_i know the material, but when i take the test i go blank!_ _ stress _ resources _ counseling...

8/13/2019 _I KNOW THE MATERIAL, BUT WHEN I TAKE THE TEST I GO BLANK!__ Stress _ Resources _ Counseling Services _ K

1/5

12/31/13 "I KNOW THE MATERIAL, BUT WHEN I TAKE THE TEST I GO BLANK!" | Stress | Resources | Counseling Services | Kansas State University

https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/stress/strestst.html 1/5

"I KNOW THE MATERIAL, BUT WHEN I TAKE THETEST I GO BLANK!"

HELP YOURSELF is c reated by Counseling Servicescopyright 1989, 1997 by Kansas St ate University

CONTENTS

Introduction

Components of the Test Environment

The Textbook Structure

Key Str ategies for Studying

Some Additional Suggestions

Other Resources

INTRODUCTION

It is normal and healthy to feel some anxiety before an exam. Many students,however, complain about "test anxiety", explaining that t hey went into a t estknowing the material but that t hey "went blank" when they began to t ake theexam. Or when they receive their test results, they find that they made " sillymistakes ". What they think is "too much anxiety" may really point to a gap in

their study skills.

Why? When most students prepare for a test, they read their notes ortextbooks. As you read along, you may feel t hat you know (understand) whatthe author is saying. Understanding what you are reading at the momentdoes NOT mean that you know it well enough to remember it for a test whenthe book isn't there to help you. Thus, students may enter a test situationexpecting themselves to "know" the material and finding themselves going"blank" when trying to answer a test item.

To be most efficient, each step of your study should be keyed to the testsituation itself. So, you first need to prepare to deal with the COMPONENTSOF THE TEST ENVIRONMENT ; then, understand THE TEXTBOOK STRUCTURE .Once you know these elements, you can apply KEY STRATEGIES FORSTUDYING which c an help you be both bett er prepared and more confidentwhen taking a test.

COMPONENTS OF THE TEST ENVIRONMENT

Nearly all test s include three t hings:

1. No texts -- you will have to recall the information from memory. Nonotes. No clues. So, you have to make sure that you not onlyunderstand when reading the text but also remember the material fromthe first time you study it well enough to pass a test! This requiresknowing how to use the text structure in studying and being able tosolve problems WITHOUT looking back at the book! (see " HOMEWORKPROBLEMS ")

2. Stress -- Taking tests adds stress. And, your performance tends todeteriorate under stress. So you need to learn the material well enoughto remember it under stress. For ideas on how to manage the normal

Services for Students

Resources for Faculty

& S taff

Re sources for Parents

My Counseling Serv icesAccount

On line Resources

Aca demic Anxiety Onl ineStre ss Management O nlineUniv ersityLifeCafeCo u nseling Services HelpfulRes ourcesApp s for Your Android oriPho neOth er Mental HealthRes ourcesCo m munity Organizat ions

Pr ofessional Trai ning

Ab out Us

FA Q

Co unseling ServicesKan sas St at e Universit y232 English/CounselingServices B uildingManhattan, KS 66506 785-532-6927

785-532-3932 [email protected] Policy

K-State home Counseling Services Resources Stress " I K N O W T H E M AT E R I A L , B U T WH E N I TA K E T H E T E S T I G O B L A N K ! "

