Study Guides and Strategies

Set up a time schedule to
answer each question and to
review/edit all questions.

•If 6 questions are to be
answered in 60 minutes, allow
yourself only 7 minutes for each question.

•If questions are ''weighed'', prioritize
that into your time allocation for each question.

•When the time is up for one
question, stop writing, leave space,
and begin the next question. The
incomplete answers can be
answered during the review time.

•6 incomplete answers will usually
receive more credit than 3 complete ones


Read through the questions once
and note if you have
any choice in answering questions.

•Pay attention to how the
question is phrased,
or t the ''directions'', or words
such as ''compare'', ''contrast'',
''criticize'', etc.

•Answers will come to mind
immediately for some questions.


Before attempting to answer
a question, put it in your own words.

•Now compare your version with the original.
Do they mean the same?
If they don't, you've misread the question.
You'll be surprised how often they don't agree.


Think before you write.

Make a brief outline for each question.

Number the items in the order you will discuss than.

•Get right to the point.
State your main point in the first sentence.
Use your first paragraph to provide an interview of your essay.
Use the rest of your essay to discuss these points in more detail.
Back up your points with specific information examples,
or questions from your readings and notes.

•Teachers are influenced by completeness and clarity
of an organized answer.

•Writing in the hope that the right answer will some how turn up is
time-consuming.

•To know a little and to present that little wall is superior to
knowing much and presenting it poorly--
when judged by the grade received.

Writing and answering

Begin with a strong first sentence that states the main idea
of your essay.Continue this first paragraph by presenting key points.

•Develop your arguement.

•Begin each paragraph with a key point from the introduction.

•Develop each point in a complete paragraph.

•Use transitions to connect your points.

•Hold to your time allocation and organization,

•Quality answers when in doubt. If is better to say ''towars the end of the 19th century'' than to say ''in 1894'' when you can't remember, wether it's 1884 or 1894.
In many cases, the approximate, may be incorrect, and
will be marked accordingly.


Summerize in your last paragraph.

•Restate your central idea and indicate whyit is important.


Review:

Complete questions left incomplete.

•Remember to allow time to review all questions.

Review,edit,correct....

•Misspellings, incompete words and sentences, miswritten dates and numbers