AlleyDog Psychology Study Guide

Study Less & Get Better Grades - Really!

Copyright 2010 by AlleyDog.com LLC

Table of Contents - Welcome -! - Introduction -! - Before The Exam -!

Go To Class! Take Notes! Plan and Schedule! Focus! Focus! Focus!! Read All The Material! Prioritize Your Studying! Learn The Concepts! Be Sure To Review! Cram The Cramming!

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- During The Exam -!

Have Condence! For Goodness Sake, Have Condence!! Have Your Exam-Taking Materials Ready To Go! Read Carefully! Reduce Lingering Anxiety! Dont Search For Patterns In Test Questions! Go With Your Gut! Make Use Of The Time! Understand The Different Types of Questions!

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- After The Exam -! - Appendix -!

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Copyright 2010 by AlleyDog.com LLC All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from AlleyDog.com LLC, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Third Edition

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- Welcome Hello and welcome to the AlleyDog.com Study Guide, also known as the Guide to Better Grades! This guide has been used by thousands of students from around the world to improve their study skills, get better grades, reduce stress, and study less. You read that correctly - get better grades by studying less. The idea of studying less and getting better is key to the guide, and one of the reasons its been so successful and popular. I cant guarantee to your success, but I can say with a high level of condence that if you follow the principles in this guide and implement them properly, you really can study less, reduce your stress level about your classes, and get better grades. Thousands of other students have done it and you can too! I encourage you to read the guide all the way through to get a high-level understanding of the principles. Then, go back and read it a second time and take notes - this will help you understand the principles in more detail and help you implement them properly. The process I just described is one that you will see again in the guide - that is, make sure you understand the big picture rst (the overall idea), then work your way down to the ner points. See, youre already learning how to study more effectively and efciently and youre not even on the rst page yet! I also suggest that you keep the guide accessible at all times. Because the guide is a PDF, you can keep on your computer, print it, and even access it on your mobile device (such as the iPhone and Android phones). One last point before we get on to the Study Guide. Please remember that this is your copy and you cannot provide copies to anyone else. But heres what you can do - join our afliate program, tell your classmates and friends about the Study Guide, and when they buy, you get paid! Thats right - instead of software piracy, you can make money legally and help your friends at the same time. => Click here If youre interested. I hope that you nd the guide helpful and that, with it, you have great success. To your success,

Dr. Doug Kaufman Founder AlleyDog.com

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- Introduction Allow me to begin by congratulating you. Why would I congratulate you? I congratulate you because if youre reading this guide it means youre serious about school and committed to succeeding in your classes. And to me, that deserves recognition. So, congratulations and keep it up, youre on your way to success! Since the moment I started teaching psychology right up to today, students ask me how they can do better on their exams and in their classes. Im not just talking about getting an A on a test (although lets be honest, getting good grades is nice) - no, Im talking about ways in which they can get the most from the time and energy they put into going to classes, studying for exams, reading textbooks, taking notes, and reviewing class materials. Its a lot of work so why not get the most for your effort, right? Well, I agree. You should get as much as you can from all your effort. However, theres one serious misconception that many people (students and teachers alike) have about school, studying, and how to succeed in school. The misconception is that you need to study a lot to do well and get good grades. Many students and teachers believe you need to study for a certain number of hours or put in X amount of time studying to do well in school. Let me tell you what I think about that idea...and let make this very, very clear... ITS COMPLETE AND UTTER NONSENSE! I cant tell you how many times students have done poorly on their exams and then said to me, I studied so many hours for this exam. I dont understand how I did so badly. My answer to these students was always the same: I know you put in a lot of hours studying and youre frustrated right now, but the number of hours you study doesnt really matter. What matters most is how well you study. Dont study a lot, study effectively. And thats the key! Again, let me make this crystal clear:

The key to success is not how much you work, but how well you work.
Knowing how to study and prepare for exams is critical! Would you rather study 10 hours for a test and get a C or study 3 hours and get an A? (Yes, this was a rhetorical question. I think I know your answer )

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Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. The realities are that: 1. Many instructors tell students (or at least give the impression) that they should be studying a certain number of hours for each hour of class. The problem with that is teachers know that students learn at different rates, so how can they say how many hours all students should be studying? 2. Many students equate the number of hours studied with learning. 3. Most students dont know how to study effectively. Dont worry, AlleyDog is here to help! I wrote this guide to pass along information that will help you do better on your exams, help you be a better student, and save you tons of time, frustration, and aggravation. Just so we are all on the same page here, let me make another important point. The information in this guide is not earth shattering, secret, mysterious, or magical. Theres nothing I can tell you that will get you out of studying or make you so super smart that you dont need to go to class anymore. Getting good grades does take work (sorry about that), but if you apply the principles in this study guide youll learn more in less time and have a much greater chance for success. One thing to note about the way the information is presented hereyou will notice that some of the material in the beginning is basic and may seem obvious. However, pay close attention to the basics because they are the foundation of success. If you dont have the basics, you wont succeed with the more advanced principles. Even if some of the principles seem basic, stay with it, dont jump over things, try out some of these principles and it will pay off. We also get people asking how they can do better on their psychology tests as though somehow psychology exams are different from any other type of exam. Ive tried to provide information and principles specic to psychology students as well as strategies that will help you with any course you take. In short, you now have the strategies and information to achieve great success in your psychology classes (combined with your teacher, textbook, etc.). Sound good? Okay, lets move onto specic study strategies.