Counseling Services

Search web, people, directories

Browse A-Z Sign in
http://-/?-http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/K-State-Counseling-Services/220576651332320mailto:[email protected]://-/?-https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/faq/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/aboutus.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/training/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/training/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/mhlinks.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/apps.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/apps.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/resources.htmlhttps://www.universitylifecafe.k-state.edu/bookshelf/stress-management-online-workshop/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/https://signin.k-state.edu/WebISO/login?service=https%3a%2f%2fcsonline.ads.ksu.eduhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/faculty/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/student/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/http://www.k-state.edu/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/http://www.k-state.edu/http://www.k-state.edu/http://www.k-state.edu/http://signin.k-state.edu/http://www.k-state.edu/directories/http://www.k-state.edu/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/stress/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/http://www.k-state.edu/http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/K-State-Counseling-Services/220576651332320https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/student/emailpolicy.htmlmailto:[email protected]://www.k-state.edu/counseling/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/faq/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/aboutus.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/training/http://www.themercury.com/Community/Clubs/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/mhlinks.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/apps.htmlhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/resources.htmlhttps://www.universitylifecafe.k-state.edu/https://www.universitylifecafe.k-state.edu/bookshelf/stress-management-online-workshop/https://www.universitylifecafe.k-state.edu/bookshelf/academic-anxiety-online-program/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/https://signin.k-state.edu/WebISO/login?service=https%3a%2f%2fcsonline.ads.ksu.eduhttps://www.k-state.edu/counseling/parents/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/faculty/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/faculty/https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/student/http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-


2/5



stress of any situation, see other topic areas:3. "Stressed Out" and4. "The Doctor Told me my Stress Caused my..."5. Time pressure -- you have studied several chapters and lectures,

learned hundreds of facts, concepts, processes, solutions. You'll need toremember this rapidly in the test setting. This is especially important forthose t ests requiring rapid problem solving

TOP

THE TEXTBOOK

A good textbook is written and printed in a format that can be used toenhance your performance on the t ests. USE IT TO HELP YOU STUDY!!!

Why would the structure of the textbook be useful?

When beginning to write a t ext, t he authors make a list of t he 15 to 25 mostimportant topics that need to be covered in the text. This list eventuallybecomes the titles of the chapters in the text. Next, the authors develop alist of 6 t o 10 points to be covered in a chapter. Considerable time is spent inrefining these, shifting some around, deleting others. These bec ome t heheadings within each chapter, the chapter sections.

This outline becomes the table of contents published in a text. If you weregoing to teach the course. You would know what's in the text just fromlooking at this outline. You would know that is what your students shouldlearn, supplemented by the lectures you would prepare for them.

You are taking the course to learn the material at least well enough to passthe tests. So, the authors fill in the outline for you -- they give explanations,history, examples, derivations, formulas or whatever is needed to educateyou on each topic in the chapter.

Each chapter outline will be valuable in at least two ways:

1. as a check to see how w ell you remember the c hapter afte r studying itthe first t ime, and

2. as a way of remembering the material. You remember more detailslonger if they are organized. The chapter outline usually will provide anorganization for t ext and lecture materials.

TOP

A KEY STRATEGY FOR EFFECTIVE STUDYING1. Study a small piece of the assignment at a time -- study it well

enough to pass a t est immediately after studying it. We c an hold about7 or 8 bits of information in our heads at any one time. So we need tolearn a piece with just a few concepts or ideas. A section usually isabout the "right size" for our brains. So, st udy just one headed sec tionat a time. Use the textbook structure to your advantage!

2. Question and study . Turn each section heading into a question andstudy to answer that question. Remember, the authors put all thosewords, problems, diagrams, et c. under that heading to tell you whatthey meant. DO NOT TAKE NOTES OR UNDERLINE OR HIGHLIGHT,YET .

3. Before proceeding further, test yourself before your instructor does .Stop at the end of that section, look away from the text, and testyourself. Make sure that you remember what you need to remember fromthat section to pass a test. If you're not sure, go back and check on thematerial and then t est yourself again. TESTING YOURSELF SECTION BYSECTION IS CRITICAL . If you can't pass a test on the material now,when are you going to learn it? You're gambling that you'll have time togo back and really learn it in the future. That often isn't the case asyou'll have several tests coming along in other classes at the same t imeand limited study time. Also, you're gambling that you won't need tounderstand it for subsequent material in the chapter. Your goal is tolearn and remember the material the first time through. Do not becontent with just knowing what the authors are saying as you read thetext -- you can understand it all but fail a test.

