How to Study

Organize Your Material
1. Gather all the material you have been using for the course:
books, workbooks, handouts, notes, homework, and previous
tests and papers. 
2. Compare the contents with the material you will be tested 
on and ask yourself: What exactly do I need to review for 
this test? 
3. Select the material for review. Reducing the pile of books and
papers will be a psychological aid—it’ll seem as if you have
more than enough time and energy to study for the test. 
4. Photocopy and complete the Pretest Organizer at the end of
this chapter. Consider carefully the “Material to be covered” 
section. Be specific. The more detailed you are, the better 
job you’ll do reviewing all the areas that you should know. 
This exercise will help you quantify what you need to do. 
5. As you review the material and conclude that you know it for
the test, put a bold check mark on the “Review” line. 
6. Hot tip: Make a crib sheet as if you were going to cheat on
the test, which, of course, you are not. Use it for last-minute
review. And if you are lucky enough to get an open-book test,
thank me! 
Chapter 8
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How to Study for Tests
179

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Allocate the Time You Need
Consider these questions when figuring out the time you need to 
allocate to study for a particular test:
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How much time do I usually spend studying for this 
type of exam? What have been the results? If you usually
spend three hours and you consistently get Ds, perhaps you
need to reassess the time you’re spending or, more accurately,
misspending.
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What grade do I have going for me now? If it’s a solid B
and you’re convinced you can’t get an A, you may decide to
devote less time to this test and more to a subject in which
you have a better shot at a top grade. If you have a C+ and a
good grade on the exam would give you a solid B, you may
decide to devote more time to this subject.
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