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- Before The Exam By the time youre in college (or even high school) youve taken more tests than you can remember. Youve taken nal exams, pop quizzes, standardized tests, multiple choice tests, essay exams.is there a type of test you havent taken?! But taking lots of tests doesnt mean that you know how to take exams. For example, when was the last time you stepped back and evaluated your preparation strategies? I mean taken a really good look at what you do to prepare for your exams? Do you even have a preparation strategy? Make no mistake about it, preparation is critical! Lots of students say they prepare for classes and exams, but few students prepare properly or well. If you have poor testtaking or study habits and you use these habits on each test, then all youre doing is reinforcing these bad habits you make those habits stronger! For example, lots of people play golf, and play golf badly. Many of these people spend hours and hours practicing on the driving range, going to the putting green, and playing many rounds of golf. And their swings are still bad and their scores are still really high. Why? The reason is that they are practicing the same bad swings over and over, making their bad habits more ingrained. What they need to do is learn to make the right swings, not spend all their time practicing the same bad swings. So lets discuss ways to prepare effectively!

Go To Class
Have you heard the expression 90% of success is simply showing up? If this is true then this rst recommendation is really important. Yes, I know saying go to class is really obvious, but students have a tendency to miss a class or two. I realize there are important reasons for missing class such as partying too much the night before, oversleeping, needing time to nish that crucial game of Halo, shopping, etc., but to do well on your exams and in your classes, you need to be in class regularly. Many students think that they can simply get someone elses notes and theyll be completely up to speed, but there really is no substitute for actually being in class. You will never get the same level of understanding from someone elses notes or from just reading the book that you will by watching and listening to your instructor. So please hear me when I say that the rst step is to go to class all the time. Just accept this one and move on. Sorry!

Take Notes
Going to class is important, but what you do in class is more important. If you go to class and then fall asleep, read the newspaper, text message your friends, or day-

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dream, youre not getting any benet of class (except maybe getting attendance credit). So whats the point of going to class if youre just going to snooze? So when you go to class, you really need to pay attention and focus (more on focusing in a minute). In addition, you should take notes while youre in class. I know this seems obvious, but so many students just sit there passively letting the information bounce off of them. Dont make this mistake be an active learner and you will benet greatly. Take notes! Just in case you think you really dont need to take notes, let me go a little deeper on this issue: 1. A little later I will point out the importance of reviewing prior to your tests. What are you going to review if you havent taken notes? Sure, you can review the information in your textbooks or workbooks, but taking notes while in class (and while reading) creates an actual record that you can review later. Unless you are an absolute genius (and maybe you are) you simply cant store and then retrieve ever single piece of important information given during class or during your reading. Our nervous systems and brains just dont do it. As a result, youll lose a lot of information if you dont take notes. Taking notes allows you to record the important information in one place so that you can easily retrieve it later. And when you throw in the limitations in the length of time we can store information, it makes missing important information more likely. If these arguments arent enough, here are some data for you. Research shows that students who take notes do signicantly better on exams than students who dont take notes. One study indicated that note-takers scored 40% higher on tests than non-note-takers after just a couple of weeks. All of this means that its really important to be an active learner while in classgo to class, pay attention (focus), and take notes.

2.

3.

Now, let me make another point about note taking. Im not suggesting that you go to class and try to write down every word that comes out of your instructors mouth. This would be a waste of time and would end up causing you problems. Instead, you need to make note of the key elements and important points. But how do you know whats important? Well, this varies by class, teacher, topic, and a lot of other factors, but there are some things you can do to gure this out. Look for central themes details may be important, but if you dont understand the larger, overriding concepts, you dont have much hope of doing well. So when you take notes, look for the main concepts, overriding themes
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and central ideas. Make note of these and then add the details, relevant examples, etc. Follow an outline does your instructor provide an outline? Most instructors follow some order theyve developed prior to class (yes, instructors do a lot of preparation before they ever walk in to teach a class). Many instructors actually show their outline using an overhead projector, hand them out in class, or put them online. If so, get the outline and follow it, lling in the details as you go through class. Im a big believer in outlines so even if your instructor never gives you an outline, make your own and use it when you study. It will help!!! Listen for cues there are few things worse than students asking is this going to be on the test? It drove me batty and I know it does the same to most instructors. Instead of asking this annoying question, listen for cues your instructor gives about the importance of the topic being addressed, such as: and this is critical, whats really important to understand about this the central point is See what I mean? Learn from experience once youve had a quiz, exam, or a test, you have some idea of what your instructor considers important. Go back to your notes and compare what you wrote down to what was on the test. Does your instructor focus on dates, facts, and numbers, or does she focus on the overriding themes? Use your experiences as learning opportunities. Use examples when your instructor discusses a concept and provides examples or illustrations, add them to your notes. Examples not only provide clarity to the concepts, but help make them more real/tangible, and help prompt your memory later.

