Tests: Preparation
Considering the big picture and organisation is the key. Create a schedule of study, even if you don’t stick to it. For me, this usually involves getting an idea of everything I need to know and explicitly writing it down in bullet points. Consider all points carefully and think about how long it will take you to cover them.
If you don’t do this, there’s a tendency to spend too much time on the beginning of the material and then skim through the (most important) later material due to lack of time.
Always try to look at previous tests BEFORE starting to study. Especially if the past tests were written by the same professor. This will give you strong hints about how to study. Every professor has a different evaluation style. Don’t actually attempt to complete the questions right away, but take careful note of the types of questions.
Reading and understanding IS NOT the same as replicating the content. Even I often make this mistake: you read a formula, derivation, or proof in the book and it makes perfect sense. Now close the book and try to write it down. You’ll find that this process is completely different, and many times you won’t be able to do this! Somehow the two things use different parts of memory.
Make it a point to ensure you can actually write down the most important bits and re-derive them at will. Feynman famously knew this very well.
Always try to collaborate with others, but near the end of your study period. Study alone first, because in the early stages, others can be a distraction. But near the end, get together with others—they often point out important pitfalls, bring up good issues, and sometimes give you an opportunity to teach.
Speaking of which, don’t only hang out with stronger students. Weaker students will have you explain things to them, and teaching the material helps A LOT with understanding.
Go to the professor’s office hours at least once before the final exam. Even if you have no questions (you can make some up!). Professors will sometimes be willing to share insights in a one-on-one setting that they wouldn’t disclose in front of the whole class. Don’t expect it, but when it happens, it can help a lot.
Does this give you an unfair advantage over other students? Sometimes. It’s a little shady 🙂 But in general, it’s a good idea to let the professor get to know you at least a little.
Study well in advance. Did I mention this already? Maybe I should stress it again. The brain really needs time to absorb material. Things that looked hard become easier with time. You want to allocate about three days for midterms and six days for exams.
If things are going badly and you get too tired, in emergency situations, juggle an energy drink. They work; it’s just chemistry.
For subjects like math: Exercise > Reading. It’s good to study to the point where you’re reasonably ready to start the exercises, then fill in the gaps by doing exercises, especially if you have many available. Exercises will also make you revisit topics you don’t know well.
Make yourself a cheat sheet. Even if you’re not allowed to bring it to the exam, writing things down helps. What you want is to cram the entire course onto one or more pages that you can eventually glance at and say confidently, “This is exactly everything I must know.”
Study in places where other people study as well, even if not the same thing. This can motivate you — it works for me! Places with a lot of background noise are bad and have been shown by research to negatively impact learning. Libraries and reading rooms work best.
During the Test
Always use pencil for tests. You want to be able to erase your “garbage” solutions.
Look over all questions very briefly before you start—just a 1-3 second glance per question is enough. Absorb all key words and get an idea of the size of the entire test.
On the test, do easy questions first. Do not allow yourself to get stuck on any question for too long. Come back to it later. I skip questions all the time. Sometimes I can complete as little as 30% of the test on my first pass. Some questions become much easier once you’re “warmed up” — I can’t explain it.
Always try to be neat on the test. Surprisingly few people actually realize that a human being will mark your test. A sad human being gives low marks. I suspected this as an undergrad and confirmed it strongly when I was a TA and actually marking exams.
Always box or circle your answers, especially when there is a derivation around them. This allows the marker to quickly give you a check mark for full marks and move on.
Get in the mindset of the marker.
NEVER EVER leave the test early. You made a silly mistake (I guarantee it). Find it and fix it. If you can’t find it, try harder until time runs out.
If you are very certain there are no mistakes, work on making your test more legible and easier to mark. Erase garbage, box your answers, add steps to proofs, etc. I have no other way of putting this—people who leave tests early are making a big mistake. This is a situation where the potential benefits completely outweigh the cost.
Communicate with the marker. Show them that you know more than what you wrote down. If you can’t do a particular step, make it clear that you know how to proceed if you did. Don’t be afraid to leave notes when necessary. Believe it or not, markers often try to find you more marks—make it easy for them.
Consider the number of points per question. Many tests tell you how many marks each question is worth. This gives you strong hints when you are doing something wrong and which questions deserve your attention. It’s silly to spend too much time on hard questions worth few marks.
If there are less than five minutes left and you’re still stuck on a question, STOP. Your time is better spent re-reading all questions to ensure you didn’t miss any secondary parts and that you answered everything. You wouldn’t believe how many silly marks are lost this way.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations if you’ve read this far! Here’s my last (very important) advice, something I wish someone had told me as an undergraduate.
Undergrads often have tunnel vision about their classes, wanting to get good grades, etc. The crucial fact is that no one will care about your grades unless they are bad.
For example, I used to say that the smartest student will get about 85% in all their courses. This way, you end up with somewhere around a 4.0 score but without over-studying or under-studying.
Your time is a precious, limited resource. Get to a point where you don’t screw up on tests, then switch your focus to much more important endeavors.
What are those important endeavors?
- Getting actual, real-world experience;
- Working on real code bases, projects, or problems beyond course exercises;
- Building relationships with professors and others who can write you strong reference letters highlighting your initiative, passion, and drive;
- Applying for summer internships if you’re looking for jobs;
- Getting research experience if you’re considering graduate school;
- Signing up for programs your school offers or reaching out to professors/graduate students for research projects you’re interested in;
- Getting involved with groups on side projects or starting your own from scratch;
- Contributing to open source projects, making or improving libraries;
- Creating or helping create something cool, documenting it well, and blogging about it.
These are the things people will care about a few years down the road. Your grades? They’re just an annoyance you have to deal with along the way.
Use your time well, and good luck!
https://cs.stanford.edu/people/karpathy/advice.html