Do you happen to have essays, presentations, and quizzes all due this or next week? As freshmen, we are starting to get into the intensive part of our semesters, where we may have two or more exams in one week, followed by multiple assignments to complete. It is at this time that we should organize our assignments, so we do not fall behind. I personally use Calendar from Outlook to organize any due dates of major assignments. I also stumbled upon the calendar from Canvas student, which helps to organize all the assignments that your instructors post to the classroom. Now that we have our assignments organized, the next step is to study for that one exam and one of the best ways to practice is through practice problems.
Take advantage of the study sessions offered on campus, as they can help you review the topics that will be on the exam. These are typically offered just a few days prior to the exam date and span for two hours. I went to the MA 125 exam review session and the instructor covered eight sample questions with all the topics. Information for these study sessions is sent to your email, so make sure to check your emails frequently.
When I arrived at my study session, I was surprised that the lecture room had fewer students than my own lecture section. I did notice that sometimes the instructor would move quickly through questions with multiple parts, but luckily those questions were not on the exam. I think that having this study session helped me to prepare for the exam as it helped me to review what I knew and learn new equations that I did not account for.
For many of us, these first exams of our college career are completely different from the format we had in high school. My class exams in high school were held in our own classrooms with no more than 30 students, while our Stevens exams take place in large lecture halls with more students than I can count. On top of the dedicated space to our exams, we also have that one hour reserved in the late afternoon. Usually, these exams are weighed more on our grade so having the extra time before helps to fit in any last 15-minute studying. For those of you that enjoy studying right before the exam (including me), I know the stress that builds up but studying in the library will help you focus.
Focus is important to have when you are studying but also in the exam itself. If you have experienced an exam inside a lecture room with the foldable seats, then you know the feeling as many people start submitting their exams. I have been to multiple PEP 111 quizzes and the MA 125 exam to witness the sound of the chairs as they fold up. This part of the exam is kind of like a wake-up call to everyone else who has not finished their test yet. I think that such actions just add to the stress of me rereading the question making sure to understand what it is asking. Sure, we have one hour to complete the test, but it gets nerve wracking when you hear half the room get up and submit their tests. It seems to be done almost purposefully just like how students would aggressively flip to the back side of the test back in grade school. These are just my own insights of my experience with the exams after all, but I hope that we all have a smooth ride with exams from this point on.