Plan and Schedule

According to Harry Maddux (dont worry if you dont know who he is. I promise he knows what hes talking about), the biggest problem students have with studying is simply getting down to business. Maddux states that By far the most common difculty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difculty is much greater for those who do not work with a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment. BUT The advantages of a schedule are the savings in time and effort, and the efciency which results from taking an overall view of your total work load. Without a
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schedule you are likely to spend much time in indecisionin making up your mind when and what to study, in getting together the necessary books and materials and in getting into the appropriate frame of mind for productive workThe second advantage is in the proper use of time. It is fatally easy to dribble time away.But perhaps the biggest saving comes from intelligently dovetailing your various activities; in making sure that you do each piece of work at the best possible time; and, eventually, in the condence and sense of competence which comes from regular daily work. The point here is that, although it may be hard to set a regular schedule for studying (especially when you have so many things competing for your time and attentionlike other classes, work, family, love life, etc.), the benets are great. If you can set aside even a small amount of time for regular studying, you should see great improvements!

Focus! Focus! Focus!

In my opinion, this may be the single most important piece of advice you get about studying. Lack of focus leads to more student problems than anything else I can think of. If you want to do well, you must focus on the task at hand. I wont bore you with all the research evidence, but trust me when I tell you that the less focused you are, the less you comprehend material, the less able you are to store material in memory, the less able you are to recall the information, and the more likely you are to forget or never store the information at all. The reality is you need to focus in order to learn well! And since you are less able to understand and remember information when you are not focused, it will actually take you signicantly more time to study because youll have to keep rereading material, asking more questions, and youll spend time seeking out help trying to learn all the stuff you could have learned if you focused. I realize youre probably asking yourself, What are you talking about? I love all the reading I have to do and all of my homework is so interesting that I never have a problem studying. Well, maybe youre one of the lucky ones (or delusional) but many students do have problems focusing when they studyand there are many reasons. But instead of looking at more reasons why people have problems studying, lets look at some things that will help you study better. No matter what you have to study, having a good place to study is crucial. Take a moment to think about where you study. Do you study in: your dorm room? a bedroom? the library? different places all the time or the same place all the time?
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Now think about some of the characteristics of the place you study: Is the place where you study quiet or noisy? Is the place where you study dimly lit or bright? Is the place where you study too hot or too cold? Is the place where you study comfortable, too comfortable, or uncomfortable? Do you have a desk with a good chair and a good light? Are there distractions such as a window that overlooks the swimming pool where all the gorgeous people hang out?

Heres my recommendation for improving your study area and increasing your ability to study effectively: Designate one place as your study place. Do as much studying in this location as possible. Do not do other things in your study place such as watch TV, play Xbox, or read Cosmopolitan. Make sure you have lots of good lighting. Studying in a dimly lit area can make you tired. Have a desk with a comfortable chair that provides good support (dont study in bed)! Find a location that has as few distractions as possible. Turn off the TV! Clear your mind before you begin studying. Take a few deep breaths and relax. Whatever you need to do to get into your zone for studying, do it every time you study. When youre studying, if you nd yourself losing focus, stop what you are doing for a moment and then try again. If you nd that you are really not focusing well at the moment, dont force it NOTE: take a short break and then come back to your studying. Dont study for too long at one time. If youve been really focused for an hour and a half, it might be time for a break. The point is not to over do it so that you get into a less focused state. You want to optimize your studying! Is this good advice or what Im telling you that if you take breaks you will study more effectively!

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I know that I am most effective when I give my full attention for an hour to an hour and a half, then take a 15 minute break before getting back to work.

There is no one right way to study. You need to do some exploration and nd out what way works best for you how do you get the best results with the least wasted time. Once you nd that, go with it. Dont worry that your approach to studying may not be the same as someone elses.

