How to Study

Consider an early morning rather than a late-night cram, espe-
cially if you’re a “morning” person. I’ve found it more effective to 
go to bed and get up early rather than go to bed late and get up
exhausted.
Spend the first few minutes of the test writing down whatever
you remember but are afraid you’ll forget.
When in Doubt, Ask
Yes, there are teachers who test you on the most mundane details of
their course, requiring you to review every book, every note, every
scribble.
I don’t think most teachers work that way. You will more than likely
be tested on some subset of the course— those particular topics or
problems or facts or figures the teacher believes most important.
How do you know what those are? To put it bluntly, how do you
know what’s going to be on the test?
Teachers give many clues. In general, the more often you see or hear
the same material, the more important it probably is and the more
likely it is that it will show up on a test.
How to Study
182

---

A fact or topic need not be repeated in order to scream “Learn me!”
Just as you learned to watch a teacher’s body language and listen 
for verbal clues to identify noteworthy topics, you’ll learn to identify
topics the teacher indicates— nonverbally—are the most important.
Your teacher’s attitude toward note taking may tip you off, as well. 
If he or she requires you to take detailed notes—even wants them
turned in (sometimes in high school, rarely in college)—I’d figure that
your class notes are far and away more important than the
textbook(s). Study accordingly.
Have you saved earlier tests and quizzes from that class? Returned
exams, especially if they contain a lot of comments from your teacher,
should give you an excellent indication of where to concentrate your
study time.
Is it wrong to ask the teacher what kind of test to expect? Absolutely
not. Will he or she always tell you? Absolutely not. If you have access
to old exams written by the same teacher, especially if they cover the
same material you’re going to be tested on, use them for review.
Don’t expect the same questions to appear again. No teacher is 
that accommodating. But the way the test is prepared, the kinds 
of questions employed, and the mix of questions (100 true/false, 
50 multiple-choice, and one—count ’em—one essay) will give a much
better idea of what to expect on your test.
And see if you can find anyone who had this teacher last year or last
semester. Can they give you any advice, tips, hints, or warnings?
Some teachers love one type of question. Some are true/false freaks;
others push the multiple-choice/short answer combo. If old tests, 
former students, the teacher’s own comments on the test coming 
up, and your own experience tell you this is true, you might as well
study for that kind of test. You still have to know the material, of
course. It’s just that you may need to remind yourself that you’re going
to have to deal with it in a particular fashion.
Chapter 8
■
How to Study for Tests
183

---

The best teachers use a combination of test questions to find out
what you know. Frankly, some of them hate grading essay questions,
so they rarely use them. Why do other teachers choose essay 
questions?