Study Tips From Mr. Thisse For Finals

We are halfway through week five, which means the Spring A module is almost over. We are looking forward to a successful completion to the module next week with final exams.

Right Now is a great time to begin studying for your exams. More about that in a minute.

Remember, final exam day is a free jeans day! (Evening students, jeans may be worn on Thursday night only.)

Below is a list of study tips that you might find helpful as you prepare for finals. But first, here is the schedule for final exams at Dorsey Roseville:

·         Wednesday, May 11 (Evening Only) – Final exams for classes that meet on Monday/Wednesday evenings.

·         Thursday, May 12 (Afternoon / Evening) – Final exams for afternoon classes that meet four days a week and classes that meet on Tuesday/Thursday evenings.

·         Friday, May 13 (Morning / Midday / Afternoon) – Final exams for morning and midday classes, as well as afternoon classes that meet five days a week.

Okay, here are some study tips that you may find useful:

Study Tips (source: http://www.courseadvisor.com/)

1. Set aside time. This one's a given, but it is important to determine how you will fit all of your studying in and schedule it in a planner. If you work 8 hours a day, you know what hours those are. If you have class or a seminar, you know not to schedule other meetings or activities at that time. Do the same by scheduling your study time into your day. As an adult learner, it is even more important to set these schedules and expectations with your friends and family. You've taken the step to go back to school and improve your life - be sure to keep others in the loop on your progress and success, and they should be able to understand your need for uninterrupted study time. The good thing to know is that a series of shorter study sessions distributed over several days is preferable to fewer but longer study sessions. This is especially important for those students who juggle work, family, and school.

2. Don't try to learn it all. Select a reasonable chunk of material to study. Make a list of topics that are likely to be on the exam and prioritize these subjects based on how important they are and how much more you need to learn about them. Spend the majority of your time familiarizing yourself with the subjects you are less confident about, and do it at the beginning of your study session, when you have more energy and are ready to dive in.

3. Dress uncomfortably and sit at a desk. This one was offered to me by my 11th grade chemistry teacher. If you dress comfortably and set up your study session on the couch, you're apt to lose focus, be interrupted and be less productive. Sit upright at a desk and avoid dressing casually so that you can remain awake and attentive.

4. Put it in your own words. Don't just memorize the information and move on. You should be able to explain the main ideas in your own words. By putting it in a context that you understand, you will have an easier time recalling it than if you simply repeated a concept over and over without really connecting to it.

5. Seek support. Check with the other students in the class to get their perspectives on what important information will be on the exam. Suggest a group session where you share study guides and talk about the material out loud. Verbalizing the information is the key to storing the material in your long-term memory.

6. Chew gum. Though not a fool-proof plan if you haven't truly studied the material, an informal study by a Cornell University marketing professor has shown that chewing gum offers improved memory and concentration which may improve your test-taking abilities.

Good luck on your finals everyone!

Matt Thisse
Academic Dean