Read All The Material

It would probably be more appropriate for the title to be really read all the material. There's a big difference between reading effectively, reading with a glazed over look in your eyes, and skimming the material. If you want to understand the material, you have to make sure that you give it your full attention and really read it! If you read something and you dont understand it, stop, go back to the beginning and read it again before you move onto the next part. I realize this sounds painful and that it will take more time, but whats the point of reading if youre not retaining the information? Some people read something once and they remember it; other people have to read everything twice. It doesnt matter how many times you have to read something only that when you read it, you really read it. If you skim, you wont truly learn or remember the material fully. Here are a few things you can to do increase your reading effectiveness: Do your reading before going to class. I dont mean read it right before class, I mean make sure you do all of your assigned reading at some time prior to going to class. If an assignment is due on Wednesday, read it in advance of class so that you can ask questions about the material and have a context for understanding it. Take notes on your reading assignments and dont highlight the textbook! This is not only something I preached to all of my students, but also lived by myself throughout undergraduate and graduate school. It's a much more active form of learning that requires you to think through and rephrase the key points. By doing this you are, in a sense, rewriting the material in your own words. If you really like highlighting, you can always go back and highlight the important ideas from your notes. Having written notes apart from the text will also be a great help when it comes time to review the material for tests. If you want to take this to the next level here is a tipimagine that you have to teach a class on the subject youre reading. This means that
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you not only take notes on the material, but also prepare the material from your notes in a way that you could teach it to others. I found that if you can teach the material you know the material. When I had big exams I would always do this and even go so far as to actually teach the material (okay, I was lecturing to my dog, but the act of preparing the material and then saying it all out loud was really effective). Try it before you dismiss it completely. Pay attention during class/lectures and take good classroom notes. After class, reread your notes and the materials. Reviewing regularly allows you to avoid cramming and reduces test anxiety (more on both cramming and anxiety later). The benet is it gives you time to absorb information. I already mentioned this but I am going to say it again for emphasisreally read the material and reread it if necessary! Sometimes a second reading will clarify concepts. If you were truly focused while reading the material and you still dont understand it, you need to get some additional help. Of course you can always visit AlleyDog.com (www.alleydog.com) for assistance, but you can also ask your instructor or Teaching Assistant for help.

Another really big problem with not doing your reading on a regular basis is that it has a snowball effect. Once you get behind in your reading, it is very hard to catch up. And since class occurs regularly, if you get behind before you know it its time for another class which means another reading assignment.

Prioritize Your Studying

Wouldnt if be great if you had the time and capacity to give equal time to everything, and you could learn everything to the same level? That would be good, but lets get real! You probably take several classes and have lots and lots of work to do. Plus you may have a job, a family, or other responsibilities that take your time away from studying. In this case, its important to prioritize. But how do you know what order things should be inwhat takes priority? Just like a professional football player who watches lms of his next opponent, you need to do some advanced scouting. Make sure you know what material will be covered as far in advance as possible. Talk to your instructor, your Teaching Assistant, and other people in your class. I know that some instructors can be jerks and will tell you that everything is important, but thats not always the case. Many times instructors will help you determine what is most relevant.

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Some instructors believe that knowing the dates of every milestone in psychology is critical. Others dont care at all about specic dates. Talk to your instructor and see if they will help you prioritize. Heres one way to approach your instructor: Hi Dr. blahblahblah. I really want to do well in class and on the upcoming exam. Im trying hard to prepare properly, so can you please take a few minutes to help me prioritize the material? Im not asking for information about what will be on the test, just some guidance so I can maximize my time and really learn the materialIm not interested in just trying to memorize every little detail in order to regurgitate it on the exam. I want to learn it. Students really got my attention when they told me they were more interested in learning the material than just trying to get an A. These students usually ended up with the best grades, which is ironic because the students who said they were focused on getting As rarely got As. Instructors really want you to learn, so make use of them! Seriously, teachers want to help you. Think about itdo you really think theyre teaching for all the fortune and fame???

Learn The Concepts

I believe that you really know the material when you know the concepts, or the big picture. This means that, instead of just being able to rattle off facts, dates, and specic details, you can explain what the information actually means. If you can do this, all the facts, names, and everything else falls into place much more easily. Unfortunately many students have been taught to start with the small details, piece them all together, and then try to make sense of them. I think this is completely the wrong approach. In my experience, students that performed the best on the exams (and in class) were those that started with the big picture and then tried to add all the little pieces. What good is knowing all the details if you have no idea what they relate to, how they work together, and what the overriding principles are? For example, lots of students can name the different steps involved in the scientic method, but the students that do the best on their exams are the ones that can explain how each step relates to the other steps and the overall purpose of scientic experiments. These are the students that spent their time learning the concepts rather than memorizing facts. If you come at your studying from this direction, your studying will be drastically more effective and youll save yourself a lot of timeplus you will do much better on your exams!

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One way to test whether you know the concepts is to teach the concepts to someone else. (Remember when I mentioned this earlier?) Get a friend to sit with you while you explain the concepts to him or her. In a sense, teach a class on the material. If you can teach the class, you really know the material.

