College Strategies

Lesson 3: Going to Class; What to take, What to do, What to know

Recognizing important information

It might seem like your professor is randomly rambling on about things, but if you know how you can actually get some very useful hints to what will be on your tests and exams. Any professor has favorite types of questions to ask, and yours will be no different. You have to develop a sixth sense to their hidden messages, and once you do, it will prove to be invaluable. Some tests can become so predictable that you will know what kind of questions will be asked.

Old tests/exams
Old tests can give you invaluable insight in the topics that are most important in the course. Usually an archive of old final exams is available in the college library or with the appropriate department, but for old tests you might need to find a student who has previously taken the course. Use the tests to see what you should primarily focus on. Also use information the Prof gives (or ask for it if he doesn’t!) on the marking scheme of the tests. If questions are mostly multiple choice, you know it is pointless to be studying as if it were short answer questions.

Hidden info
When your professor repeats something, or slows his pace, it is a classical given you can expect to see that back or it is a vital piece of information you under no circumstances want to miss. He or she is being nice by conveying that message so obviously, however sometimes something that seems completely irrelevant will show up on a test. Be aware of “real life examples” and other ‘extra’ information. If you notice your professor is particularly fond of a topic or a company (or something that falls in his line of research, which is something that will be mentioned one way or the other) it is also likely an important thing to take note of.

The course outline
One of the first things you have to ask your professor if you are not given a clear page to page reading assignment is the following: you need to know if you are responsible for the entire chapter the lecture pertains to, or just for the material covered in class. In many cases the last will be true, and this definitely cuts down on your reading time. It is unusual that you would be responsible for material that has not been taught in class, tutorials or labs, so count on that being the case. Now you can just concentrate on those parts of the textbook that offer more information on the topic already discussed.

TA’s sometimes spill some beans
Sometimes TA’s are more forthcoming to questions on what you can expect on the test. Most of the time the TA will actually not have seen the test themselves, and even if they would they are not going to tell you which questions are going to be on. However, they can be very helpful when it comes to figuring out what to focus on. Straight out ask them what kinds of questions you could possibly expect. If they have been working with the same professor for a few years they will most likely be able to predict the type of questions asked.

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