Do Better On Your Examinations (1951)

[Music] do you sing the blues they come to take an exam are you perhaps a worrior are you a Scrambler rushing to cram facts into your head at the last minute are you a fidgeter scared of every exam my friend Bob used to be all those things then something happened something that ought to interest you you see he learned a system it started one day when Bob had fallen down on another exam and you haven't been doing very well on your examinations have you why do I have to take examinations I I hate them I'm sorry missor but I that's all right Bob I don't especially enjoy examinations either but they're the only way I have of making sure the class is progressing well and that the best way you have of checking up on yourself to make sure you're getting the most you can out of your courses well I'm sure I'm getting more than that out of commercial geography well perhaps you need to concentrate more on your examinations develop skills in preparing for them and and in taking them well that's just the point Miss Foster how can I do better there is a very good system for doing better on your examinations I believe you missed the discussion we had in class one day first keep up with daily work you'll want to do that exams or no exams keep up with daily work plan effective reviews be concerned but don't worry get set then do your best that's the system and Bob didn't waste any time putting it to work first keep up with daily work the way to go about that is to keep a careful record of assignments every day and do them every day well what's the assignment for tomorrow study questions better get to work on that right away when you put it off the work just piles up so dig right in keep up with daily work now when you've done tomorrow's assignment you're ready for step two of our system for better examinations plan effective reviews Bob learned that there are two important kinds of reviewing one is regular review about once a week revie riew the material you covered that week you'd be surprised how that kind of regular review helps make what you've learned really sitick and that helps as Bob found out a week or so later when Miss Foster gave a surprise quiz for once Bob wasn't hit by that old Sinking Feeling no he didn't exactly shine on the quiz but he was better prepared than he had ever been before and so he just naturally did better work regular reviewing pays off later when a major exam was scheduled Bob set off to plan ahead for the other kind of reviewing intensive review that day was Monday he could spend more time reviewing on Wednesday and Thursday if he needed Friday was the day of the exam it would cover the subject of Transportation when you settle down for an intensive review you can get help from a lot of places your textbook of course is one the table of contents gave Bob a sort of General picture of the section on Transportation turning to the chapter on Transportation he ran through it quickly just just to fix the general plan of it in his mind at the end of the chapter there were more helpful review AIDS questions what inventions do you think have been the most important aids to progress and transportation well Bob thought it over he had some ideas for the answer but he felt had better plan to reread the section of his text dealing with inventions he also referred to his notes his records of class discussions and outside reading these are useful review AIDS too that's the way Bob worked testing himself rereading his textbook and notes whenever he wasn't sure of the material later that evening Bob used another review Aid his old exam papers and looking him over Bob discovered something now for him objective test questions calling for simple short answers were fairly easy his big trouble was with subjective test questions calling for more explanation so Bob discovered one of his weaknesses and he went to work on it has air transportation affected the General Life of your community and if so how sounds just like an exam question so Bob practiced writing a full answer using review AIDS testing yourself jogging your memory that's the way to go about an intensive review on Wednesday Bob tried another kind of reviewing one that gives good practice in answering questions and helps clarify the course material with some friends he cooked upis sort of quiz program testing out possible exam questions on each other a good question compare railroads and Airlines as hollers of freight well that's easy airplanes have it all over trains so much faster oh I don't know maybe speed isn't so important trains can hold bigger bulkier loads you know what I think I think that the question didn't mean for us to choose between them it meant for us to compare them if I got that question on an exam I'd pick out the advantages and disadvantages of both of them yes Bob found this a useful and pleasant way to review well came the night before the exam how did Bob stand he' reviewed his textbook and his notes he'd tested himself with sample questions he'd Ed still other methods of review what about that system he was following keep up with daily work plan effective reviews that's all right what's next be concerned but don't worry well look at it this way you've done all you can you feel pretty sure you know the material so why worry don't wear yourself down studying too much the night before the exam get to vet at your usual time be rested be ready well here we are again waiting for the exam and how's Bob taking it well he's making himself comfortable that's the last step in our system get set then do your best we can't expect Bob to be perfect but let's watch him for pointers on this business of actually taking an exam first be conscious of time you know how much time you have don't waste any Begin by reading through the whole exam to get a general idea of the questions it's a good idea to underline the special directions on each question the key words explain list true or false this way you're sure you know just what's expected on each question for instance this first question says explain that means writing out a full answer with this type of question write down the most important General ideas first then add as much detail as you can but don't get so wrapped up in it that you don't leave time for the rest of the exam so what's the next question list five methods of communication in use today a simple short answer question but say you can only think of four we'll write them down maybe another will come to you later true or false start by answering the ones you feel sure about but it may be better not to guess if your teacher subtracts for wrong true false answers well we don't have to take this exam the point is Bob's taking it pretty well in his stride would you like to do better on your examinations then why not try this system [Music]