Be Sure To Review
Just like everything else, reviewing works best if you plan for it and arrange it properly. Arrange specic review times to hold frequent, but brief review periods. Have you heard the expression, repetition is the mother of learning? Im not saying that I agree with this completely, but I denitely believe there is some merit to it. Here are a few different ways to review: Daily reviews Daily reviews should be conducted before and after class. What you review in these sessions are the lecture notes, making note of any concepts you dont really understand. Dont wait until half way through the semester to start dong this eitherstart on day 1. Weekly reviews I think its a good idea to schedule approximately 1 hour a week to review the reading you did that week, the lecture notes youve taken, and the notes youve taken on the other materials. This is not a time to just look over the material, but a time to focus on reinforcing concepts you already know and learning the ones you dont know really well yet. Major reviews Major reviews should start about a week before your exam and begin with the most difcult concepts. I dont think its a good idea for these major reviews to go more than 2 or 3 hours and should include breaks when you feel your concentration diminishing. If youve done your work ahead of time and prepared properly, you shouldnt have to study hour after hour.

There are lots of different ways you can review for your exams and many different types of tools you can use. For example: Flashcards I realize that many people think ash cards are for kids, but they work really well. I used these all the time when studying for big exams. You can use these as though you are preparing for a presentation or to teach a class On each card include the topic, key points, examples, and relevant information to prompt your memory. Put the information onto 3 x 5 cards and carry them with you. This makes it possible to do some quick reviewing before class, while youre on the way to class, in the cafeteria, whenever you have a few extra minutes. Just make
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sure youre focused! You can obviously use this approach when memorizing terms and denitions, so use it for learning concepts and denitions. Dont just copy down the words provided in your textbook. When you write the denitions/explanations on the ashcards, write in your own words. Doing this will help you associate the information with things that are more meaningful to you. Also, this is an active approach that gets you thinking about the information at a deeper level which should lead to better memory of it.

Study Checklist A checklist is a great way to get organized for exams. Make a list of everything you need to know for the exam, including a brief description of reading assignments, types of problems you need to solve, skills to master, major ideas, theories, denitions, etc. When you begin your major study sessions, cross off items as you review them. This will not only help you stay organized, but help you identify strengths and weaknesses.

Cram The Cramming

In college (or the university level) some students are stunned by the amount of work they have to do. The difference between high school and college is amazing. And wait until you get into graduate school! When I rst went to college, the best piece of advice anyone gave me was the following: You are no longer an amateur student; youre a professional student. Start thinking of school as your job. Treat it like a job. Go to the ofce everyday. Work full days. Take responsibility for your job and your work. Do the best job you can and then, when youre all done, play as hard as you worked. High school seems like such a hassle and something that we are forced to do. But college is a privilege and a responsibility (Dont believe me? I promise you there are tens of thousands of people who cant go to college but want to more than you will ever know). It really is like having a job. If you think of it this way and act accordingly, youll do really well. You probably spend about forty hours a week in class, labs, meetings, study groups, and doing homework. And you're responsible for deciding exactly how much time to allocate to each task. So whats the point? Do your work consistently and regularly, and you will never have to cram for an exam again!

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I know lots of students who say they perform so much better under pressure and get better grades when they cram. I have to admit that I believe this is really just an excuse for not doing work on a regular basis. After all, its a lot easier to just put it off a little while so you can go catch a movie, go to the big party, or hang out with some friendsI really do understand. But the reality is, you can work fewer hours overall, under less pressure, and do signicantly better if you just do it consistently. Its like drinkingif you pace yourself you have a better chance of not getting sick. If you go hog wild and drink like a maniac for a short period of time (like cramming for a test) youll be bowing to the porcelain god in no time. Know what I mean?! (Political correctness disclaimer herein no way do I or AlleyDog.com condone, support, nor approve of anyone, especially college students, consuming alcoholic beverages.) One last point about cramming and then Ill move on. Personally, I dont think theres any reason to get into really stressful situationsI push hard and work hard (and play hard), but if there are ways I can reduce my stress level and anxiety, I am all for them. Thats why I do what I can to avoid cramming. I nd that cramming for exams increases my stress level during study time and during the exam. It makes me feel like I am not prepared and that Im not going to do my best. I dont think theres any reason to put yourself under that much stress. Life and school are hard enoughdont make it any worse by waiting until the last minute and then cramming. Okay, Im off my soap box now.

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- During The Exam Now that youve prepared for the exam, its time to go into battle. And yes, Im using the word battle on purpose. As a teacher, I never thought of creating an exam as a battle or viewed students in any confrontational way. But when I was a student, I always looked at the exam as a battle between me and the instructor. I used to convince myself that the instructor couldnt beat meno matter what questions were thrown at me, I was going to show the instructor that I knew the material. It was me against him/her! You may be saying to yourself, Doug, thats a little dramatic (okay, maybe it is ), but it worked for me. And that is really importantyou need to nd out what helps get you into your most effective test-taking zone, helps you focus and relax, use then use it. Here are some things you can do to get into your test-taking zone and achieve maximum success:

Have Condence! For Goodness Sake, Have Condence!

If you prepared properly, then youre prepared. You should know that and feel that as you walk into the classroom to take the exam. This is not to say you should be cocky or careless, but that you should not be anxious about whether you can do well on the exam. Think back to your effective preparation and know you can ace the exam.

