doubt. That said, everyone's study tactics will be different depending on personal schedules and personalities.

Well said. I've never felt 100% confident even with over 20 exams behind me now. :eek: That moment when your score report prints out, fresh ink in all its glory... :-P

[LaterBloomer]

A big thing is to know yourself, and not to fight yourself. For instance, I make the mistake of getting every book ever published from the library or bookstore when I start to study for a test. Then, of course, I'm frantic to get through them. The best plan for me is to go narrow and deep. Find a couple of the books most often recommended for studying, and stay with them. Then, look at InstaCert's flashcards.

As other have said previously, you can usually winkle out at least a few minutes every day to study. Be strict with your time. Don't think that just one Happy Hour won't throw off your schedule, because it will. It will lead to going out to lunch with friends, rather than sitting in your cube/office/quite space and studying. Skip the neighborhood BBQ. Focus on what is most important, and do it. As Marcus Aurelius said, know that a limit has been set to your time.

Good luck.

[mrs.b]

The biggest hurdle is getting past the habit of procrastination, and from there, you'll fall into a study pattern that works for your learning style. As a self-proclaimed lifelong procrastinator, and only one of MANY here on this forum (I mean, most of us are adults just now coming back to the whole "school thing"), we all understand it's a hard habit to break. It is one you must break, though, if you're going to plow through the material and give yourself any measure of confidence walking in those test center doors.

Do you work out / exercise? If so, apply the same rules to yourself for studying as you do exercise. When I'm just not in the mood to do a workout, I hold myself to the promise that I'll do at least ten minutes and after that, if I'm still not feeling up to it, I'll stop. Getting started is the hard part, once you get moving or studying or whatever, the "ugh, I don't wanna!" self-gripes tend to wane and you can get some real work done. Find that perfect time of day - if you're the type that reaches 6 or 7PM and just can't motivate yourself to do anything, eek out a few minutes midday or in the morning. If you're slow to get moving in the morning but have more energy at night, make 5 minutes of study time part of your bedtime routine. My bedtime routine starts an hour before I'm actually planning to hit the pillow, starting with 10 minutes of exercise (usually 20-30), and when I was studying, I'd use my post-workout cooldown snack time as study time, then into the shower, brush teeth, then to bed.

Treat studying or exercising or whatever you're procrastinating with the same understanding as you do brushing your teeth. Is brushing your teeth something you get excited about? Probably not, but you do it because you must (well, you could put that off too, but then you'd have a snaggletooth Halloween smile). Do it because it's part of your routine.

[nolliepop]

Procrastination is what put me in the boat I was in until today. I needed 7 credits to graduate this semester and I knew I needed to take 3 cleps to make it happen since the very beginning of the year. I didn't get around to finally taking them until Wednesday of last week. I had never taken a clep before, but passed 3 cleps in a week and 2 days. I took my last one this afternoon and seeing the passing score was overwhelming because it meant graduation, finally. Although procrastination put me into a boat of extreme stress and nervousness, I don't regret it. I enjoyed being in that boat and testing my ability to retain a lot of information in a short time frame.

My method of studying was opening notepad or word and typing up groups and subgroups of information that I didn't know as I went through the IC flash cards. Typing everything helps to support my memory of the material. After its all written down, it is typically about 6-8 pages in word with 0.5" margins, times new roman, 10 pt font, single spaced. I commuted to school which is about an hour and a half away so I would print out the pages I wrote and study up on the way. This method of studying for exams is probably not the method of choice for most, but it works for me.

Good luck on your exams!

[LaterBloomer]

Nolliepop, that's the secret for studying. Find out what works for you. For some, pressure helps to make diamonds. For others, it's crushing. It's wonderful that you were able to get those exams so quickly out of the way.

[Lindagerr]

I am the queen of procrastination if I didn't have it before I inherited when I took my husbands last name his family never does anything today they can do next decade. From 1st college course to BA took me 38 yearsbanghead and several CC's.( I just had to send 9 transcripts to the state to cover all my credits so I could apply for a teaching certificate.) The only way I could get myself to study was to say I would only give it 10 minutes now I could always fit in just 10 minutes. I almost never stopped at 10 minutes but it was always an option. I found practice test were a good study aid for me taking the PT and looking over all the answers even if I got them right made me keep the material fresh.

I never walked in to a testing center confident that I could pass, and I never thought I passed until I saw the score (I can't tell you how many times I almost didn't hit submit score). The only exam I didn't pass was the PRAXIS II in math the 1st time I took it. The reason was I had not had time to study except for one 10 min. session. I studied and took it again and passed. On all my other CLEP/DSST/TECEP/ECE exams I scored at least in the B range and most in the A range.

So stop the procrastination it is just wasting time. Find a method that works for you (or you already have ) and just keep on working away at it. My old quote was something like "Even if we are on the right track we will get run over if we just sit there".