Preparing For and Taking Math Exams, By Sarah Carothers

"Studying" CC Image courtesy of  Steven S. on Flickr

Preparation:

• Begin preparing early

  Pay attention during class: every minute you daydream in class is many more minutes of studying later.
  Do assigned homework problems: math is a building process, and in order to understand the next step, you need to comprehend the present and previous ones

• Simulate test conditions

  After you have studied and think you know the material, practice it under test conditions. Solve unassigned homework problems and see if you can finish them in the allotted time for the exam

• Know your professor

  Study a copy of the exam of a previous class if available;
  Talk with someone who has taken the professor before, preferably someone who has succeeded in the same class

• Form a study group of 3-4 dedicated students

  Not only will other students be able to help you with problems, but by helping others, you will better learn the material. If you are unable teach another student a topic you believe you know, chances are you don't know that topic very well after all. If you can't teach it, you don't know it!

Testing:

• Read through the exam

  Reading through the whole exam you can
1. know what is expected of you
2. prioritize items on the test
3. pace yourself.

• Carefully read the instructions

  Make sure you are answering the question that is being asked!
  Often students know how to solve a problem, but they misread or misinterpret the question itself

• Check that you have correctly rewritten the problem

  If you use a scratch piece of paper, make sure that you correctly rewrite the problem.
  Don't skip steps. Start from the beginning;

• Clearly write each step of the solution

  Be neat and don't rush writing numbers down.
  Keep checking your solution as you are working.
  Neatness makes it easier to recheck your work;

• Double check your math, especially your calculator entries

  Double check your calculator work immediately.
  The chances of hitting a wrong number are high, but the chances of hitting the same wrong number are not;

• Don't Dilly Dally

  If you get stuck on a problem move on and come back to it later.
  When you are finished, recheck all your work.

How to Make Your Writing More Interesting, By Myriah Strivelli

Do you feel like your writing could use a make-over? Keep reading to learn a few tips about how you can make your writing more exciting. 

To avoid monotony in your writing, include various types of sentences to spice things up. Short sentences can be powerful, concise, and to the point. Yet if you include too many short sentences, this could cause the work to sound choppy. To make short sentences longer, consider combining two sentences with a coordinating conjunction or linking two sentences with subordination. Long sentences can be used to incorporate a lot of information. Yet if you include too many long sentences, the work could become hard to follow. To add rhythm, include a balance of short and long sentences in your work (Weber and Brizee). 

When you find too much repetition in your writing, consider using synonyms. Word document programs have a thesaurus feature, which can be helpful. You may also use a traditional thesaurus or an online thesaurus. This is also a wonderful way to learn new words! Before you use a new word, make sure that you understand the meaning of the word and that it is used appropriately.

If too many sentences in your writing start with the same words, then you might want to explore different ways to craft a sentence. Too much repetition can make your writing become tedious and bland. Experiment by varying the words you begin each sentence with. For example, try beginning a sentence with an adverb, a dependent clause, a gerund, a preposition, or an adjective (Weber and Brizee).

Lastly, always read your work out loud to make sure that it makes sense to the reader. This will help you find errors and ways that you can make the writing flow better. Alternately, you may also want to try reading it aloud to someone else or ask someone else to read it aloud to you.

Remember, the more you practice writing, the more your writing will improve. I hope this article has given you new ideas for how to jazz up your next paper.

Works Cited

Weber, Ryan and Allen Brizee. “Strategies for Variation.” The Writing Lab and the OWL at Purdue and Purdue University, 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.

Hartsook, Fred. “Mary Pickford Writing at a Desk.” From http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMary_Pickford-desk.jpg [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 1918. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. 

Critical Thinking Skills in Reading, By Carla Woody

Finding the Facts, Main Idea and Details:

The main idea is the most important idea in a paragraph or passage; look for this in either the first or last sentence of the paragraph.
   
Supporting details give you more information about the main idea, such as who, what, when, where, how much and why.  They may include reasons, facts or statistics, examples, anecdotes, how-to steps and expert testimony.

Making Inferences:

This means using facts that are stated to figure out a meaning that is not stated directly.  To make inferences, look at the supporting details, then figure out what they all relate to.

Inferences are often found in fiction; rather than stating ideas about characters and events, authors often hint at them.  As a reader, you can piece clues together to make sense of characters and figure out the point of a story.

Drawing Conclusions:

In its simplest form, a conclusion is the logical outcome of a general statement, plus a specific example.  Both the general statement and the example must be true for the conclusion to be true.  If either one is false, then the conclusion is not true.  One reason general statements are often false is because they tend to start with all, every, or only.    

