Comprehensive exams are a daunting undertaking for any student. With with the fact that End-of-Course (EOC) scores make up 30% of students’ final course grades, you have a recipe guaranteed to make even the best students feel anxious. However, it doesn't have to be stressful. Here are some tips for effectively preparing – without having to tear your hair out.
Learn what you DON’T know.
Have you been struggling with graphing and solving quadratic equations or using sine, cosine and tangent to solve word problems? Review these concepts now. Take a practice EOC to discover which rules challenge you. Gain insight into test content.
Review what you DO know.
Plan ahead – don’t try to cram everything in a month or week before the exam. Set small, achievable goals.
Start now! Set goals for the week. For instance, create a binder for your U.S History EOC. Start small and compile information on the leaders whom you’ve learned about thus far, instead of saying, “I’ll get to it the week before.” Let’s be honest – you cannot cram American history – encompassing the birth of the United States, wars, cultural developments, and more – into the week before the exam! Ease into the process – review 20 pages of material and fill one page each day with names and information.
Daily goal setting creates workable chunks of study, and completing your daily goal will give you a sense of accomplishment. Establish your own reward system for reaching your objectives, even if the reward is something small. Piece of chocolate? Latté? Sunday walk on the beach? Give yourself a 10-minute game break while studying. Do what it takes to keep up the momentum.
Pick the right time of day to study.
Everyone learns differently, and, thus, everyone studies differently. What’s the best time of day – and the best place – for your study? There are, in fact, pros and cons to studying during the day compared to studying at night; check out this blog piece.
Remember, we’re always available if you need additional help with EOC prep!