4. NOW TAKE YOUR NOTES , underline or highlight. Be brief -- just enoughfor you to rec all what you have to remember from that sec tion. Notesare preferable. Put t hem on the left -hand page of your notebook (if
http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://www.ksu.edu/counseling/topics/stress/drstress.htmlhttp://www.ksu.edu/counseling/topics/stress/stresgen.html


3/5



you're right- handed). Put lec ture notes on the right-hand page oppositethe appropriate reading notes.

5. Repeat these s teps for each section in the chapter: Turn the Headinginto a Question

6. Study to Answer the Question7. Test yourself at the end of each section8. Review and test yourself on the entire chapter. On the weekend, go

back and st udy your reading and lect ure notes. Learn t hem well enoughso that you can look at the chapter outline in the table of contents andremember what you need to remember for each section in the chapter.

See also SILLY MISTAKES , OBJECTIVE TESTS , and ESSAY T ESTS for moreideas.

That's the basic strategy. Minor modifications may be needed but overall ittakes just these simple steps. Practice them until they become your way of studying.

TOP

SOME ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Testing yourself section by section is critical!

20% - that's what you'll remember two weeks after reading something if you just read it and set lt aside.50-65% - that's what you'll remember in two weeks if you t est yourself right after reading.

75-80% - that 's what you'll remember two weeks later after t estingyourself t wo t imes.

Testing yourself after each section (Test 1) and at the end of theassignment or chapter (Test 2) puts you in the 75-80% category. Whenmidterms come, you'll be reviewing just to get yourself from about 75% tonearly 100% rather than t he usual prac tice of having to re-learn most of thematerial.

If you think that you don't have that much time. . .

There's no quicker study strategy than the key ones offered for learning andremembering knowledge well (unless you are one of the rare persons with aphotographic memory). With this strategy, your initial study might take 20 to30 percent longer than you are currently t aking. However, when reviewing formajor tests, you'll know the material better and will spend less time reviewing

before t ests.

Take Notes, Underline or Highlight?

Preferably take notes. Take your notes only after you have tested yourself atthe end of each section -- step three above. When you take your notes (orunderline or highlight) while reading the material the first time, chances areyou'll take too many notes (or underline or highlight too much). Waiting untilyou've read the entire sec tion and test ing yourself helps identify the mostimportant points, so your notes are more focused.

Homework Problems

The Usual Strategy: Students usually read the two, three or four sectionsassigned and then turn to the problems to be solved. The problems are solvedwith the book open -- referring to the appropriate section. This way, you

could solve every homework problem correct ly and st ill fail tests because youknow what you're doing with the book in front of you but not necessarilylearning the material well enough to remember it during a test without thebook to help you.

Recommended Strategy: Homework problems are to test if you not onlyunderstand the assignment but also remember what you studied well enoughto pass a test.

Use the key strategy described above to study the assignment. Then, solvethe problems with the book c losed, referring back only occ asionally, asneeded. Use homework problems as a test -- solve the problems with yourbook closed. Sure, you'll need to refer bac k to it for some points - but justthe ones you need to be refreshed on.

Lecture Notes
http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-


4/5



Put your text notes (notes on your assigned readings) on the left-hand pageof your notebook (if you are right-handed). If you're left- handed do theopposite. Then, take your lecture notes on the right-hand page, opposite theappropriate sec tion of not es from your reading. If the lecturer says onlywhat's in the text, just star (*) it, meaning "This was discussed in class so itmight be important. Know it!"

When preparing for test s, t hen, you'll have reading and lect ure notes side-by-side for your study. Y our lec ture notes on additional material will be withthe reading notes on the same topic.

Modifications

Any system will need modifications to fit particular student and instructorstyles. Experiment until you find patterns that work best for you and thestyles of each of your instructors.

For example, some instructors lecture from an outline, so taking orderly classnotes is a breeze. For other profs, you might need to go over class notesafte r class and, using a red pencil, identify important points and sub-points.

If you have one of those c lasses in which tests are based primarily on lec turenotes, your homework will be studying lect ure notes using the key strategydescribed above. Apply it to the lecture notes and use the text just to filltopics discussed in class.

