The art of studying for an exam is one that takes a lot to master. Studying isn’t easy for everyone and it’s definitely something a lot of individuals don’t like to do until the night before an exam. However, although many students tend to study the night before an exam, doesn’t mean that they didn’t try. The one issue I have with the testing environment, is that most of the professor’s exams are multiple choice. It’s not only that most of the test are multiple choice, it also has to do with the issue that some professors are pushing so much information at once that sometimes we do not have all the time to absorb all the information. I’m a student who enjoys learning to learn, I do not like learning to pass the class or exam, which is something I feel happens a lot here at Pepperdine. How well or badly I do on the exam should not define my intelligence, yet it becomes a bit difficult not to define yourself by your score if you continue to struggle. This is only my opinion, I’m only stating that various methods should be used to test my intelligence, not only one.
Test Anxiety
There are a lot of students who have test anxiety. You do not have to be diagnosed to have test anxiety. It’s about you being unable to fully concentrate on the problem material in front of you. As a student, I do get test anxiety, and no matter how much I study, while taking an exam I feel as though I forget half the information. I think this is a common problem for a lot of students. There’s no way to solve it but try your best or at least attempt to relax yourself. I, myself am still working on calming myself before an exam. I read once, that if your exam is on Wednesday (for example) you should spend Sunday and Monday studying late. On Tuesday, you should stop studying at around 9 or 10 and get a good night rest. Now, that being said, most students do not do that. I’m sure there’s a way to reduce your test anxiety, but at the moment I have no figured that out.
Different Methods of Testing
Multiple choice is NOT always the best way to test a student’s intelligence. I think professors deeply need to understand that. I know multiple choice is the easiest to grade and there are students who do fairly well on this method of testing; however, for students such as myself, multiple choice is the worst thing ever! It’s like being told, you have four friends, you can only keep one on the island, which person is it? Okay, maybe not to that point, but what I am trying to say is that testing using only multiple choice is not the best. I am a student who learns best by being test using open ended questions. It allows students such as myself, to fully explain what we have learned rather than being forced to pick one correct answer. What also makes matter worse is when professors decide to put several answers that all sound similar. Come on! As if isn’t hard enough to figure out the correct answer, you have to add on trick questions, and another thing that’s quite frustrating is having the option of “all of the above”. Every time I see this on an exam, I believe that it’s a trick question, since how can all the answers possibly be correct? For some students, we tend to over analyze the question. The question that might have the simplest answer is not always the easiest for us. Whether you are for multiple choice or against it, I think professors should be aware that not all their students learn and understand the same way. Some students think differently.
Final Thoughts
My final thoughts for this blog is that I want people to be aware that there’s more ways to testing than just multiple choice. It’s something that I struggle with every time I have to take a test that is, in most cases, multiple choice. What I’ve also learned and heard from many is not to let your grades and scores define your intelligence and ability. For most of us, this is easier said than done. Yes, go get those good grades, however, if you get a C or a B on a test, do not freak out. You are smart. You understand the information. You won’t let your score define your intelligence. You are much more than a number on a test.