Have Your Exam-Taking Materials Ready To Go It sounds a little silly, but make sure you have all of your writing materials, paper, or whatever else you need for the exam. The last thing you need is to get stressed out right before the exam starts because you only brought one little pencil without an eraser! If you need your lucky rabbits foot, make sure you have that with your prior to going to take the exam. Read Carefully When you get the test read the instructions and the questions carefully. Take a couple of minutes to look over the whole test so you can think ahead and allocate your time appropriately. When you come to each section read the directions carefully and see if there are any special instructions. For example, with a short-answer section, do you need to answer three out of the four questions or all four? For multiple-choice questions, do you have to pick only one answer, or can several be correct? Student after student loses points on exams simply because they didnt read the directions or didnt understand exactly what they were being asked. Dont make this mistake and throw away points needlessly.
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Reduce Lingering Anxiety

Even after you get your game face on, there are times when you still have a little bit of anxiety that you cant seem to get rid of. Here are a few ways you can cut down on any anxiety you might still have. Before answering the questions, jot down any names, dates, or anything else that you're worried you'll forget. This will help you feel more condent and less worried. Plus, you wont miss any easy points! A good trick I learned a long time ago is to change my focus for a minute or two to help reduce any test anxiety. If you are taking the test and you begin to blank on something or feel anxious that you dont know the material, just stop, put your pencil/pen down, and change your focus for a minute. TIP: I used to bring a quarter with me to class and keep it on my desk. If I ever felt confused, anxious, nervous, or as though I didnt know the answer, I just stopped for a moment, picked up the quarter and looked at. I would look at all the detail on it, focus on it for a minute to take my mind off the exam and the anxiety, and then went back to test. This usually helped me reduce any anxiety and clear my mind just enough to move forward effectively. Sometimes it helps to answer the easy questions rst. By getting a few answers down that youre really sure are right, you can create some momentum and a sense of condence. If you dont know an answer, just move on and come back to it later. If you do skip some questions, make sure you put some kind of mark next to it so you know you have to come back to it. Its okay to ask for clarication. If you don't understand what a question is asking, get the instructor to clarify it for you.

Dont Search For Patterns In Test Questions

Many students waste a lot of time during their exams trying to nd out if there is some pattern to the questions or answers. This is a huge waste of time. Sure, its possible that the instructor has some habit of making every third question have the answer C, but the odds of this are very slim and the time (not to mention energy) wasted trying to nd this pattern will cost you a lot.

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Go With Your Gut

No, I dont mean bring food to the exam and eat if youre hungry. And I also dont mean just answer every question by what feels right. Students end up losing a lot of points on their exams by changing their minds and their answers. Only change answers when you are really sure you are making the right change. If not, stay with your rst answer. The answer which comes to mind rst is often correct. Its understandable to get a little nervous or anxious during an exam, but changing answers because you are nervous is not a good strategy and will likely lead to more incorrect answers.

Make Use Of The Time

Okay, this doesnt work if you need every single minute to complete all the questionsbut if you have some time leftover, use it to your benet. Go back and look over all those difcult questions (remember the ones you marked originally and had to come back to answer?), and make sure you answered all of the questions.

Understand The Different Types of Questions

Now that you have a bunch of great general strategies and tips for doing better on your tests, lets look at some ways you can improve the way you answer specic types of questions: True-False Questions There is some element of skill required to answer true-false questions well. Obviously the most important thing is to know the material really well, but sometimes students make mistakes on true-false questions simply because they get confused by the question. To reduce this problem, take some practice tests that have true-false questions. It seems a little strange to students that they need to practice these types of questions since they seem easytheres only two choices so how hard can it be? Well, these can be very tough so be careful. What do you do when you really dont know whether an answer is true or false? In this case, pretend you are a defense attorney and that you are defending a clientyou always assume the client is innocent until proven guilty (or in this case, the answer is always true until proven false, so make the case). Its also a good idea to look for specic wording in the question. An instructor may give clues when they include information that is really specic. For example, The rst psychological laboratory was established by Wilhem Wundt in 1879 has specic detail and is likely to be true.

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The other way an instructor may clue you into the correct answer is by making one part of a statement false. If there is any part of a questions/ statement that is not absolutely correct, then the answer is false. Unfortunately students often do the oppositethey read some truth in a question/ statement and assume the whole thing is true. If you look at the example above you see that there are two parts of the questionthe rst lab was established by Wilhelm Wundt; and the rst lab was established in 1879. If either of these were false, then the answer is false. (In this case the answer is true.) The same is true for extreme modiers that tend to make the question false. For example, modiers such as always, all, never, or only make it more likely that the question is false. On the other hand, qualiers often make the question true. Some examples include often, seldom, and many. More often than not, teachers emphasize true questions, which means there are typically more true questions on true-false exams than false questions. Im not saying why they do this, they just door so the research indicates. Its not great to rely on this, but it at least gives you another weapon for your arsenal.