In a larger sense, drawing conclusions means combining what you read with what you already know to figure out the meaning of a piece of writing.  Drawing conclusions is similar to making inferences, but it adds another element.  If making inferences involves reading between the lines, drawing conclusions involves reading beyond the text, bringing in your own experience.  Drawing conclusions tests your ability to reason.

Recognizing Context Clues:

Context clues are the words and sentences around a word that provide clues to its meaning.  Even when you can figure out a word from its context, look it up in a dictionary to verify the meaning.  The dictionary will also give you information such as the origin of the word and its pronunciation.

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Summarizing means providing the main idea and major points of a reading (examples: essays, articles, chapters). It will be always be briefer than the original.

Paraphrasing means restating, in your own words, a passage, a paragraph, or brief reading selection. It too is usually briefer than the original selection.

Identifying Facts and Opinions

A fact is a statement that can be proved.  An opinion is a statement that expresses feelings, beliefs or personal judgments.  A generalization is an opinion that allows for no exceptions.  Watch for words such as think, believe, best, worst, wonderful, should, always, never to identify opinions and generalizations.

Tips for Natural Resource Students, by Charlie Faires

I will never forget my first day in Haywood Community College’s dendrology class as a first year wildlife and forestry student. The professor handed each student a list containing over 100 tree species that we would have to identify, and, upon closer inspection, I quickly noticed that beside each listed tree species, there were one or two very strange looking words. In fact, these words were so strange they seemed like another language! Oddly enough, they were - Latin, to be precise. Shortly after I noticed these odd “words,” the instructor then explained these were the “scientific names” of the tree species, which we were required to memorize for class. And, yes, they had to be spelled correctly.

If you are a natural resources student, I am sure, at some point in time, you have had similar experiences in your education. In the beginning, as a wildlife or forestry student, you probably feel or felt overwhelmed and pretty confused.  Learning how to identify trees is hard enough as it is, but learning the Latin name, too is even harder! Although it might seem nearly impossible in the beginning, trust me; it’s not. All it takes is a few cool study tricks, some determination, and a little faith the size of a willow oak (Quercus phellos) acorn, which is the smallest acorn, by the way.  

First, study tricks

Make flash cards! Use colorful index cards and different types of colored pens or pencils. Research has shown that colors will stimulate the brain and help you process the material you are studying. It might sound strange, but science doesn’t lie. So use colors!

Once you have made your flashcards, take time to review them every day. Make a habit of flipping through them before you fall asleep and just after waking up. Studies have shown that sleeping after processing new information greatly increases retention. And, when you wake up, you will see the results immediately, which is always encouraging. It doesn’t hurt to carry the cards around in your pocket throughout the day. When you are waiting in line at the coffee shop or waiting for your next class to begin, take a moment to flip through them. This is a great use of idle time in the day and is much more productive than flipping through your smartphone. In time, the flash cards will help, trust me.

 If you think there might be a better alternative, come to the tutoring center, and we will figure out your own unique studying style. Everyone is different, and there are countless approaches to learning. So don’t get discouraged if, after trying, a method isn’t for you.

One last thing, get tutoring! People sometimes joke and refer to learning trees and plants as being like a “wall of green,” meaning everything looks the same. This was certainly true for me, so I got a tutor, and it helped tremendously! As I said before, in the beginning it can feel really overwhelming and confusing, so take the time to let a tutor help you adjust. It will give you much more confidence going to class, and it is a really fun way to study! Make it a regular part of your schedule to attend tutoring at least twice a week. Even f you only tutor for thirty minutes, you won’t regret it.

Determination!

“Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.”

-Albert Einstein

Alright, you have your flashcards and are attending tutoring sessions regularly, so make sure you hang in there! When you have a good schedule and rhythm going, it can get really easy to make excuses to not remain disciplined. Or, maybe despite all your hard work, your grades still haven’t been improving. Either way, don’t let this bring you down! Just like Einstein’s quote above, it isn’t your intellect that will help you succeed; it is your character, so stay determined! No matter how discouraged you might get, make it a habit to keep studying. Communicate with your instructors about your concerns, they want to help, but won’t know unless you ask. If you remain determined and keep a positive attitude, you can succeed. Don’t let it anyone tell you otherwise.

Willow Oak Acorn

When you enter Haywood’s campus each day, have you ever noticed the beautiful, enormous trees planted on both sides of the road? Those are willow oaks (Quercus phellos), which are one of my favorite trees. Despite having one of the smallest acorns, willow oaks grow into one of the most beautiful, enormous trees, which is why they are planted all over the United States. Next time you enter Haywood’s campus, notice the willow oaks and remind yourself that they were once a very tiny acorn. Understanding dendrology or botany won’t come overnight, so have some faith, maybe the size of a willow oak acorn, and you will be amazed at what can happen!