Reviewing for Tests

Your review for test s should be as much like the test situation as possible.Most tests require you to recall material from memory and to solve problemsor write answers rapidly. So, your test preparation should give you pract ice indoing those t hings.

Study each of t he chapters and associated lecture notes. Study eachchapter so you can set your notes and text aside and recite to yourself whatyou need to know. Essentially, you'll have the outline for that chapter (thatappears in the table of contents) in your head.

Tests Requiring Rapid Solutions to Problems

First, learn the c lass material as described in " KEY STRATEGIES ".

Then, do some rapid problem solving without the book. Most problem coursesrequire that you solve problems on tests much more rapidly than when doinghomework. To prepare for this, try some rapid problem solving. Time yourself.Or, better yet, study with a student who is doing slightly better than you inthe course. Each of you can copy a problem and then race to see who solvesit first. Do this for at least 20 or 30 minutes for at least t hree nights beforethe test.

As an analogy, basketball players don't practice in slow motion all week long(we often do our homework problems that way, though) with play diagrams infront of them (we have our books in front of us). Rather, they simulate gameconditions for part of their practice. Students can simulate test situationsand come out winners!

Silly Mistakes

Do you make silly mistakes, such as 2 + 2 = 5, or forget to carry signs? Moststudents do.

One reason: homework problems are solved at a leisurely rate while testsrequire rapid problem solving. The best way t o prepare for the t est is tosimulate it. Devise a system for practic ing rapid problem solving as part of your review for the test.

Another silly mistake is not taking time t o read eac h test question thoroughly.

Objective Tests

Again, learn the material first using " KEY STRATEGIES ". Then, simulate a test.Have a f riend predict questions and ask you t o answer t hem without referringto your notes. Trade places -- you ask the questions. Do this only afteryou've reviewed the material.

Essay Tests
http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-


5/5



Review the material first using " KEY STRATEGIES ". Then, predict questionsyou think will be on the t est. Use any c lues the prof might have given,including sample tests if made available by the professor. Or, consider forminga st udy group with ot her students in your class and brainstorm themes/topicswhich you think may be most important. T hen, outline your answers to thequestions. Study these until you know them. You won't predict exactly whatquestions are on the test. But, chances are that you will predict most of thepoints/topics that are needed to answer the questions on the test.

TOP

OTHER RESOURCES

Academic Assistance Center , 101 Holton Hall, Kansas State University, (785)532-6492

Counseling Services , 232 English/Counseling Services Building, Kansas StateUniversity, (785) 532-6927.

Other Counseling Services topics on Stress: " STRESSED OUT " AND " THEDOCTOR SAID MY STRESS.. ."

See our CS LINKS page for other resources

Originally written in 1989 by David G. Danskin, PhD, University CounselingServices; modified and adapted in 1997 by Dorinda Lambert, Ph.D. for use on

the Internet.

Contact us Emergency Statements and disclosures

Kansas S ta te University Manhattan, KS 66506 785-532-6011 Kansas Sta te University Updated: 9 /10/12
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112281507388935453137/postshttps://foursquare.com/v/kansas-state-university/4ba0ec7cf964a520678737e3http://www.youtube.com/user/KStatehttp://twitter.com/KStatehttp://www.facebook.com/KStatehttp://www.omniupdate.com/oucampus-kstate/de.jsp?user=kansas_state_university&site=counseling&path=%2Ftopics%2Fstress%2Fstrestst.pcfhttp://www.k-state.edu/about/copyright.htmlhttp://www.k-state.edu/disclosures/http://www.k-state.edu/advisories/http://www.k-state.edu/contact/http://www.ksu.edu/counseling/topics/links.htmlhttp://www.ksu.edu/counseling/topics/stress/drstress.htmlhttp://www.ksu.edu/counseling/topics/stress/stresgen.htmlhttp://www.ksu.edu/counseling/http://www.ksu.edu/aac/http://-/?-http://-/?-

_i know the material, but when i take the test i go blank!_ _ stress _ resources _ counseling...

Documents