Multiple-Choice Questions Just like with true-false questions, many students think that multiple choice questions should be so easy since the right answer is sitting right in front of them. But the reality is that these types of questions are often the most difcult and may be the most complex. To be successful with multiple choice questions, make sure you read every question with each answer individually as though that is the only answer available. What I mean is, take each answer individually and focus on trying to determine if that answer is correct. Dont compare it to the other choices; just focus on each answer independently. One strategy that I think you should use regularly when you are not immediately sure of the right answer is the process of elimination. If you can eliminate two alternatives pretty easily you have increased your odds greatly! 50-50 odds are much better than 1 in 4. Watch out for extremes. Sometimes its really clear which answers are wrong simply because of the extreme nature of the wording. For example, All adults go through the stages of sleep in precisely the same manner and order each night. Anytime you see a question that makes such bold claims as every person experiences something in the same way, you
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should be skeptical. In this case, the words All and precisely are giveaways. Another approach you can try when you are not sure of the right answer (and this one is a little risky, but it does have some merit) is to look for answers that are very similar. Instructors sometimes try to fool students by making an incorrect answer look really similar to the correct answer. Sometimes this is too tempting to ignore and students fall into the trap. Ive already mentioned the need to read instructions very carefully. This is particularly true with multiple-choice items in which there are negative words in the instructions. Every now and then I would include a few questions that asked students to pick the answer that is not true. Did I do this because I am evil, cruel, have anger toward studentsumwellno, of course not. I did this because it is a good test of whether the students know the concepts (the big picture) or just memorized facts. If you know the concept and you read the instructions correctly, these questions are no problem. This one may not always work, but in many cases instructors give you more detail in the right answer than the wrong answers. In this case, selecting the longest answer may be your best bet. But remember, this doesnt always work so I recommend using this when youre really not sure of the right answer.

Matching Questions The rst thing you should do when confronted with matching questions is to examine both lists very carefully. Look to nd relationships between the lists to determine the types of items and whether there are relationships. For example, are the lists just lots of random terms and denitions or are there relationships such as names of behaviorist theorists and their corresponding theories? Finding relationships often helps narrow down the options that might be buzzing through your mind during the exam. Dont answer any of the questions until youve looked over the lists at least once. Rushing into answers can be disastrous and since were talking about matching questions (and sometimes you can only use each answer once), one wrong answer will likely mean at least two wrong answers. Go down the list and nd the answers for which you are certain. This helps build condence and narrows down your options. Once you do this, make sure you physically cross off the answers. Im not kiddingthis really helps you stay organized and cuts down on sloppy mistakes.

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Essay Questions One of the worst things students can you do is start writing out their answers before they organize the information that will go into the answer. I think the best thing you can do is take a couple of minutes to create an outline. Start with the overriding idea/thought and build on it. Make sure you include an example or two as soon as you think of it. Its much harder to change essay answers or add things youve missed once you started, so a little extra time planning will go a long way. I realize you may feel like this takes too much time, but it will not only help you do better but will help save you time in the long run. By having your ideas organized you wont have to stop continually to think about what you wrote, what should come next, how it relates to what you wrote earlier, or if youre missing something. Your outline acts like a roadmap. You just have to create it and follow it. Ive told you many times to read the instructions and questions really carefully. Now here is a strategy that takes this one step further. Sometimes you really do read a question the wrong way. It happens! One thing you can do to help if this ever happens is to make sure you always start out by paraphrasing the original question. You can use this as your introductory statement in your essay. Why, you ask? Paraphrasing the question helps to structure the answer and, in times when you misread the question, demonstrates that you know the material but simply thought the question asked for something else. Sometimes your instructor will recognize this and give you credit (or partial credit, which is better than nothing). Of course, this assumes that your answer is right for the question you thought was being asked. Even a mean instructor like me gave partial credit to students who demonstrated solid knowledge of the material but misunderstood what was being asked! Psychology is lled with conicting theories and viewpoints. Freud said this, Jung said that. As a result, lots of times psychology instructors ask compare and contrast questions that really require you to have a rm grasp of the ideas, theories, and concepts. One strategy to help with these types of questions is to start with the one you know better and list all the relevant and important information about that person or topic (not as part of the answer, but on a separate page). This will help you organize the information and identify some common/contrasting points. For example, if you are asked to contrast Freud and Jung, you might start by indicating that Freuds perspectives often had a strong emphasis on sex. Then you can ask, did Jungs theories also have a strong emphasis on sex? If the answer is no, you have your rst contrasting point.

