I have a tests & I don't remember what I studied?

Question

I have a test [it is kind of a huge-deal] in less than two days. I've studied 3/4 of my test material. But when I sit down for pratise tests, or even to review what I studied I can't seem to remember ANYTHING. I mean I need to go back & peek, and even then I don't remember. I'm so confused & just mad right now. I dont know what to do. I dont have time to study it all again.

Please help out? Tips, tricks, secrets, suggestions, anything will do. Please. Also if anyone else has ever been through this, & had it just magically come back to them on the test day, I'd like to hear your testimonies for reassurance.

lol. Thanks! I was wondering what i should take along to eat during the tests the test. I was thinking coffee. But I guess chewing gum sound better. Hah. & thanks for the wish :)

neniaf, your answer is awesome. I think I should try the cutting out thing too. Thanks & you sound like a teacher, are you? lol. I'll wait for more answers :)

Answer 1

This could be one of two things. First, you could be so anxious about the test that it is blocking your memory of the material. Secondly, it could be that you just have not studied hard enough yet.

The second case is the more obvious. I find that most of my students claim to have studied, but when I ask them about anything specific, they don't seem to know it, or didn't actually understand what they were studying. You may just need to put in more time.

The first case requires studying differently. You need to build your confidence in your own knowledge base. My usual approach is to start with a complete study guide. Then I look at it, and cross off everything which is obvious to me - those things for which I clearly know the answer. That immediately reduces the amount of material I need to look at - once I know it, I don't need to keep studying. So then I go through everything again, and again, I test myself and recognize that there is some material with which I am completely confident. I then cross that off. I repeat until I realize that I know it all. I can see from my study guide that everything is crossed off, and there is nothing I don't know. That builds up my confidence. I then put it all away until maybe a couple of hours before the test. Then I go through one more time, and remind myself of the things I realize that I once knew. Then I'm ready.

During the test, don't let your adrenaline get the better of you. I used to tell students that if they started to feel the panic, they needed to stop for a minute and take deep breaths, say a prayer, or whatever else worked for them to calm them down. I had a bad experience during my own comprehensive exams. The professor had told us to study everything EXCEPT one area, and I had followed his directions. When I got to the test, the first question started by referring to that one area he had told us NOT to study. I went into a complete panic, and it took me 20 minutes until I could breathe normally and even look at the paper again. When I did, I realized that the reference was just an example, and the question itself was about something which I had studied and knew perfectly well. That taught me the importance of not allowing myself to draw quick conclusions about my command of the material. If I had stopped for a minute and taken a deep breath, I would have realized that I was perfectly capable of answering the question!

Answer 2

If you chew gum during a test it helps you blood flow also allowing you brain to not stall.

so chew gum.

but if that dosent help you can turn your notes into a song and sing it to yourself during the test.

Good Luck on Your Test