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- After The Exam Youre done! The exam is over! I think the most important thing you can do as soon as the exam ends is not dwell on the exam, answers you gave, things you think you missed, or anything else. Sure you want to grab your book or notes and look a few things up to satisfy your curiosity, and thats ne. What Im talking about it really dwelling on the exam or beating yourself up because you think you may have made some mistakes or not done as well as you expected. The instant the test is over you cant do anything about it, so dont stress yourself out and just move on...its over. Once you return to class and get your test back, spend some time looking it over and reviewing your answers. The reason you do this is to learn from your mistakes. Make sure you understand why you got questions wrong (assuming you did, and maybe I shouldnt assume this ). The one thing you dont want to do is make the same mistake again on another test, so make sure you understand why something was not correct. If you really dont understand, dont be afraid to ask your instructor. Now, read the next passage carefully if you are unsure why an answer is wrong, ask your instructor to clarify the answer so you learn from your mistake and wont make the same mistake again! Im not saying you should take the exam to your instructor and challenge the results. Dont do that. Its one of the surest ways to alienate your instructor and that is the last thing you want to do. I have to say that in my personal experience, asking instructors to help you understand correct answers is a great approach. Instructors really do want you to learn and they are generally willing to help you succeed. I know that the instructors Ive had responded really well to thisexcept one, and he was just an awful instructor. In fact, he was one of if not the worst teachers I ever had. Let me tell you a story He was one of my statistics instructors in graduate school. This was a man who taught the same class year after year for more years than he cared to remember. By the time I was in his class he was teaching just this one statistics course, which met once a week for three hours. And even this seemed like a huge burden to him. He acted as though he just wanted to get through the class with as little effort and interaction with students as possible. He was so miserable in class that he made it incredibly difcult to like him, but I worked very hard to understand the material and do well. After our rst exam I went to his ofce and asked if he could explain one of the answers to me (on I got wrong) because I didnt quite understand it. He seemed aggravated, but obliged.
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After our second test, I did the same thing. This time, however, he went a little nuttyhe said that since I only got one wrong answer I should just be happy with my grade, and stop being such a pain! He said that he didnt appreciate me questioning the results and insisted that I really wasnt interested in understanding the materialthat I just wanted to argue the results. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. In fact, it was truly an aversive experience to have to speak to this man at all, so going out of my way to see him after spending 3 hours in class listening to him talk about conducting hierarchical regression analyses by hand should have been a clue to how dedicated I was. But he didnt see it that way and he let me know it. Its obvious how much it bothered me since I am telling this story ten years later! So why am I telling you about this? Im telling you because the strategy is a good one and I want to show you that not only have I used it myself, but that it was very rare when it didnt work well. And even though I had one really bad experience, I still recommend it and would use it again. Okay, its also a little therapeutic for me to talk about it. So where was I? Oh yes, learn from your mistakes! Each time you get an exam back its an opportunity to gain some more insights into your own performance and see where you need a little extra work. Maybe you do really well on essays, but struggle with matching. Learn from your exams! Like everything else, exam-taking is a skill that you can improve. Why do you think there are companies like Kaplan and the Princeton Review? I think thats enough for now. My hope is that you will nd a few new strategies for taking exams and start employing them. If you can start using these strategies, I really believe you will improve your scores, reduce the amount of time you have to study, and decrease the frustration so many students feel when studying. I hope you do well on all your exams from this day forward. In the next section of the Guide to Better Grades Ive included the information from our Fast Facts product. Fast Facts provides fundamental information about psychology and the history of psychology. Its really a primer for you as you explore the eld. It is not a comprehensive overview but rather important information boiled down to its most basic form.

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- Appendix Contact Information If youd like to get in touch with us, please use our online contact form. Click here to access the online contact form. You can also access the site anytime at: www.alleydog.com Disclaimer The content in this document is completely accurate to the best of our knowledge. The purpose of the AlleyDog.com Study Guide is to enhance your understanding of psychology and to help you succeed in your classes, not replace the information you receive from your designated psychology text books and/or your classes. The study guide is provided as a supplement to your textbooks and the information provided by your instructors. If there are contradictions between material presented in the AlleyDog.com Study Guide and those sources of information, please ask your professor for clarication. Copyright 2010. This document is the property of AlleyDog.com. Unauthorized duplication or replication of this document is strictly prohibited. You acknowledge that the AlleyDog.com Study Guide, any underlying technology used in connection with the AlleyDog.com Study Guide, and all material, information, communications, text, graphics, links, electronic art, animations, audio, video, photos, and other data (collectively, the "Content") available within the AlleyDog.com Study Guide are provided by AlleyDog.com and are the copyrighted works of AlleyDog.com. Except as expressly authorized by AlleyDog.com in this Appendix you may not copy, reproduce, publish, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, rent, lease, sell, transfer, display, transmit, compile or collect in a database, or in any manner commercially exploit any part of the Content in whole or in part. You may not store any signicant portion of any Content owned by, or licensed to AlleyDog.com in any form, whether archival les, computerreadable les, or any other medium. You also may not "mirror" any Content on any other server. Indemnication The users of the AlleyDog.com Study Guide agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless AlleyDog.com, its afliates and their respective directors, ofcers, employees and agents from and against all claims and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising out of the use of AlleyDog.com.

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